Care and Handling of Artefacts: Teacher Training Workshop by INTACH

Museums, libraries and archives are not the only places that have preservation concerns. All of us have some or other precious objects that might have been either collected or inherited. It could be a document or the reminiscence of moments and people. It could even be a painting, some clothing or an heirloom piece of jewellery. Have you ever wondered how we should take care of these objects so they stay with us for long time?

On the occasion of Heritage Day, INTACH organised a workshop for teachers at its headquarters in Lodhi Estate on 19th April, 2016, to share some basic guidelines for conservation.

The workshop was presided over by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal-Director HECS, INTACH. Teachers across the city who are active INTACH members and present at the workshop, were familiarised with the broad causes that hasten responsible and suggestions on how to protect better. Ms. Charu Bhatnagar Singh was present on the occasion from our School.

According to the speaker, some of the common causes for deterioration are: Light Humidity and temperature Environmental pollution Biological growth Wrong handling Internal causes

Ms. Datt shared that remedial conservation can be adopted by amateurs by simply taking the following precautions:

Natural herbs like the Sweet flag (ghorabach) or Margosa keep insects away Do not use paper clips, metal clips, staples and self-adhesive notes in old books as they leave stains on paper. Do not use rubber bands as they cut into paper when they are new and become sticky as they age. Do not store books in plastic bags.They need to breathe and plastic may trap moisture, and encourage mould growth. Always wrap heirloom textiles/ garments in soft cotton cloth. Place dried neem leaves to keep moths away. Avoid hanging paintings over a heater or AC because exposure to heat or cold can cause uneven expansion and contraction. Do not use chemical solvents for cleaning stone as the stone may react adversely to the chemicals.

As the workshop concluded it echoed the words of 20th century restorer Francis Kelley:

Every work of art starts out on the progressive path to destruction from the moment it is created. The artist can only hope to delay this time for as long as possible by the judicious choice of materials and their application with a sound technique. When the object passes from the artists hand, he can only hope that it will be well looked after. "

Ms. Charu Bhatnagar Singh.