(Robyn Adams. Registrar South Carolina State Museum) “Objects hold a special place in our lives.”

(Paul Matheny. Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs, South Carolina State Museum) “They preserve our past and have the power to inspire and bring stories to light.”

(Robyn) “From billions year old meteorites,”

(Paul) “stunning pieces created by South Carolina artists and craftspeople,”

(Robyn) “and one-of-a-kind pieces of cultural history.”

(Paul) “Each object of the museum contains the tangible history of South Carolina- offering a connection to our past, present and future.”

(Robyn) “And what you see only scratches the surface.”

(Paul) “My name is Paul, and I'm the Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs here at the South Carolina State Museum.

(Robyn) “My name is Robyn and I'm the State Museum's registrar. My job is to coordinate the care of the collection. With limited space in the museum's galleries with over 1.1 million objects, specimens, artifacts and fossils within our care, most of the State Museum's collection remains in storage.”

(Paul) “Fine art, folk art, contemporary art- all created by South Carolina artists and craftspeople, and dating back as far as the 1500s.”

(Robyn) “Culturally significant pieces throughout South Carolina's history. And drawers upon drawers of ancient shark teeth, fossils and modern day specimens.”

(Paul) “These invaluable objects are stored, preserved, cataloged and cared for. Ensuring artifacts like this face vessel, created by an enslaved craftsperson from the Edgefield area, can bring the compelling, diverse stories of South Carolina to life for many years down the road.”

(Robyn) “Recently, the State Museum has been awarded a series of grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received funding from the South Carolina State Legislature to assist in digitizing our collection.”

(Paul) “This not only improves our quality of care for the collection, but also increases access for researchers, educators and the public.”

(Robyn) “Each object is carefully handled, photographed, measured, and all details noted about its condition, background, maker, and whether it's on loan, a purchase, or a donation. Then it is carefully placed in storage or in the museum galleries for you to see.”

(Paul) “Thanks to these efforts, portions of our collection are now accessible online for you to explore!”