Restoration, conservation and preventative care

Restoration and conservation work take place in the laboratories and are carried out by qualified conservators. Preventative care and preservation are carried out by conservators as well as a range of other qualified practioners, including preventative conservation framers who have the knowledge and skills to prepare items for display.

Private owners of cultural heritage generally wish to have their items on permanent display which expose the items to many of the dangers listed above. Items on display in museums and galleries are done so in environments where many risks are well controlled. Unfortunately items on display in private homes or rural collections houses do not have the same environmental controls that can be found in the nation’s major collections houses. Consequently owners of the items to be displayed do need to visit a specialist for advice and in most situations the preventative conservation framer should be the first ‘port of call.’ If required the framer will refer the item to be displayed to a conservator for initial treatment before the item is placed in a frame.