Technological Studies Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna CONSERVATION – RESTORATION – RESEARCH – TECHNOLOGY Special volume: Storage Vienna, 2015 Technological Studies Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna Special volume: Storage Vienna, 2015 Technological Studies Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna CONSERVATION – RESTORATION – RESEARCH – TECHNOLOGY Special volume: Storage Vienna, 2015 Translated from the German volume: Content Technologische Studien Kunsthistorisches Museum. Konservierung – Restaurierung – Forschung – Technologie, Sonderband Depot, Band 9/10, Wien 2012/13 PREFACE Sabine Haag and Paul Frey 6 Editor: Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna INTRODUCTION Martina Griesser, Alfons Huber and Elke Oberthaler 7 Sabine Haag Editorial Office: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 Martina Griesser, Alfons Huber, Elke Oberthaler Assistant, Editorial Office: ESSAYS Stefan Fleck Building a Cost-Effective Art Storage Facility that 13 Tanja Kimmel maintains State-of-the-Art Requirements Joachim Huber Creating a Quantity Structure for Planning Storage 21 Translations: Equipment in Museum Storage Areas Aimée Ducey-Gessner, Emily Schwedersky, Matthew Hayes (Summaries) Christina Schaaf-Fundneider and Tanja Kimmel Relocation of the 29 Collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna to the New Art Direction: Central Storage Facility: Preparation, Planning, and Implementation Stefan Zeisler Pascal Querner, Tanja Kimmel, Stefan Fleck, Eva Götz, Michaela 63 Photography: Morelli and Katja Sterflinger Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Christian Mendez, Thomas Ritter, Alexander Rosoli, Andreas Uldrich as Part of the Move to the New Storage in Himberg Peter Kloser Implementation of a Barcode System for Museum Storage 83 Image Editing: Michael Eder, Thomas Ritter Bettina Vak, Angelika Kathrein and Michael Loacker The Relocation 91 of Objects from the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, the Graphic Design: Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, and the Kunstkammer to the Atelier Simma, Johanna Kopp Central Storage Facility Irene Engelhardt Relocation of Small Objects from the Egyptian and 119 © 2015 Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna Near Eastern Collection to the Central Storage Facility in Himberg Katja Schmitz-von Ledebur A Storage Facility for the 141 Kunsthistorisches Museum’s Tapestry Collection Cover Illustration: Tapestry storage before move of objects Eva Götz and Elke Oberthaler The Relocation of the Picture Gallery’s 153 Back-cover Illustration: Collection from Inzersdorf to the Central Storage Facility in Himberg New Central Storage Facility Nora Gasser, Sabine Imp and René Traum Relocation of Selected 183 The illustrations were provided by the authors, employees of the KHM, Category Groups from the Coin Collection to the New Central Storage or photography studio of the KHM, unless specified differently. Facility in Himberg, in particular, the Collection of Primitive Money All rights reserved, including translation into other languages. Photomechanical reproduction (photocopies, microcopies) or manipulation Ina Hoheisel and Alfons Huber Relocation of the Collection of 197 and distribution by means of the application of electronic systems of this Historic Musical Instruments in Storage periodical or any part thereof is not allowed without express consent of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. Tanja Kimmel, Daniela Sailer and Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner 205 The Emperor’s New “Clothes-Chamber”. The Relocation of Objects of www.khm.at the Wagenburg (Imperial Carriage Museum) and Monturdepot (Court Wardrobe) to the KHM’s New Central Storage Facility Christina Schaaf-Fundneider and Martina Griesser Monitoring Air 229 Pollution Levels as a Preventive Conservation Measure: Introduction and Initial Experiences in the Central Storage Facility AUTHORS 257 PREFACE The present volume of the Technological Studies, as a special “Storage Facility” INTRODUCTION If, about 30 years ago, one wanted to see or even photograph the storage facil- volume, is dedicated to the planning for and construction of our new central ities of one of the major Austrian museums, this was not usually possible without storage facility, as well as the relocation of the respective collection objects to “good connections”. The conditions were so conspicuously out of line with spa- Sabine Haag, Director General this new location. Martina Griesser tial and conservation requirements that access was habitually denied to visitors. Paul Frey, General Manager Alfons Huber In attics, partly humid cellars, narrow side rooms, or rented halls, the less noted In the year 2011, we had the opportunity to build a modern and suitable stor- Elke Oberthaler testimonies of past cultural life awaited their discovery or restoration in the most Translated from the German age facility in the vicinity of Vienna. The storage rented in Inzersdorf since the confined of spaces. Pest or mould infestation would at times go unnoticed for by Emily Schwedersky early 1990s had only ever been intended as an interim solution, but had none- Translated from the German years or had to be left untreated due to a lack of suitable alternatives. theless lasted nearly 20 years, although it had long since ceased to meet con- by Emily Schwedersky servation or security requirements. In order to better conform to new scientific The rental and adaptation of several storehouses in Inzersdorf, from 1992 on- findings in the field of conservation, a project team worked out a new storage wards, initially constituted a marked improvement for the collections of the concept from 2008 onwards. The museum ultimately chose an ownership model, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. Many deposited objects could be installed and acquired a property on the outskirts of Vienna. The budgeted costs for the adequately, as well as examined and surveyed, for the first time. The setup of project – including the purchase of land and the relocation – amounted to € 14 an anoxic nitrogen treatment facility allowed for a systematic control of insect million. The principal part of the costs was financed by the Kunsthistorisches pests, without subjecting the conservators involved to poisonous substances Museum Vienna itself. Planning of the new storage facility was undertaken in that put their health in danger. A part of the paintings storage and, several years close consultation with international experts and the collection managers of later, that of the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, were equipped our museum association. Following a year of planning, making the necessary with very economical and damage-preventive wall-tempering instead of the ex- call for bids, purchasing the property, obtaining permits, and securing funding, tremely insufficient air heating. September 2010 finally saw the ground-breaking. After a record time of only 8 months, the storage facility was completed, and was inaugurated by Federal Nonetheless, as the years went by, it became clear that the rented facilities were Minister Claudia Schmied on the 6th of July 2011. not suitable as a repository for art works in the long term. Several instances of water ingress from the nearly 40-year-old flat roof with subsequent damage to The project constituted a tremendous logistical and practical challenge for the objects, and other structural defects, pointed towards the necessity of find- every one involved. Some 1 million objects of varying nature and size had to be ing a sustainable solution. Finally, it was determined that all rented outposts packed, shipped, and adequately installed, under improved conservation con- had to be dissolved and a newly-built storage facility owned by the KHM should ditions. Our special thanks at this point go out to the relocation team’s project be envisaged. leader Alfred Bernhard-Walcher, who with his tireless dedication particularly regarding the coordination of all the collections’ requirements not only made The present volume of the Technological Studies is dedicated to the planning adherence to the tight schedule possible, but with his professional competence and building of this new central storage facility for the KHM, as well as the also brilliantly supervised the implementation of the best possible solutions for relocation of the objects to the new premises. The project presented an enor- the relocated objects within the given financial framework. Even today, the new mous logistical and practical challenge for everyone involved. Some 1 million storage facility is already an exemplary project in the international museum objects, ranging from cowrie shells from the Coin Collection, serving as primi- field, and may be labelled an innovative contribution to the “green museum” tive money and weighing only a few grams, to sarcophagi from the Collection and to a “culture of sustainability”. of Greek and Roman Antiquities, weighing several tons, had to be packed, shipped, and reinstalled in the appropriate place at the new location, under The seasoned editorial team, which includes Martina Griesser, head of the Con- improved conservation conditions (mechanically secure, in acid-free wrapping, servation Science Department, Elke Oberthaler, head of the Picture Gallery’s cleaned, free from active mould etc). Although conservators tend to be of a Conservation Department, and Alfons Huber, head of the Collection of Historic critical mindset, it has to be stressed that the project was completed within the Musical Instruments’ Conservation Department, also prepared and editorially set timeframe and budget without any significant mishaps, despite taking place supervised this