On the weekends, I’ve taken to doing some spring cleaning, sorting, and maintenance around my home. Many of you may be doing the same, and wondering how best to care for some of your treasured objects and documents. As you might have guessed, I’m quite passionate about preserving things. My primary role at HA is to care for our museum’s collection but I often get asked, “How can I care for my precious objects at home?” It can be tricky to know where to start, especially when objects such as textiles and metals have very different care needs. This is the first is a series of blog posts designed to help you care for your “treasures” so they will be around for years to come.
Why should we preserve things? Objects have power because they connect us to stories. They can make us feel a variety of emotions. They can tie us to a place and time. In fact, there is a whole field of study in museums related to the importance of objects. The disclaimer here is not everything needs to have sentimental value or any significance. Sometimes an object just brings us joy or fills a need. For instance, I don’t need my current lamp to be passed down for generations, I just like it in my living room. But for the purposes of this series, I’m referring to the objects that we’ve attached a value to and want to see that preserved. So with that in mind, let’s dive in!
As the Smithsonian's Senior Conservator Don Williams explains in his book, Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions, the best way to ensure that stuff last as long as possible is to place your collectibles in an Egyptian tomb and sealed them off. Things last for a really long time in an Egyptian tomb. Why? There is no light, no humidity fluctuation, no contaminants, and no people.
That is the secret to preserving things for as long as possible. Keeping them protect and stored away in perfect conditions. But, our lives and precious objects aren’t meant to be kept in a tomb forever. They are meant to be shared and enjoyed!
Stay tuned for my next entry, when I’ll begin to discuss ways to protect your objects so they will continue to exist for years to come - no Egyptian tomb required.
And here's a bonus: check out this Curator's Corner video on Facebook where I start sharing ways to handle your heirloom or delicate objects! If you have any questions for me - feel free to leave them in the comments!
Robin Matty Curator of Collections
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