Over the past couple of months David Stein, Director & Painting Conservator, David Stein & Co and Jennifer Butler, Paper conservator have been pouring over the wonderful works in the Chandler Coventry and Howard Hinton Collections at NERAM. They have been assessing the works for a Preservation Needs Assessment. A Preservation Needs Assessment is an evaluation of the policies, practices, and conditions in an institution that have an impact on the preservation of the institution’s collections.
The Preservation Needs Assessments on these two highly significant collections will allow NERAM, for the first time in its history, to formulate sound conservation procedures and preservation policies based on informed and specialised data. Detailed and specialised knowledge of both paper and painting conservation is vital for NERAM to create practical steps in a long-term conservation strategy. The assessment provides essential information on the collections overall, but also on building, environment, storage and display, housekeeping and training needs. It has shown clearly that NERAM complies with international museum standards and understands its obligations for the care and conservation of its significant collections.
“NERAM’s committed custodianship of the Hinton and Coventry Collections is evident in the findings of the Preservation Needs Assessment. This assessment will help to assist them in maintaining the highest standards possible and allow key areas of need to be addressed”, said Jennifer Butler.
This project was made possible by a $9350 federal Community Heritage Grant managed by the National Library. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Office for the Arts; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; the National Museum of Australia and the National Library.
