Conservation
Collection Care and Access
The Collection Care & Access Team is made up of conservators, technicians and the Gallery Registrar who are all dedicated to maintaining and improving physical access to the collections whilst on display in the Gallery, in storage and study rooms and in transit to external exhibitions venues in the UK and abroad.The Gallery's conservators provide preventive and remedial conservation support for all the Gallery's paper and textile collections, and work with external practitioners regarding oils and sculpture. Conservation is promoted to a wider audience by Gallery staff through exhibitions, lectures and tours behind the scenes. In 2000 the Gallery's conservators curated the exhibition Race Against Time.
Team members are actively involved with the installation of exhibitions and monitoring the Gallery environment to ensure works are displayed safely and to their best advantage. In addition they advise curatorial colleagues about new acquisitions, undertake surveys of the collections, check the condition of all works entering the Gallery on loan, seek to monitor and constantly improve storage, oversee handling and packing of works for transport and carry out other tasks related to the care of and access to the collections.
New storage for textiles and wallpapers
Grant aid from The Designation Challenge Fund has enabled the purchase of new storage facilities for all parts of the collection. Textiles are stored in mobile units comprising hanging space, drawers and special shallow trays.
Wallpaper storage
Further information on the project to store wallpapers is published in the November 2004 e-Journal of the National Preservation office.
Wallpaper display box
Display supports such as the wallpaper box were designed and developed specifically for showing lengths from wallpaper rolls.
Conservation Advice The Institute of Conservation (ICON), the UK's professional body for conservators of all disciplines provides guidance for caring for a range of objects and materials from architectural ironwork to family documents, see ICON. If you require a professional conservator to undertake conservation work contact ICON's Conservation Register of accredited conservators.