"...the fundamental role of the Conservator-Restorer is the preservation of cultural property for the benefit of present and future generations... The Conservator-Restorer undertakes responsibility and carries out the diagnostic examination, conservation and restoration treatments of cultural property and documentation of all procedures.

What is Preservation?

Preventive conservation, also known as "preservation", refers to actions taken to slow down or prevent altogether the deterioration of cultural property, without directly acting on the object. This includes correct handling and use of objects, creation and maintenance of good storage conditions, appropriate display conditions, and safe transport.

What is Conservation?

Remedial conservation, often referred to simply as "conservation", refers to procedures performed on an object which are intended to physically or chemically stabilise the object, thereby slowing down the rate of deterioration. In the field of paper conservation, examples of these procedures include washing, neutralising acids present in the paper, and mending or lining the paper.

What is Restoration?

If the damage to an object is so extensive that it interferes with using, understanding or enjoying the object, the conservator may include an element of restoration in the object's treatment. For example, if a tear on a watercolour appears as a distracting white line in the image area, the conservator may retouch the white area so that it blends in with the surrounding image and no longer distracts the viewer. If a print has blotchy discolourations and is badly marked with foxing spots, the conservator may use a gentle bleaching chemical to reduce the disfiguring staining.

What are the steps involved in having an item conserved?

The conservator will thoroughly examine an item before any conservation work is undertaken. If an item is framed, it will have to be taken out of its frame to allow for a complete examination. The findings of the examination are documented in a Condition Report, accompanied by photographs of the item. The client and the conservator then both have a record of the item prior to treatment. The Condition report is not an estimate of the item's monetary value.

Based on the findings of the examination, the conservator will then decide what treatments are appropriate. These options for treatment are listed in a document called the Treatment Proposal. In some cases, there may be more than one course of action possible. (For example, a severely damaged photograph might receive a full course of cleaning, mending and retouching, while another choice might be to clean and mend the photograph, and have a copy made with digital retouching to restore image integrity. The original photograph might then be stored in archival quality materials and the digitised copy displayed. The foxing spots on an old print could be reduced using special bleaching agents, or if the client isn't bothered by their presence, they could be left alone.). An estimate of the costs is provided in the Treatment Proposal. The client decides on what course of action they wish to follow, based on this Proposal and on further discussions with the conservator if necessary. If the client decides not to have the item conserved, the object is then returned to them.

If the client wishes the conservator to treat the item, the conservator then begins work on it as per the Treatment Proposal. The conservator may photograph the item at different stages of the treatment.

Once the treatment is concluded, the conservator writes a Treatment Report, detailing what was done to the item and what materials and chemicals were used. The conservator may also provide recommendations on storage, display and use of the item, as appropriate. Photographs of the item after treatment are also taken.

Code of Ethics

If your conservator is a member of a professional body such as the Institute for Paper Conservation, the Society of Archivists or the American Institute for Conservation, they will be bound by the Code of Ethics of each body. You can learn about each association's Code of Ethics by contacting them (see Interesting Links)