Sustainable collections environments

Main Article Content

David Thickett
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9532-1517

Abstract

English Heritage has undertaken several sustainability campaigns and initiatives that involve specific measurements. Research has developed and validated a series of tools to predict showcase carbon usage. Embedded carbon has been calculated for showcases. Measuring carbon usage for wet (hot water) heating systems can be complex when separating environmental control from areas in other usage, with surface temperature monitoring of radiators being used. Two exercises have been carried out to assess and remove unnecessary environmental control equipment. An important gap in existing knowledge is the carbon footprint of interventive conservation treatments. A standardised program is underway to collect such information for paintings conservation.

Keywords: Climate control, Energy, Showcases, Silica gel, Interventive treatment

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ashley-Smith, J., Umney, N., & Ford, D. (1994). Let’s be honest – realistic environmental parameters for loaned objects. In Preventive Conservation: Practice, Theory and Research. Preprints of the con¬tributions to the Ottawa Congress, 12-16 September 1994 (pp. 12-16). Ottawa, Japan: International Institute for Conservation.

BSI. (2010). EN BS 15757: Specifications for temperature and relative humidity to limit climate-induced mechanical damage in organic hygroscopic materials. BSI Gunnersbury, UK.

BSI. (2011). PAS2050: Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services. BSI Gunnersbury, UK.

English Heritage. (n.d.). Calculating Lifetime of Silica Gel in Low RH Showcases (30 minute data intervals). Retrieved from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/conservation/collections-advice-and-guidance/

IIC. (2010). The Plus/Minus Dilemma: The Way Forward in Environmental Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.iiconservation.org/archives/dialogues/plus-minus

ISO. (2006a). ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework.

ISO. (2006b). ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines.

ISO. (2014). ISO 14072:2014 Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines for organizational life cycle assessment.

Kim, H. & Payer, J. H. (1999). Tarnish process of silver in 100 ppb H2S containing environments. Journal of Corrosion Science and Engineering, 1(14). Retrieved from http://www.jcse.org/volume11/ paper14/v11p14.php

Thickett, D., Csefalvayova, L., & Strlič, M. (2011). Smart Conservation – using analysis to determine environmentally sensitive artefacts. In J. Bridgland (Ed.), ICOM Committee for Conservation (ICOM). Triennial conference, 16th, Lisbon, Portugal, 19-23 September 2011 (pp. 1505-97). Almada, Portugal: Critério.

Thickett, D. (2012). Post Excavation Changes and Preventive Conservation of Archaeological Iron (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/learn/ conservation/collections-advice-guidance/thickettthesisfinalversion.pdf

Thickett, D., & Lankester, P. (2012). Critical Knowledge Gaps in Environmental Risk Assessment, and Prioritising Research. Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, 8(4), 281-295. https://doi.org/10.1177/155019061200800403

Thickett, D., Luxford, N., & Lankester, P. (2013). Environmental Management Challenges and Strategies in Historic Houses. In K. Seymour, & M. Sawicki (Eds.), The Artifact, Its Context and Their Narrative: Multidisciplinary Conservation in Historic House Museums. Proceedings of the Joint Conference of

ICOM-DEMHIST and three ICOM-CC Working Groups: Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Dec¬oration Wood, Furniture, and Lacquer Textiles, the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, November 6-9, 2012. Marina del Ray, CA: Getty Conservation Institute.

Thickett, D., & Costa, V. (2014). The effect of particulate pollution on the corrosion of metals in heritage locations. In J. Bridgland (Ed.), ICOM Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC). Triennial meeting, 17th, Melbourne, Australia, 2014 (pp. 0907-207). Paris, France: The International Council of Museums.

Thickett, D. (2018). Specifying Air Exchange Rates of Showcases. M. Adriaens, S. Bioletti, & I. Rabin (Eds.), Chemical Interactions Between Cultural Artefacts and Indoor Environment (pp. 25-48). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8550694

Thickett, D. (2020) (IN PRESS). Comparison of Environmental Control Strategies for Historic Buildings. In IIC 28th Biennial Congress 2020 - Current practices and challenges in built heritage conservation, Edinburg, 2-6 November 2020.

Ruuska, A. (Ed.). (2013). Carbon footprint for building products. ECO2 data for materials and products with the focus on wooden building products. Espoo, Finland: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Retrieved from https://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/technology/2013/T115.pdf

Xavier-Rowe, A., & Fry, C. (2011). Heritage collections at risk – English Heritage collections risks and condition audit. In J. Bridgland (Ed.), ICOM Committee for Conservation (ICOM). Triennial conference, 16th, Lisbon, Portugal, 19-23 September 2011 (pp. 1502-124). Almada, Portugal: Critério.