Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2010 Don’t Lather That Leather: Tips from Our Conservator By Beverly Nadeen Perkins With hunting season virtually past, it’s time to treat—or not—leather tack, saddles, scabbards, and the like, and to decide how best to store leather materials until next spring. But, in the museum setting, leather may be […]
My first textile conservation project at the Center of the West was a sixteenth century European tapestry privately owned by one of the Conservation Internship Program’s most generous donors (she has funded a great many interns!). It is a big and beautiful work of art that had been waiting to go back home at the end of this […]
Originally published in Points West in Spring 2009 Conservation: Caring for Your Treasures By Beverly Perkins Chief Conservator and Director of the Museum Services Division Conservation: A Careful Preservation and Protection of Something Conserving collections in a museum includes three basic activities: analysis, treatment, and preservation. Caring for your treasures at home involves the same […]
The Bruker XRF instrument In early August, the conservation interns participated in an XRF (x-ray florescence) training session with Dr. Bruce Kaiser. Dr. Kaiser is the inventor of the Bruker® XRF instrument, used in countless conservation labs around the world. The instrument is a valuable tool in the field of conservation, as well as others, […]
When I ask: What is art conservation, what do you think of? Merriam Webster defines conservation as “a careful preservation and protection of something.” Many people think of nature, water, and animals in association with this word. Why then, would a museum have a conservation department? Do they in some way conserve the environment? While […]
Coming from Cody, Wyoming and seeing these sights was a fabulous treat. Of course I bought some of this luscious fruit! Best Kumquats I have ever had in my life! I now believe that one Kumquat could be worth 25 cents!! Glashoff Farms from Suisun Valley Berries are little gems. Jodie Utter, my dear friend and Paper Conservator […]