16.3: Conservation as a Method of Study

Conservation is usually seen as straightforward process of treating objects to remedy existing damage and to prevent further deterioration. But there are layers of investigation and assessment of each object which support conservation, and are essential to achieving a satisfactory outcome (and which, at the same time, provide information of wider interest). Also essential for a satisfactory outcome is to establish the aims of conservation and these depend largely on the future use of the object. Thus, if there is visible writing, or the potential to reveal writing, on an object, and the future use focuses on studying and displaying this writing, conservation will normally focus on making sure the text is rendered legible and durable, as far as this is possible.

Objects and Documents

Most conservators see objects as documents, and the investigative processes we use as a way of ‘reading’ objects. Ironically, books and documents are not often seen as multidimensional objects, thus the concept of the book as an object encompasses all the material aspects such as paper, inks, binding, etc. This has become the focus of specialist studies (see, for example, Centre for the History of the Book, University of Edinburgh, or Centre for the Study of the Book, Bodleian Library Oxford). This situation is partly shaped by the way objects and documents are used. Libraries preserve their holdings for their continued original use (reading) and for relatively ready access by the public, whereas museums limit the use (and particularly the original use) of their collections and tend to focus on long-term preservation. Thus, in some ways the approach to care of library material is akin to regular repair and maintenance aimed at keeping books and documents in working order, whereas the approach in museums is to conserve objects through restricting direct access, except for specific educational and research purposes. Of course, major libraries also hold historically valuable written material which is treated much like museum objects, with an emphasis on conservation, and on research aimed at adding to the sum of information about the individual item, as well as about writings in general.