Decay on Display: Caring for Collections

Shattering, frass, bloom. These are words familiar to museum conservators used to describe various forms of deterioration and damage to historic objects and works of art. Usually, these damaged objects are hidden away from public view, patiently waiting for treatment and stabilization. But why do museums keep deteriorating objects, and what is the role of conservators in saving them? Decay on Display: Caring for Collections considers how condition determines the exhibition of objects, art, and historic photographs. It also looks at the potential stories lost if conservation is unattainable. This exhibition is a companion show to Beauty in the Breakdown, the Photo Archives exhibition that asks similar questions.

Image:

Yale and Towne Mfg., Toy Mailbox, ca. 1900, Albuquerque Museum, gift of Leroy Matthew, PC1975.64.26A