The restorer: key player in preventive conservation EleÂonore Kissel In this article the author presents and Before examining the main subject of this this article, but together with that of clarifies the concepts of preservation, article, namely, the scope for integrating `restorer', and it is hoped that readers will preventive conservation, curative restorers into preventive conservation accept this refusal to submit to official conservation and restoration. She then projects, I will first of all try to define the terminology.2 sets out her personal view as a different activities covered by the practitioner of conservation/restoration disciplines whose common objective is Restoration and curative conservation about the scope for and value of to safeguard cultural property, and work both concern individual objects integrating restorers into preventive second, will briefly determine how the which have usually suffered damage, conservation projects in French various responsibilities are shared by whereas preventive conservation is a museums. Eleonore Kissel is a museum personnel. I should mention at different discipline whose purpose is to conservator-restorer of graphic the outset that this article concerns lessen the risks of deterioration. As a documents and a consultant in practices in French museums only; other result, on the one hand, preventive preventive conservation. She holds a kinds of heritage institutions such as conservation work is, in general, aimed Master's degree in the sciences and archives, libraries and historical sites and primarily at the environment rather than at techniques of conserving and restoring monuments, as well as the situation in individual objects, although it is cultural property and a Higher other countries are not reflected here. understood that it is the materiality of Specialized Studies Diploma (DESS) in the object which determines the nature of preventive conservation from the What do the terms `restoration', `curative the actions taken. On the other hand, University of Paris-I PantheÂon-Sorbonne. conservation' and `preventive conserva- given that action aimed at the environ- She is a specialist in preventive tion' mean, and who are the individuals ment often benefits several objects, conservation work which she carries out responsible for carrying out each of these justification for such action is seen in mostly in archives and museums in tasks in the heritage institutions? terms of its expected impact on the France and Canada. collection as a whole rather than on French popular usage gives a meaning to individual objects. the term `restoration' which is different from its technical definition, and this leads Adopting a broader view of material to confusion when the subject of conservation issues, which are defined restoration is being discussed in public. not in terms of a potential improvement of Following the definition given by the the state of the object but, rather, a English-speaking world, `restoration' was stabilization of its present condition, described in 1992 as all the work carried requires a considerable change of per- out on a cultural property in order to spective on the part of the restorer. This improve understanding of it.1 The work in new angle of analysis leads the restorer to question is therefore optional, and accept that his or her preventive executed on an object whose continued conservation work will not bring back existence is not at issue. By contrast, the object's lost splendour, but that, at `curative conservation' can be defined as most, it will continue to exist for the encompassing all the work done on a initiation and pleasure of future genera- damaged object in order to rescue it from tions. This is what restoration work means danger. None the less, both verbal and in both psychological and concrete terms written shortcuts show how even today ± restorers can, perhaps, merely lessen the the term `restoration' and, therefore, that effects of deterioration agents by ensuring of `restorer' are readily used in a broader the daily, although perhaps minimal, sense which takes in all the work done protection of the collections. direct on an object. Bearing this in mind and to avoid any confusion, the term This shift in role is not without real `conservation-restoration' will be used in significance, given the scale of the effects ISSN 1350-0775, Museum International (UNESCO, Paris), No. 201 (Vol. 51, No. 1, 1999) 33 ß UNESCO 1999 Published by Blackwell Publishers, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JF (UK) and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148 (USA) EleÂonore Kissel Âe Lorrain, Nancy, France of both the increasing quantity of collections and increased pressure for the conservation of the works. The restorers working in museums gradually Photo by courtesy of the author/Muse found themselves having to justify the way the funds allocated to their sector of activity were used. Public financing decreased whilst private financing in- creased, and the new `investors' have Piling up various types of objects in the of any major action aimed at a collection been demanding the production of reserves without regard to their shapes or of objects or their environment. The tangible results as they would do in the materials creates problems of access and actions taken and results obtained in the business world. In this way, it became conservation and makes an inventory context of prevention and protection unacceptable to use money from private extremely difficult to undertake. against damage are often unspectacular, foundations to finance, for instance, a but the responsibility is none the less specific conservation-restoration action if heavy given that any mistake made risks the conditions of storage of the restored affecting thousands, if not millions, of work were unsatisfactory. This simple and objects. consistent principle obtains whether the financing is public or private, but it is still far from being systematically applied in Who does what? In theory . the domain of culture. To sum up, the foregoing informs us about both the These introductory remarks bring us to geographic origins of preventive con- the question of whether restorers are the servation and the existence of a literature right people for the work of preventive specific to restorers, many of whom have conservation. Are they able to do such become, officially or unofficially, fully work given a training and professional fledged `preservation managers' as well activity centred on the treatment of as personnel who work direct on individual objects? Can restorers justifiably individual objects. claim to be specialized in preventive conservation? . and in practice To be able to answer this question, we have to look into the origins of preventive Who are the people responsible for conservation as a discipline in its own carrying out preventive conservation right. The relevant bibliography is very work in French museums in day-to-day revealing: the basic reference works have practice, and how is it done? mostly been written by restorers. Why? First, because of what I would call the Until now, only conservators had been physiological reason that conservation- able to do such work. Once again, the restoration is, by far, the discipline which reasons for this were structural, with the is closest to the materiality of the object management of museum collections from which it derives its raison d'eÃtre and having always been governed by the substance. The second reason is linked to presence and decision-making of con- the specific circumstance of museum servators, and conservators alone. Very professionals, especially in North few museums have administrators among America, being faced with the problem their executives; only a few managers are 34 ß UNESCO 1999 The restorer: key player in preventive conservation Âe Lorrain, Nancy, France integrated into the organizational struc- ture, and salaried restorers are extremely rare. At the same time, restorers play a prominent role in museums with which they have always maintained a tradition of Photo by courtesy of the author/Muse co-operation, and are called to work for them when deteriorated objects require their attention. In most cases, the character of being both efficient and ag- Another example of how inappropriate restorer's services are required to restore gressive vis-aÁ-vis the enterprise concerned. storage can create conservation works for a specific exhibition, rather than problems: although a number of small as a routine way of ensuring the lasting In this type of work, the restorer evaluates wooden objects were carefully placed value of whole collections. various aspects of the museum and its together on shelves during the refitting of functioning, always in relation to the a reserve facility, other kinds were later Recently, there has been a marked change preservation of collections: the state of stored among them or stacked on the in the initial training of conservators conservation and the presentation and floor since suitable storage fittings had which now includes courses on the display of objects as well as staff training not yet been created. material conservation of cultural property. and budget management. It has to be said In the past, however, educational that this activity occurs in a grey area in emphasis was put on research into art which the fields of competence of history, the presentation and display and conservators and restorers overlap. This subsequent enhancement of collections. It situation ± brought to light during is therefore in the professional context consultancy missions even when both when, more or less abruptly depending parties agree that the restorer's proposals on the given situation, the conservators will not necessarily be endorsed by a are brought face to face with the decision of the conservator who has sole collections, that they become fully aware legal responsibility for the collections ± of the extreme fragility of the objects might result in a conflict which could have which, as genuine artefacts and not as devastating repercussions on our common intangible icons, form the actual bases of professional world.