As a result of the previous two symposiums held at the Cody Firearms Museum, both last year and this year, a new association of firearm museum curators will be formed. This association will specifically address the needs and issues that curators and historians that work with museum firearms find themselves encountering.

The official name for the association is currently being decided. The association will hold at least one symposium a year, rotating locations around the country to different museums within the organization. It will publish a magazine called Arsenals of History (this year will see the premiere issue) that features the work of member museums and individuals.

The association is in very early stages of development with input from a number of the Symposium curators. Current issues being decided include things like: political stances, how to host workshops around the country (e.g. How To Dealing With the ATF), and decisions on whether or not members should be museum based or can individuals be allowed.

From a researcher’s perspective, this is a fascinating opportunity for folks like Hrachya, Nathaniel, Mathew, Rusty, and myself (at TFB); for the first time, we’ll be able to interface directly with curators and reference collections staff.  Typically we’ve only ever dealt with them on an individual basis when we get the opportunity to visit their collections in person. During the input session, I raised my hand and asked that there be a portal for researchers to better conduct their work so readers at TFB and viewers at TFB TV can get a chance to see more of these historic pieces that are in these reference collections.

Ashley and Danny take questions from the audience about how to better structure the association.

For more coverage of the recent symposium at the Cody Firearms Museum, please read about Day One here, Day Two here, and Day Three here on TFB.

Jennifer Tucker from Wesleyan University poses a question about how to better work stories about firearms into museums.

Al Houde of the U.S. Marine Corps Museum takes a second to explain how the ATF works in regards to the National Firearms branch.

Doug Wicklund of the NRA National Firearms Museum talks about some of the museum’s daily operations.

Danny talks about how Cody runs some of their dealings with the ATF in regards to the collection.

The audience listens intently during a talk.