1st Edition

Care of Collections

Edited By Simon Knell Copyright 1994
    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    Confronting contemporary issues in museum practice, this collection provides a practical guide to all aspects of collections care.

    Contributors cover a wide range of issues including:

    •  conservation practice
    • the monitoring and control of light
    •  relative humidity and atmospheric pollution
    •  packing, handling and transportation of collections
    •  storage and access to collections
    •  biological infestation
    •  disaster planning.

    Including material and sources that have, up until now, not easily been available, students of museum studies and proffessionals within the industry now have this invaluable aid to their work.

    List of figures, List of tables, Series preface, Preface to this volume, Acknowledgements, Introduction: the context of collection’s care, 1 The ethics of conservation, 2 Cleaning and meaning: The Ravished Image reviewed, 3 Solvent abuseMichael Daley, 4 Working exhibits and the destruction of evidence in the Science Museum, 5 The role of the scholar-curator in conservation, 6 Do objects have a finite lifetime?, 7 Audits of care: a framework for collections condition surveys, 8 Preventive conservation, 9 Paintings: the (show) case for passive climate control, 10 Silica gel and related RH buffering materials, conditioning and regeneration techniques, 11 Conservation in the computer age, 12 Museums tune in to radio, 13 Fresh-air climate conditioning at the Arthur M.Sackler Museum, 14 Light and environmental measurement and control in National Trust houses, 15 The Clore Gallery for the Turner collection at the Tate Gallery: lighting strategy and practice, 16 Construction materials for storage and exhibition, 17 Indoor air pollution: effects on cultural and historic materials, 18 Managing museum space, 19 Museum collections storage, 20 Here’s what to consider in selecting high-density storage, 21 A policy for collections access, 22 Visible storage for the small museum, 23 Curators’ closet, 25 Rentokil bubble: results of test, 26 Carpet beetle: a pilot study in detection and control, 27 Pest control in museums: the use of chemicals and associated health problems, 28 Experiencing loss, 29 Museum disaster preparedness planning, 30 Emergency treatment of materials, 31 Protecting museums from threat of fire, Further reading, Index

    Biography

    Simon Knell