Collection care

The preservation of collections and cultural material is central to a museum or collecting institutions’ core business. Our preventive conservation approach identifies and mitigates potential risks to cultural collections. Through strategic management and focused actions, we help slow deterioration and damage to cultural material collections.

Proper planning is crucial in preventing emergencies from becoming disasters. Grimwade Conservation Services can assist in identifying the most significant potential threats to your collections and developcomprehensive preservation management strategies, including disaster management plans. Our services also include analysis and risk assessment of collections for toxicity, cultural sensitivity, ethical treatment, and stability.

Grimwade Conservation Services provides collection surveys specific to your collection needs and required outcomes. This can include a focused collection survey which assesses the condition and conservation needs of individual objects in the collection. Our surveys can inform the strategic development of collection management plans and exhibition and storage solutions.

Our team custom-creates archival storage and mounting systems for all types of cultural heritage materials, including:

• Clamshell and phase boxes
• Internal padding systems for archival boxes
• Mylar envelopes and folders
• Mounting systems for Natural History specimens, barks, and scrolls
• Artwork backing boards and display supports
• Travel frames
• Storage systems
• Acrylic display boxes and climate-controlled showcases

We conduct significance assessments to articulate the value and meaning of objects and collections clearly. This process informs sound decision-making regarding conservation and interpretation of the collection.