The Kelsey Museum is one of U-M’s many museums on campus, and houses a notable set of archaeological artifacts. Certain works held in the museum are not found anywhere else in the world.
The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built from 1888-1891 and originally housed the Students Christian Association. A new addition to the original building, the William E. Upjohn Wing, opened last November.
According to Lauren Talalay, Curator and Associate Director of the museum, “there are over 100,000 objects housed in the museum, including 25,000 photographs from the turn of the last century. About 60 percent of these are from excavations conducted by the University during the 1920s and 30s.”
She explained that there are about 45,000 objects from Karanis, Egypt, a rural farming community that U-M conducted excavations between 1924 and 1935. Another noteworthy feature is the collection of watercolor paintings that date from the time of the explosion of Pompeii in 79 AD, said Talalay. “These paintings were discovered in the 1920s and they are the only ones of their kind anywhere in the world.” According to the museum’s website, the Kelsey also houses collections of Parthian pottery, Roman brick stamps, glass objects, and more than 40,000 coins.
Talalay mentioned that “there have been more than 25 excavations since 1924, and the museum also sponsors excavations overseas. There are currently fieldwork projects in Egypt, Italy, and Georgia, among others.” She also added that these fieldwork projects are not limited to only staff and graduate students. Undergraduate students are also allowed to work on these, and can apply to be a part. “In fact, we readily encourage undergraduate students to join us,” she said.
The William E. Upjohn Wing currently houses most of the collections, including the famous watercolors. “Thanks to the addition of this wing, we have been able to permanently display a lot more material, and have shifted our best objects there,” said Talalay. The Upjohn Wing also features a notable collection of photographs. “Digitization is underway for the collections, and a video on the materials is being planned. We are also working on a 5-year plan for the Kelsey,” said Talalay.
Marisa Szpytman, an undergraduate student majoring in Near Eastern Civilization, works at the Kelsey Museum and has been associated with it for most of the three years that she has spent at U-M. She explained that she primarily makes educational materials about these topics. “One of my recent projects included making a board with hieroglyphic symbols on one side for use by docents and the explanations on the other, to help beginners.”
Though the Kelsey Museum is not very popular among students on campus, its noteworthy and one of a kind collections merit at least a visit, if not a more in-depth exploration of the museum and its rich history.
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