Frequently asked questions.

What is conservation? Is that like “restoration”?

The conservation of art and historical artifacts is a “profession devoted to the preservation of cultural property for the future. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care, supported by research and education.”

Restoration is a term used differently worldwide, but in the United States it relates to “Treatment procedures intended to return cultural property to a known or assumed state, often through the addition of non-original material.”

While we do employ techniques to minimize the visual disruptance of our treatment work, Signature Conservation, LLC does not offer restoration services to return an object to a previous known or assumed state.

(Definitions above from American Institute for Conservation)

What is a conservation treatment?

Conservation treatment is the “deliberate alteration of the chemical and/or physical aspects of cultural property, aimed primarily at prolonging its existence. Treatment may consist of stabilization and/or restoration.” (AIC)

What does “minimally invasive” entail?

“Minimally invasive” means that we do as little as possible to stabilize and preserve an item and return it to a useful/viewable state. Sometimes this does mean fully rebinding a book, while other times this means putting a document that is far too fragile to withstand treatment (such as removal of disfiguring tape) in a protective sleeve without any treatment work taking place.

As Kathy has previously worked in institutions where the materials were used for research, she always keeps the end use of an item in mind – in addition to what is best for the longevity of the item in question – when she makes a treatment proposal. She does not engage in treatment work that goes beyond the scope of the American Institute for Conservation Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

What is preservation?

Preservation and preventive care both relate to improving the environment in which an item “lives” to prevent that item from deterioration. This can include a new storage solution (such as a custom box or protective sleeve), improvements in temperature, humidity levels, lighting exposure, and even pest management policies. This work can also include collections assessment surveys to help smaller institutions understand the preservation needs of their collection.

We have experience creating preservation policies and procedures for institutions, as well as creating training programs for staff members so that they can handle materials safely, learn to spot signs of pest infestations, and help provide assistance in the event of a collections disaster (such as a water leak or even natural disaster response).

More information about conservation terminology

For more information about terms used in conservation, we highly recommend the AIC’s Conservation Terminology webpage.