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The Store before Re-Org

The Store before Re-Org

Half way through the week

Half way through the week

Condition Reporting the Collection

Condition Reporting the Collection

Project volunteer Johanna Thunberg

Organising the Collection

Organising the Collection

Project Volunteer Zoe Brady

Making Dust Covers

Making Dust Covers

Project Volunteer Emilie Dingler

Storing the Collection

Storing the Collection

Project Volunteers: Susan Sandford & Johanna Thunberg

Organised Collections

Organised Collections

Organised Collection

Organised Collection

Storing like for like items so areas of duplication are easily visible to the Collection Manager

Hanging dust covers

Hanging dust covers

To protect the collection from dust generated by the concrete building

Project Management

Cynon Valley Museum and Art Gallery, Re-organisation

 

Whilst on a work placement at the above institution, I worked in a store with environmental and organisational problems that limited access to parts of the collection. In response to this situation I designed and helped seek funding for a project to use conservation students to reorganise and assess the collection and implement environmental and organisational solutions.

 

With the full support of the Museum, I was tasked with the process of identifying the challenges within the project and implement appropriate solutions. For example, the store itself was a listed concrete building. The concrete interior generated large amounts of dust and deposited acidic particulate matter on the collection. Sealing the walls was not a financially viable option and therefore bespoke covers for the mobile shelving units were designed and installed.

 

During the project I was responsible for a team of student volunteers. My responsibilities required me to carry out a risk assessment for the project assessing and negating risks including manual handling, use of electrical equipment, working from height and use of sharps. All of the volunteers were required to carry out manual handling training and were supplied with appropriate PPE. The project further required the use of a scissor lift that was operated under the guidance of a licensed professional.

 

Following the project the Museum gained an up to date inventory and conservation assessment of their collection; conditions for the collection were improved. I gained experience in object handling, condition reporting, pest management, risk management, co-ordinating a volunteer team, advising on conservation needs, and implementing bespoke long term storage solutions.

 

This project was successfully completed in April 2014. Since this time I have presented at conferences on the benefits of museums assessing their collections storage with the view to implementing a reorganisation to make best use of limited space, auditing the collection and prioritising objects for conservation. 

 

 

Sara Brown

Conservator

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