Collections: Conservation
The Peterborough Museum & Archives is responsible for the conservation of all objects and archival material entrusted to its care.Conservation is defined as all actions aimed at the safeguarding of cultural property for the future. Conservation can be separated into two categories: preventive conservation and treatment conservation.
Preventive conservation is the first priority, where preventive conservation is defined as: the measures taken to retard deterioration and prevent damage to cultural property through identifying, avoiding, blocking, and modifying the agents of deterioration found in museums and archives.
The agents of deterioration are:
~ Incorrect Temperature
~ Incorrect Relative Humidity (RH)
~ Incorrect Light
~ Pollution and Contaminants
~ Pests and Mould
~ Direct Physical Forces, i.e.
~ Fire
~ Water
~ Thieves, Vandals and Displacers
A qualified conservator carries out conservation treatments on objects and archival material in the Peterborough Museum & Archives collection. Conservation treatment is defined as: any action taken to modify, repair or restore (as appropriate) cultural property to a known earlier state with the aim to preserve aesthetic and historic values and incorporates ethical practice.
Conservation treatments for objects and/or archival material are prioritized under the following criteria:
~ Requiring emergency treatment or stabilization
~ Of particular historic or artistic significance
~ Required for exhibit or loan
~ Required for programming
Learn about the Peterborough Museum & Archives
Flood Recovery Project 2004-08
And our Nationally Designated Collections
For further information:
- Canadian Conservation Institute
- Canadian Heritage Information Network
- Canadian Association for the Conservation of Cultural Property
- Fleming College, Arts & Heritage Programs
- Queen’s University, Master of Art Conservation
Updated April 1/09
