Our museum is celebrating an anniversary year in 1996. We plan a series of
retrospective exhibitions focusing on our permanent collection. Works will
be shown that have not been exhibited in years, decades, ever and we are
facing decisions as to to what extent do we prep them.

For instance, silver pieces collected in North Africa in the late 1920s
are needless to say tarnished. Is is proper to clean them? Will cleaning
remove a protective patina? There are other works in other metals such as
brass and copper which are under consideration.

I would appreciate your comments reflecting both advice and your
experiences. Thank you in advance.

Gail Kana Anderson
Assistant Director/Curator of Collections
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art/The University of Oklahoma
Norman
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