Collection care and advice

Grimwade Conservation Services has significant experience servicing all types of collections.

Grimwade Conservation Services has over 25 years experience delivering conservation solutions to museums, galleries and private clients. We have demonstrated experience in the care and treatment of all collection types. We can deliver the following collection care services:

  • targeted preventive conservation support
  • conservation management plans
  • significance assessments
  • conservation surveys and risk assessments
  • cultural material analysis for safe handling
  • collection storage and relocation
  • condition reports for travel, loan or the purchase of artworks
  • exhibition preparation and custom mount construction
  • disaster planning and recovery
  • integrated pest management
  • environmental management
  • custom made archival quality storage materials
  • Preventive conservation

    The preservation of collections and cultural material is central to a museum or collecting institutions’ core business. Preventive Conservation aims at identifying and reducing potential risk to cultural collections. Through focused actions and strategic management, Preventive Conservation slows deterioration and damage to cultural material collections.

  • Risk assessment and disaster planning

    Planning reduces the risk of an emergency turning into a disaster. Planning and protection of cultural collections requires identification of the most important agents which can cause damage. Grimwade Conservation Services can assist with a risk assessment and the development of a preservation management strategy for the collections, which includes a disaster management plan. We also offer analysis and risk assessment of collections for toxicity, cultural sensitivity, ethical treatment and stability.

  • Collection survey and management plans

    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. Surveys can inform the strategic development of collection management plans and exhibition and storage solutions.

  • Conservation mounting and housing

    We custom-make archival storage and mounting systems for all types of cultural heritage materials. These include 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 and acrylic display boxes and climate controlled showcases.

  • Significance assessments

    Significance assessments aim to clearly articulate the value and meaning of objects and collections, in order to make sound decisions about conservation and interpretation of the collection.

  • Exhibition support

    Grimwade Conservation Services provides exhibition support in the form of: condition reports for travelling exhibitions, loans and auction; preparation of items for display; surface cleaning and minor treatment before exhibition; installation and deinstallation of exhibition items; construction of custom-made mounting systems; and preparation of items for travel.

Contact us

Have a question about caring for your collection? Get in touch.

Contact us