RESOURCES

What is conservation?

Conservation is a profession dedicated to studying, documenting, and treating artifacts, collections and sites in order to preserve them for future generations. Some of the goals of conservation include:

  • Documenting an object at its present state
  • Managing or slowing its change or degradation
  • Maintaining the integrity, authenticity,and legibility of an object
  • Protecting and revealing evidence of the past
  • Sometimes making aesthetic decisions about how an object “should” look; this is usually agreed upon in discussions with the client, institution or other stakeholders
  • Making cultural heritage accessible, legible, and available for use by descendant communities, scholars, and the general public
  • Collaborating with curators, archaeologists, descendant communities, and various other stakeholders to understand and interpret objects and sites

What is the difference between conservation and restoration?

In many countries, no distinction exists between the terms "conservation" and "restoration", and conservators are referred to as conservator-restorers. However, in some cases, restoration is considered a more extensive and interventive approach than conservation. This more extensive approach may include additional cleaning, repairing or changing of an artifact with the intention of making it appear whole or undamaged, or to make it usable again. This is sometimes done with the attempt to fool the eye.

How are conservators trained?

Most conservators in the United States have completed graduate degrees in art conservation and held internships and fellowships with major museum institutions. Graduate work in conservation is generally a three or four year training program with required courses in the materials, techniques and physical characteristics of art works; conservation materials and treatments appropriate for art works; scientific and technical analysis; and hands-on practical experience treating art in various media. See Becoming a Conservator from the American Institute for Conservation website for more information.

Some useful links to major conservation organizations and institutions:

Abstracts of International Conservation Literature—A database for conservation publications
http://aata.getty.edu/nps/

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
http://www.conservation-us.org/

Canadian Conservation Institute
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/main_e.aspx

Conservation Information Network—A database for searching conservation publications
http://www.bcin.ca

Conservation OnLine—A resource for conservation publications and news
http://206.180.235.135/

Conserve O Grams, The National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html

English Heritage
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

The Getty Conservation Institute
http://www.getty.edu/conservation/

Institute for Conservation (ICON)
http://www.icon.org.uk/

Institute of Museum and Library Services—A resource for grant funding for conservation
http://www.imls.gov/

International Council of Museums (ICOM)—Committee for Conservation
http://icom-cc.icom.museum/

Library of Congress Preservation Website
http://www.lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/careothr.html

The Museum Conservation Institute at the Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/index.html

Northeast Document Conservation Center
http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.introduction.php

Western Association for Art Conservation
http://web.me.com/cstavrou/WAAC/