Conservators: Advocates for the Object

Museum professionals hope art and artifacts will last a long time. Conservators try to slow natural deterioration caused by the environment. Some things, like changes in humidity, changes in temperature, pollution, and light, are certain to occur and cause damage. Other things, like fires, floods, pests, and vandalism, are less likely to occur but can cause catastrophic damage.

To help museum objects last, conservators must be experts in multiple fields. They need to understand the science of deterioration. They research like historians as they seek to preserve objects in ways that feel accurate to the time in which they were created. Conservators use artistic skills as they repair damage to works in reversible ways. And they think like anthropologists as they seek to repair and protect artifacts in ways that honor the communities that created each work. Protecting museum objects requires museum professionals to balance these sometimes-competing considerations.