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)

Storage Problem

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

Preservation Environment Monitor

Recording Hygrothermograph

Recording hygrothermographAdvantages

Red temperature line

•Shows temperature•Shows humidity

Recording hygrothermograph

Blue humidity line

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

Temperature and humidity

Thermometer Psychrometer

Air Pollution

No photocopiers or printers in storage

• Photocopiers and laser printers emit ozone

•Keep office spaces separate from collections storage

Volatile Organic Compounds

Regular Paint Low VOC Paint

Volatile acetic acid

(cellulose acetate film deterioration)

Controls

slight

severe

severe

moderate

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

Barrier Films and Microclimates

images courtesy of Ellen Carrlee

Oxygen scavengers

Desiccants & Buffers

Humidity Buffer• Cardstock folders

• Interleaving & wrapping tissue

• Matboard

• Cardboard

• Textiles

• Wooden Furniture

• Hygroscopic Collections

Desiccant• Silica gel

• Salts (calcium chloride, lithium chloride)

Exhibit Case Retrofit

Matboard Laminate

Barrier Film Side Display Side

Completed corners

Finished Product

Standardized Frame System

Microclimate Frame

Frame Sealing Tape

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

Window Coverings

• Films

• Panels

• Storm windows

• Visible window treatments

Working Shutters

Protection without sealed cases

• Tyvek

• Unbleached Cotton Muslin

image courtesy of Ellen Carrlee

Boxes and other enclosures

Dust removal

variable suction

Staple and paperclip removal

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

Conservation Assessment Program

Preservation Assistance Grants

AHPG & Museums for America

Conclusions

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/

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

• Ellen Carrlee, Alaska State Museum

• Hampton University Museum