Transformation from Stone to Silicone: The Use and Reuse of Harvard’s Plaster Casts

ABSTRACT When the Harvard Semitic Museum opened in 1903, the exhibits included hundreds of plaster casts. However, its galleries were decommissioned in 1958 and the casts put into storage. It would take decades before the museum was able to restore areas for display. Unfortunately, storage conditions and handling since deinstallation resulted in damaged casts. Museum staff initiated a multiyear project to recast some of these replicas using lightweight, modern urethane resins. The work was supported by faculty, who secured grant funding and integrated the project into teaching. Through directed experience in the context of a university course, students engaged with topics ranging from archaeology to museum studies. Their work was integral to the creation of a new exhibit. The show highlights the use of casts in museums but remains flexible enough to serve as the backbone of a future exhibit in the space dedicated to the art and history of Assyria.