After physically removing the contents of the Crystal S onto tables set up in the Richmond Boat Builders building (where the Crystal S restoration is taking place), the process of assessing these items began. Assistant Curator of Collections, Philippa Dove, led this stage of the project and writes about the process of organizing the contents of a fishing boat.
The aim of the assessment process was to review and research items from the Crystal S and sort them into three categories:
City of Richmond Permanent Collection
Items joining the Permanent Collection will help us tell the story of Bud Sakamoto and the Crystal S in future exhibits — these artefacts will also be available for research and education.
Crystal S Props Collection
When the boat restoration is complete, these items will be returned to the Crystal S to furnish the cabin and give visitors a feel for life on board a working fishing vessel.
Disposal
Items that are potentially dangerous, in poor condition, or are not required for the Permanent Collection or the Crystal S Props Collection, will be sent to disposal.
It was somewhat overwhelming at the start of this project, as there were many hundreds of items to assess! However, we began by identifying the most significant items for the Permanent Collection.
There were a number of personal objects that belonged to Bud Sakamoto, including work coveralls, sunglasses, and a full set of raingear with boots, gloves, and hat. To represent Bud’s inner artist, we added some of his painting supplies, and to tell the story of his dedication to Richmond’s maritime heritage, we collected nametags and memorabilia from the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Richmond’s Ships to Shore Festival, and the Richmond Maritime Festival.
Items such as fishing gear, tools, safety equipment, navigational charts and licenses will also help us to illustrate work on board the Crystal S. A highlight of the items added to the Permanent Collection was a Japanese woodworking plane, marked “MS” for Mamoru Sakamoto, Bud’s father who built the Crystal S.
The next step of the process was selecting Crystal S Props. Our goal is to authentically represent all aspects of life on board the boat. With this in mind, we selected a lot of props (approximately 330), including the expected fishing and nautical equipment, but also items such as kitchen utensils, spice jars, stove tools, cleaning supplies, first aid materials, a razor and shaving mirror, novels, playing cards, and a selection of the many fixtures, fittings, tools, and materials needed to repair and maintain a boat while at sea!
The artefacts were delivered to the Collections Team for processing and the props were carefully packed up and put into storage to await completion of the project. The final stage of this part of the project was disposal of the items that remained. Dangerous materials such as flares, pressurized containers and ammunition were taken to the appropriate hazardous materials disposal facility and other items were thrifted and recycled where possible.
With the tables in the Richmond Boat Builders building finally clear and the Crystal S contents packed up, the restoration work can now begin in earnest!
To find related articles, and to follow along with the Crystal S restoration, visit this webpage dedicated to the project.
