Conservation for non-conservators

National Services Te Paerangi and the National Preservation Office present:

Conservation for non-conservators

You are invited to a two-day, poutama two | step two workshop by National Services Te Paerangi and the National Preservation Office

WAIKATO: Morrin Museum, 53a Lorne Street, Morrinsville

Mon 1 & Tues 2 March 2010, 9am–4pm

This will cover:

Day one – monitoring and measuring low cost conservation methods

(a follow up to the beginners level Affordable Collection Care workshop held in 2009)

Labelling objects:

· checking the condition of objects

· finding the right place to put labels

· judging the type of material

· choosing the right materials for labelling

· applying accession numbers – using barriers, writing

· applying accession numbers on materials that cannot be written on or will react with chemicals

· how storage can be improved for easy access to objects.

Preventive conservation:

· demonstrates how small museums do not need big budgets to begin a preventive conservation monitoring programme

· how ’entry level’ equipment is now available to establish a low cost monitoring programme

· understand how the environment may be damaging collections

· better understanding your building

· how to prioritise building maintenance programmes

· how to use your knowledge to complete facility reports for loans.

Day two – care of paper and photographs

Photograph preservation:

· an opportunity for participants to discuss specific concerns about photographs in their care

· overview of the most common photographic materials and how to determine them

· primary causes of deterioration to photographs

· inherent and external factors that can cause decay

· safe environments for preserving photographs

· good handling practices.

Paper preservation:

· common preservation problems associated with documents and works on paper

· safe handling procedures for flat works on paper and documents

· good storage and housing alternatives

· safe dry-cleaning procedures

· hinging/corner mounting works on paper to mat board, including preparation of wheat starch paste.

There will also be practical, hands-on sessions each day related to each topic.

Who will I meet?

· Nirmala Balram is a specialist in ethnographic objects and contemporary sculpture. She has over 12 years experience in conservation. Nirmala’s previous experience has included HOD at Fiji Museum, and as a conservator at the National Museum of Australia. She is a conservator of ethnographic objects and contemporary sculpture at Te Papa.

· Tony Clarke has more than 34 years conservation experience. He attended the preventive conservation training course at the Getty Conservation Institute and has been employed as Preventive Conservator at Te Papa for the past 18 years. Previously Tony was a book and paper conservator with the Turnbull Library in Wellington for 15 years.

· Mark Strange is the Senior Conservator of Photographs at the Alexander Turnbull Library. He is responsible for the preservation and remedial treatment of the Library’s four million negatives, prints and transparencies and is involved with technical aspects of the Library’s digitisation programme. Mark has given numerous workshops and contributed several papers on conservation and preservation of photographs in New Zealand, Australia and internationally.

· Margaret Morris is the Senior Conservator of Works on Paper at the Alexander Turnbull Library. She is responsible for the preservation, conservation treatment and conservation management of the cartography, drawings, paintings, prints and ephemeral collections. Margaret has worked for over 25 years in museums, and conservation centres in Canada, the United States and Italy.

· You will also meet other museum personnel in your region – a great networking opportunity!

Who is it for?

This is an intermediate level workshop which gives representatives from small museums, heritage organisations, the arts and cultural sector, iwi organisations, and others in the region to learn useful new skills and share ideas.

How do I sign up?

· The cost of this workshop is $20, to be paid on the first day.

· Due to a limit of 15 participants, please register with Jade Hadfield: email jadeh@tepapa.govt.nz or call 0508 678 743.

· Please email your learning objectives, name, organisation and contact details, as well as your three main learning objectives for this workshop.