This fabulous event was held as a pre-confernence seminar, just prior to the 2020 Small Museums and Galleries Conference.
Topics covered at the seminar included:
Introduction to the causes of deterioration
- Light
- Temperature and relative humidity
- Pest and mould
- Handling and visitors
- Physical forces
- Dissociation, neglect, displacers
- Thieves and vandals
- Disasters, fire, water
- Oxygen, water
- Inherent vice, hazardous materials
- Off-gassing, incorrect storage & display materials
- Poor support during storage and display
- Pollutants
- Dust and dirt
- Standardising practises and routines
Understanding collection objects
- Identifying damage to objects and condition reporting
- Object handling – identifying risks and developing handling procedures
Cleaning collection objects
- Conservation cleaning – the special needs of heritage objects and buildings
- Over the counter products compared to conservation materials
- Assembling a cleaning kit, advice on cleaning products and materials
- Extent of cleaning and when to contact a Conservator for treatment and advice
Protecting objects and making suitable storage supports
- Storage and Display materials
- Manufacturing supports – demonstration