Surveying your collection

The surveying of an artefact is the first step towards its future care. No conservation work should be undertaken until a thorough assessment of the objects’ condition and possible needs is made. This process of surveying makes future care more efficient, if documentation is in place, this ensures informed decisions and best practice. The scope of different surveys covers everything from textiles and archaeological artefacts to whole towns, but the concept is the same.

A survey of an artwork is essentially a close inspection or, if you prefer, a health-check. It will detail many aspects of the piece; its current condition, any contraindications, any recommended conservation treatments and much more. For example, the object’s display or storage conditions are crucial, as is an assessment of risk and any subsequent intervention strategy. Key points to include in any survey will be listed later.

Most museums will have surveys completed for their collections as a matter of course. This information will be stored as part of all the documentation relating to each object. A survey is just as important in the private sector, and may be referred to in such an instance as a condition report. A conservator will set out the facts that a client can then act upon. If treatment is required, the initial treatment recommendations included in the survey can be the starting point for a method statement. Also, it is essential that the curator or client is aware of the object’s condition and the conservators’ intentions. If the arm has fallen off their statue or water has damaged their Japanese woodcut print, a survey will detail this.

With a large collection of artworks, a template for a survey form may be designed to suit the collections’ particular needs. An indoor ethnographic object will have different factors acting upon it from an outdoor bronze sculpture, for example. The following summary of items to include in a survey relates primarily to museum collections.

A survey should cover:

1. Existing catalogue details: Catalogue number, title, artist and date.
2. Material: what the object is made of.
3. Number of parts: with a multi-part object, elements for example frames or stands can be separated when in storage, it is therefore important to number and record everything.
4. Measurements:
5. Location:
6. Examination conditions: is it possible to inspect the whole object thoroughly, or is it inaccessible.
7. Examination: structural faults, damage, soiling, losses, previous repairs, stability, etc. Briefly note anything out of the ordinary. The frame, plinth or display case should also be inspected its condition and suitability noted.
8. Suitability for display: the piece may need cleaning or mounting prior to display or it may need to be removed from display for treatment.
9. Assessment of treatment: an indication of the time & complexity is required as well as defining the treatment methodology.
10. Treatment priority: is intervention needed urgently, or is the object stable.
11. Loan recommendations: is the piece too heavy or fragile to be crated & transported.
12. Display recommendations: should the object be made more secure on its mountings, is a vitrine required, etc.
13. Maintenance recommendations: can the object be superficially cleaned, i.e. dusted, by gallery staff trained to do so, or must this only be done by a conservator.
14. Handling recommendations: for example, will the art-handler need gloves or assistance when moving the object.
15. Storage conditions: note the storage habitat, especially temperature & RH. Is the object near any potential risks such as heating pipes, might it fall from the shelf it is stored on or is it blocking a fire exit.
16. Storage recommendations: if the storage needs to be changed, indicate the criteria, such as shelved, crated, boxed, etc. and the optimum temperature & RH levels.
17. Future care: brief recommendations for intervention strategies, environmental monitoring, etc.
18. At least one photograph should be attached to the form for identification.

A survey form can be designed to include all this information. With practise, such a form can be completed within an hour. The template layout is worth spending time on, so that both the inspector and the museum know exactly what to include during the surveying process and what information can be gleaned from the form in the future. The institution may also wish to put aspects of the survey onto a database, in which case fields and keywords must be devised.

The conservator carrying out the survey will require:

• Existing catalogue details & any treatment history
• Survey form and pencil
• Tape measure
• Gloves – vinyl & cotton
• Hygrometer & thermometer – to assess suitability of storage habitat
• Torch – essential if the area available for examination is poorly lit
• Camera – to document the object in situ and to record any current damage
• Cotton tape, archival tags & pen to label the object once surveyed
• A keen eye

If the collection being surveyed is large and contains many objects of a similar nature and condition, a system of ‘random sampling’ can be applied, where perhaps one in five objects is inspected. This can save time and money.

Obviously, different collections and individual objects will require specific information, but in general the steps listed above make for a good starting point when embarking on any survey.