low cost conservation
TRANSCRIPT
Low Cost Conservation
PreservingVA ConferenceVirginia Africana: The Network of Museum, History, and
Preservation Professionals
Valinda S. CarrollNovember 7, 2014
Objectives
• Preservation Management and Planning
• Simple mitigation strategies
• From Macro to Micro
• Good, Better, [Best]
• Environmental Assessment & Control
• Collections Storage
• Individual Housings
• Collection Maintenance
© 2005 Heritage Preservation, Inc.
Institutions with a Written, Long-range
Plan for the Care of the Collection
9%
8%
11%
20%
50%
2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Have plan
Have plan, but it is not up-to-date
Don't have plan, but one is being
developed
Don't have plan, but preservation is
addressed in overall long-range plan
Don't have plan
Don't know
© 2005 Heritage Preservation, Inc.
Institutions’ Staffing for
Conservation/Preservation
20%30%
44%
15%22%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Dedicated
paid staff
Various
staff as
needed
Volunteers External
provider
No staff
person
Multiple responses allowed
© 2005 Heritage Preservation, Inc.
What Institutions’ Conservation/Preservation
Program Includes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Done by
institution
staff
Done by
external
provider
Not done
currently,
but planned
Not done Not
applicable
Preventiveconservation
Preservationmanagement
Conservationtreatment
Preservationreformatting
Preservation of A/Vmedia & playbackequipment
Preservation ofdigital materials
Multiple responses allowed
© 2005 Heritage Preservation, Inc.
No allocated
funds
40%
Have
allocated
funds
23%
Don't know
2%
No specific line
item but other
budgeted funds
available
36%
Institutions with Funds Allocated for
Conservation/ Preservation in Annual Budget
Criteria for good storage
1. There is at least one trained member of staff in charge
2. There is a basic documentation system (complete & up to date)
3. Storage areas are reserved exclusively for the collection
4. Every object has an assigned location
5. Every object can be retrieved within three minutes
6. Every object can be moved without damaging another
7. The building is designed or adapted for conservation
© 2011-2013 RE-ORG
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
Define the Cultural Project
• Mission Statement
• Projected growth of collection
• Anticipated open or closed storage
• Organizational scheme: by material type, by region, by function
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
Determine the Storage Activities
• Collection Storage
• Exhibit Preparation?
• Rehousing or packing?
• Study or reading area?
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
Observe and Assess Conditions
• Collection items on floor
• Exhibit panels, spare packing supplies, empty crates, non-collection materials wasting prime real estate
• Online self-assessment tool may reveal more issues
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
Assess Policies
• Handling
• Housekeeping
• Integrated Pest Management
• Security (including labels)
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
• Organizational scheme
• Floor plan
• Inventory (at least a rough count)
• List of tools, supplies, furniture
• Estimate time needed (break collection into chunks as needed)
Rehoused
• Incremental improvements completed
• Already in finding aid
• Awaiting cataloging as individual items
• Surveyed for condition, but not treated
Re-ORG Methodology
• Getting Started
• Storage Condition Report
• Storage Reorganization Project
• Storage Reorganization Implementation
• Assign tasks/ delegate
• Train as needed
• Follow written plan
• Evaluate
Agents of Deterioration &Mitigation Strategies
• Temperature and Humidity
• Air pollution
• Light
• Building level, cabinet or case level, item level
Measurement Tools
• Temperature and Humidity Indicator Cards
• Handheld Thermohygrometer
• Thermometer and Psychrometer
• Recording Hygrothermograph
• Electronic Data loggers
Datalogger
Advantages: • Records over time
• Small enough to fit into exhibit case or packing crate
• Data can be loaded into standard spreadsheet software to generate reports
• May be less expensive than hygrothermograph
Datalogger
• Requires batteries
• Inexpensive models cannot be read without computer
• Inexpensive models must be downloaded individually, by hand
Disadvantages
Aspirating Psychrometer
• Uses a fan to evaporate moisture from cloth on wet bulb
• Can assist in calibrating other instruments
• More reliable and easier to use than sling psychrometer
Wet bulb
Aspirating Psychrometer
• Does not record over time
• Requires slide rule or mathematical calculations
• Does not generate documentation
Advantages
•Inexpensive
•Easy to use
•Portable
•Small enough to fit into frame, exhibit case, or shipping crate
Temperature Card
Disadvantages
Temperature Card
•Imprecise
•Does not record over time
•Does not generate permanent documentation
•Not durable
Advantages
• Small enough to fit into frame, exhibit case, or shipping crate
•Inexpensive unit cost
•Does not require batteries
•Does not require computer or slide rule
Humidity Card
Disadvantages
• Imprecise
•Not durable
•Does not record over time
•May contain toxic pigments
Humidity Card
Advantages
•Displays relative humidity•Displays temperature•Portable•Easy to use•Does not require additional equipment or supplies•Inexpensive
Handheld Thermohygrometer
Disadvantages
•Does not record over time•Does not store readings•May be inaccurate and difficult to calibrate•User must purchase batteries
Handheld Thermohygrometer
No photocopiers or printers in storage
• Photocopiers and laser printers emit ozone
•Keep office spaces separate from collections storage
Protective Housing Materials
• Adsorb chemical pollutants from the air
• Can be incorporated into frames and exhibit cases
• May act as physical barriers to pollutants
• Easy to use Plastic films & bags with Intercept ™technology (finely divided copper)
Protective Housing Materials
• Capacity to counteract pollutants not easily determined
• Shelf life not easily determined
• More expensive than traditional housing materials
Desiccants & Buffers
Humidity Buffer• Cardstock folders
• Interleaving & wrapping tissue
• Matboard
• Cardboard
• Textiles
• Wooden Furniture
• Hygroscopic Collections
Desiccant• Silica gel
• Salts (calcium chloride, lithium chloride)
Backing board
•Provides stable microclimate for paintings on canvas
•Reduces cracking and flaking caused by vibrations of canvas
•Protects back of canvas from punctures
Light
• Light damage is cumulative and irreversible
• Ultraviolet is important
• Ultraviolet is not the only factor
image courtesy of Ellen Carrlee
UV-filtering materials
Ultraviolet filtering materials can be used in windows, light fixtures, exhibit cases, and/or frames
•Acrylic (Plexiglas UF, Acrylite OP, TrueVue Optium)•Polycarbonate (Lexan)•Laminated Glass (Schott Amiran)•Filtering window films•Fluorescent tube sleeves
Add Redundancy
• Item level housing
• Label outer package
• Label inner housing, supporting tray, or mini-pallet
• Attach tags to item
• Use photo on opaque housing
image courtesy of Ellen Carrlee
ResourcesCaring for Your Treasures
http://www.conservation-us.org/about-conservation/caring-for-your-treasures#.VFosEGfsCTA
CCI Notes (Canadian Conservation Institute)
https://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/resources-ressources/ccinotesicc/index-eng.aspx
From Gray areas to Green Areas (conference proceedings)
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/kilgarlin/gaga/proceedings.html
Handling Museum Objects
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Resources/e-learning/handling-museum-objects/
Just Paint information sheets
http://oldsite.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/JamesBernstein/NumberSeven.pdf
NPS Museum Handbook
http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/handbook.html
ResourcesPhiladelphia Museum of Art Textile storage project
http://www.philamuseum.org/conservation/5.html?page=1
Preservation Self-Assessment Program
http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/projects_grants/grants/PSAP/
Property Care White Papers (Historic New England)
http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/preserving-historic-sites/property-care-white-papers
Re-ORG storage reorganization
http://www.re-org.info/
Risk Awareness Profiling Tool
http://www.raptonline.org.uk/welcome.asp
Storage Techniques for Art, Science, and History
http://stashc.com/