Preservation: Storage and Cleaning of Antiques in Historic Houses

Whether you’re caring for your family’s heirlooms, managing a museum collection or volunteering at your local historical society, this class will teach you how to clean delicate objects and display them in houses without HVAC systems. In an ideal situation, antiques would be tucked away in climate-controlled storage, but we want to live with our heirlooms and enjoy them. This class helps you develop a plan to preserve your antiques based on object type and maximize the environmental conditions of your home or historic building. The Museum’s historic houses are our living laboratory. We will visit one to illustrate these concepts. Bring an item that fits into a shoe box to try out the techniques we learn in class.

Topics Covered:

• Planning the move to conducive relative humidity zones in the home
• Mitigating environmental conditions in the home on a budget
• Basic Preservation and Cleaning Techniques
• Do-it-yourself repairs versus calling the experts
• What materials to use to store or display your heirlooms and family letters

Program Benefits:

• Showcasing the antiques while preserving themReducing Mold and Environmental Concerns
• Improve the humidity in the house for your objects…and You!
• Learn how to clean without hurting your heirlooms
• Learn when to call the experts, and when you can do it yourself

Target Audience:

• Collecting Institution (Museum and Historical Society) volunteers
• Antiques collectors
• Anyone who was gifted an antique

Experience Level: Novice—Has minimal or textbook knowledge without connecting it to the practice.

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