Rosi,

First, Bobbi Cordy wrote a little booklet about exhibiting at shows, which
she sells for a nominal $1. Email [log in to unmask]

When I prepare an exhibit, I first think of a theme for it. It might be
shells from a certain place, a family, shells that live in sand, what there
is on the beach, etc. Currently I'm exhibiting shells from traps and will
be expanding the display to include scallop dumps, dredging, etc.

Next I choose the shells I will use. I usually pick out more than I
actually end up with. Then I set them in the cases in a pleasing
arrangement. You don't want to have too many shells and make it crowded,
and you have to leave room for your labels and any other information you're
going to include, such as photos, models, or explanatory text.

Choose a background color that will complement your shells. I like blue but
have lately branched out to pinks, greens, and yellows. I think light green
washes out the shells. Go to an art supply store and look at mat board,
foam board, or poster board and pick out the color you like to place in the
bottom of your cases. You can also choose the same color or a contrasting
color for a backboard if you want to add information and don't want to
waste space in the cases. Foam board works well for this because it's rigid
and will stand up with a couple of bookends behind it pushed under the
case. Some people use cloth instead of paper and if you do, you should
stretch it around a piece of cardboard to keep it smooth. Black velvet is
nice, but any speck of white is very visible on it and you have to clean it
every time you use it.

Next I make labels. These should include at least the Latin name, author
and date. If it's a homogenous exhibit, such as "shells from Lido Beach",
you won't need locality data, but if it's from a country you should put in
some info on where it came from, tide conditions, maybe date, etc, if you
have that info (some bought shells don't come with much information).
Labels should be consistent and, if possible, all the same size. You can do
them on the computer in a variety of programs - I use Filemaker Pro and/or
Pagemaker. You can print them on colored paper or on white. You can print a
border around them for interest.

You might want to mount your labels on a heavier piece of paper - I
recommend this. You can use a contrasting color and cut them so there's a
colored border around the label, but this often makes the labels very large
and takes interest away from the shells, so be careful. It's also hard to
cut heavy mat board or poster board straight! Lately I've just been
mounting the paper so it won't curl but without a colored border. Of
course, if you have a color printer, you can make your own colored borders.

Again, place the shells and labels where you want them, having put your
background down in the case. Then make sure your shells are well cleaned. I
don't oil them until I have them in place, because oil on the side next to
the paper will stain the paper - so they're often only oiled on the side
that shows!

If your shells aren't delicate or spiny, you can stick them down with
plasti-tac or something similar (available at groceries, drug stores,
stationery stores, etc) if you want. I usually do. However, the stuff is
hard to get off spines later and if it gets oily will also be hard to
remove. If you don't want to use it, you'll need to place all your shells
where they belong at setup time. My setup takes less than an hour when I
use plasti-tac and taking down the exhibits takes only a few minutes.
Sometimes I carry a few delicate or spiny shells in boxes and place them at
setup and stick the rest down. I also stick down all my labels. This stuff
won't work well on fabric.

Be absolutely sure you have the right label with the right shell!
Mislabeling will disqualify your exhibit.

Extra information is always interesting, but some displays have too much of
it. Make short paragraphs and spread them around the exhibit or backboards.
Photos add a lot of interest, as do maps. You don't have to have a
backboard for every case. Proofread carefully and don't misspell. Get
someone else to proofread if you can, too.

Most important, have fun!

Peggy

                     Visit my website at http://www.shelltrips.com
                                  Peggy Williams
                                   Shell Elegant
                                    PO Box 575
                                Tallevast FL 34270
                                   (941) 355-2291
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