Description
Conservation Skills for the 21st Century provides a much-needed update to the original Conservation Skills volume, presenting an overview of current issues facing conservators of historic and artistic works.
Beginning with the basics – why the past is important, as well as an overview of the nature and history of conservation – the book allows the reader to develop a holistic appreciation of the subject. As with the first edition, this volume assists with the development of judgement in conservation students and young professionals. A selection of new case studies representing issues conservators are likely to face in the 21st century illustrates the crucial considerations that must be made when proposing and executing a conservation treatment. Incorporating recent developments and use of new technologies in conservation processes, the book also covers topics such as conservation ethics; recording and documentation; investigating and cleaning objects; stabilisation and restoration; values, decision-making, and responsibilities; preventive conservation; approaches to the treatment of working and socially active objects; sustainability in conservation; and the conservator’s role as advocate.
With detailed case studies and written in a clear, accessible style, Conservation Skills for the 21st Century remains essential reading for student conservators and conservation professionals around the globe working across a wide range of conservation disciplines.
Table of Contents
1. Reasons for Preserving the Past; 2. The History of Conservation; 3. Conservation Aims and Ethics; 4. Objects: Their Investigation and Recording; 5. Cleaning; 6. Restoration; 7. Stabilisation; 8. Preventive Conservation and Storage; 9. Preserving Intangible Heritage: Working and Socially Active Objects; 10. Perception, Judgement, and Decision-Making; 11. Responsibilities, Skills, and Sustainable Practices in the 21st Century.
