Conservation
Our conservation team ensures the museum's collections are kept in good condition.
The conservation department at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum looks after a wide range of collections: paintings, paper and general objects.
The work of the department falls broadly into two categories: collections care and conservation itself.
Collections care ensures that everything on display and in storage is protected from environmental damage - light, heat, humidity, pollutants and damage from pests. This is achieved by monitoring conditions in order to maintain clean, stable environments in stores and galleries.
Conservation involves practical treatments - for example, cleaning (eg removal of discoloured varnish from a painting) and repairing (eg reconstructing a broken Roman pot).
In addition we prepare works and objects for loan to exhibitions in the UK and abroad and condition check and monitor those we borrow from other museums.
By keeping the collections in good condition we ensure their availability for visitors and researchers both now and in the future.