The Preservation Handbook Online

Table of Contents

Introduction
I. Preservation
II. Assessment
III. Collection Assessment
IV. Agents of Deterioration
V. Monitoring collections
VI. Materials
VII. Storage
VIII. Conservation
IX. Disaster Planning
X. Housekeeping
XI. Resources / Suppliers
XII. Preservation Grants

Conservation

Introduction

Conservation is dedicated to the preservation of cultural property for future use. Treatment should restore and preserve the original state or best approximation thereof, without further transforming the object. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment and preventive care, supported by scientific research and education. Conservation treatments should be contracted when recommendations are issued by an archivist or curator, however, minimal treatment should always be utilized since every intrusion moves the object farther from it's original state. A conservation policy should be formulated by the professionals involved in the decision making process. A Conservation advisory board should be available for reviewing proposed treatments.

The conservator's areas of responsibility are:

The conservator should advise on surrogate record creations to ensure safe handling of material. "Thus, if conservation is the technology of preservation, the conservator's duty must be to ensure the preservation of the collection for as long as possible. The demand of long-term preservation, then, must always take precedence over the advantage of short-term use." xii

Principles of conservation practice

Conservators should follow the AIC Code of ethic and guidelines for practice.
<http://palimpset.stanford.edu/aic/pubs/ethics.html>

 

Conservators

"A professional whose primary occupation is the practice of conservation and who, through specialized education, knowledge, training, and experience, formulates and implements all the activities of conservation in accordance with an ethical code such as the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines of Practice."xiii

Audio

Art Shifrin
Phone: 718-464-7076
email:goldens2@shifrin.net
Online: <http://www.shifrin.net/>

Grahm Newton's Audio-Restoration
P.O Box 672,
Don Mills, Ontario, M3C 2T6
Canada
Phone: 416-444-3444
Online: <http://www.audio-restoration.com/>

Books

Baker, Richard. (rare books and paper documents)
$75 per item charge for a written evaluation and estimate which is applied to the cost of treatment
1712 (rear) S. Big Bend. Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63117
Phone: 314-781-3035
Online: <http://www.richardcbaker.com/>

The Book Craftsman (bookbindery and restoration)
1866 Mentone Blvd
Mentone, CA 92359 USA
Tol Free: 1-800-794-1856
Fax: 909-794-4887
Online: <http://www.bookcraftsman.com/>

Knops Boekrestauratie (restoration and conservation of books and paper)
Groenstraat 8
6151 CS Munstergeleen
Netherlands
Phone: +31 46 4200024
email knops@xs4all.nl
Online: <http://www.xs4all.nl/~knops/knops.htm>

R-kraft (bookbinding and archival conseravtion)
7 Tammy Hall Street
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
WF1 2SX
Online:<http://www.r-craft.co.uk/>

Schempp (book and paper restoration)
Max-Planck-Straße 12
70806 Kornwestheim
Phone: +49 7154 22233
Fax: +49 7154 3298
Online: <http://www.schempp.de/>

University of Dundee - Conservation Unit
University Library
University of Dundee
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland
Phone: (UK) 01382 344094
(outside UK) +44 1382 344094
Fax: (UK) 01382 345614
(outside UK) +44 1382 345614
Online: <http://www.dundee.ac.uk/library/lib_cons.html>

Painting

ArtCare & Consulting (fine paintings, wooden artifacts, and architectual renderings)
Rua Oscar Freire 715/Cj. 82
01426-001 Sap Paulo, SP
Brazil
Phone: + 55 -11- 8819282
Online: <http://www.visualbyte.com.br/ArtCare/>

Parma Conservation
1100 W. Cermack Rd.
Suite C-203
Chicago, IL. 60608
Phone: 312-733-5178
Online: <http://www.parmaconservation.com/>

Paper

Andrew Wheeler (art on paper conservator - restorer)
Located: Southwest of England
Phone: +44(0)117 9423003
email: andrewwheeler123@yahoo.co.uk
Online: <http://www.fine-art-on-paper-restoration.co.uk/>

The Etherington Conservation Center
The Etherington Conservation Center, Inc.
7609 Business Park Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409
Phone: 336. 665. 1317
Toll Free: 877. 391. 1317
Online:<http://www.donetherington.com/newhome.html>

Tudhope Paper and Photograph Conservation Studio
Denver, CO.
Phone: 303-831-9291
email: conservator@tudhope.net
Online: <http://www.interealm.com/tudhope/main.htm>

Photographs

Paul Messier
60 Oak Square Ave.
Boston, MA. 02135
Phone: 617-782-7110
Online: <http://paulmessier.com/ >

Northeast Document Conservation Center
100 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 01810-1494
Phone: 978-470-1010
Online:<http://www.nedcc.org/welcome/photo.htm>

Textiles

Hayko (restoration and conservation of antique rugs and tapestry)
857 Lexington Avenue at 65th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10021
Phone: 212-717-5400
email: info@hayko.com
Online: <http://www.hayko.com/ >

Stillwater Textile Conservation Studio

Bradford, New Hampshire
Phone: (603) 938-2310
Fax (603) 938-2455
email: stillwaterstudio@conknet.com
Online: <http://www.stillwaterstudio.org/>

Creating a list of conservators that specialize in your collection's materials within close proximity to your institution helps facilitate quick response when treatment is necessary

Citation

XII The nature of conservation. (n.d.)
XIII AIC (1996). American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Definitions of conservation terminology. Washington, D.C.: Author