The Bowes Museum Blog

Working in Preventive Conservation as a Volunteer

I’m part of a small group of volunteers who undertake preventive conservation at the museum, under the direction of Joe Kinsey, the Collections Coordinator. We carry out a varied programme of activities specifically targeted at maintenance and preserving the museum’s extensive collection.

I started in October and so far, I’ve been involved in packing up and moving 18^th century Chinese porcelain and English ceramics from one store to another, which gave me the opportunity to see items up close and appreciate the craftsmanship and skill of the ceramicist.

I have undertaken audits, physically identifying all the objects in a particular room, including their specific position (ie North, South, East or West wall, centre of the room, cabinet, cabinet shelf etc.) and then entering this information onto the computer.

Each time an object is moved from one location to another, the museum’s computer records must be updated.  With over 58,000 objects in the collection, it’s important to know where items are.  As well as the obvious security benefits, it also enables staff to swiftly locate large and small objects needed for future displays and exhibitions.

I’ve undertaken deep cleaning of some rooms and the objects within them. Items such as upholstered chairs have been surface-cleaned using museum vacuums and micro brushes.  Dust is abrasive, can damage materials and there’s lots of it, so it’s very satisfying to see it disappear swiftly and safely up the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.

The role offers a nosey parker like me the opportunity to access areas behind the scenes such as storerooms. I recently spent a happy afternoon in one of the Picture Stores undertaking an audit of paintings. I was able to view some of my favourite pictures at eye-level and study them in detail.

There are other benefits too. Since starting this role my house has never been so clean. On a recent visit to France, I visited several museums and galleries and found myself taking a peculiar interest in the window blinds.

In the short time I have been volunteering I have gained knowledge, skills and expertise which hopefully helps prolong the life of objects for as long as possible for future generations to enjoy.