Ask a Conservator Day is an annual event where conservators around the world answer questions about their work, including behind the scenes of working in a museum and how we protect our collections. Read on to hear from our conservation team.
What’s inside your toolkit?
Vanessa: I always have scalpels with different blades, bone folder, soft brushes, hand-held magnifying lens, hand-held microscope, spatulas, erasers, torch and a dust air blower.
What’s your favourite tool?
Rebecca: My favourite tools are a set of specialist spatulas that were engraved with my initials, which I was gifted from my family the day i graduated.
Vanessa: My favourite tool is a very soft brush.
What’s the best part of your day as a conservator?
Vanessa: When I get to work with the photographs in our collections, cleaning, stabilising, repairing and caring for them.
How did you become a conservator?
Find out more in our blog post about how different members of the Collection Services team got into their chosen careers at the National Science and Media Museum.
What are conservators?
Vanessa: The simplest way to describe myself as a conservator is I am the photographs doctor!
What is the main trait you need to be a good conservator?
Rebecca: I think my three main traits would be attention to detail, patience and problem solving.
Vanessa: Curious mind, attention to deal and enjoy looking closely at objects.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Rebecca: Knowing that I am aiding the preservation and mantaining the museums collection, that allows the future generation to learn and discover about History, Science and Art is something I cherish.
Vanessa: The privilege of handling and exploring the collection, identifing and improving the objects’ care. I love organsing photographs in new folders and boxes!
What are you currently working on?
Vanessa: Following the busy period with all things related with Sound and Vision, I am looking forward to return to other work that was put on pause, like the magic lantern slide collection of the life models I wrote about on the blog.
Rebecca: Following on the summer when the new permanent Sound and Vision Galleries opened to the public, I am now moving onto the next exhibition coming soon to NSMM.
What’s your favourite non-conservation-specific tool?
Rebecca: I have quite a few tools which are multi purpose and i often use in conservation. My favourite however has got to be the the backpack hoover. I always feel like i’m in ghostbusters when wearing one.
Vanessa: Sharp and pointy dentistry tools, small glass suckers that are typically used to dismantle mobile phones, backpack hoover and a nutmeg grater.
Where can we see more behind the scenes?
We produce a blog series called Blog from the Basement where you can see what we have been working on recently.
Where can i find more information?
For more information about Conservation. The Institute of Conservation (ICON) has a helpful website which covers lots of topics you might be interested in.