Earlier this month, I participated in a week-long workshop provided by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) and hosted at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. This workshop was all about handling & maintenance of historic house collections. Together with nine other museum professionals from around the country, we learned about topics such as Integrated Pest Management, object handling, hazards in historic house museums, and more.
While some issues are universal to almost all museums, historic house museums often come with a unique set of challenges. This includes a lack of climate control, less than ideal storage spaces, and buildings that require constant upkeep. By working with the Homewood Museum and Evergreen Museum and Library, two historic house museums run by Johns Hopkins University, we were able to learn more about how to mitigate the risks that these challenges and conditions can pose.
Collections care is not always the most glamorous, but it sure is fun! Part of taking care of a collection includes monitoring any pest activity. The organic materials found in a historic house museum collection, including wood, leather, and wool, are tasty treats for pests such as termites, clothes moths, and carpet beetles. One way to monitor pest activity is to use sticky traps, like the one pictured below, to trap and identify any intruders. We also learned about the dangers of dust and some specialized cleaning techniques. Did you know that dust can act as food for both pests and mold? Cleaning is what is referred to as preventative conservation. The idea of preventive conservation is that the more proactive you are about protecting your collection from pests, dirt, and other agents of deterioration, the less active conservation work you will have to do!
(L) Instructor David Bayne examining a rug for condition reporting. (R) Instructors Paige Schmidt and David Bayne preparing to roll up a rug for storage.
A highlight of the week was the session on condition reporting and textile storage. Taking place within the stunning Bakst theatre, I brushed up on existing skills and learned some new ones. Part of taking care of a collection includes regular reporting on the condition of the object. Any soiling or damage is photographed and noted, and any necessary conservation or restoration is arranged for. This is especially important to do when an object is moved or loaned out. I learned some new methods for examining objects and got to practice rolling up rugs, which the safest way to store them so that the fibers are not stretched out.
(L) Emily holding a sticky trap for pests at Homewood Museum. (R) Cleaning woodwork at Evergreen Museum and Library.
Thank you to all of the facilitators, instructors, my fellow classmates, and to FAIC for a wonderfully instructive week of workshops!
The 2025 FAIC Handling & Maintenance of Historic House Collections class and instructors.
From Emily Leger, Collections and Exhibitions Manager