I was going to stay out of this discussion but I must respond to this. How
can you compare conserving the glaze on a Tang Dynasty jar to restoring a
car that probably looks like a hunk of rusty metal? Are you supposed to
conserve rust that wasn't originally there? We don't restore vehicles and
other large objects just because we want them to look brand new, but rather
to make them exhibitable and/or operational. It is very difficult to
learn much from a rusty hunk of metal that was left to disintergrate
outside. Sometimes its nice for them to know how these cars, impliments, or
machines worked which will require them to be restored. And this is not the
easy way out. In the dictionary, restore means to put back or return to an
earlier state while conserve means to keep it from changing from its current
state. Good restorations maintain as much of the original as humanly
possible. We don't just change anything and everything. Have you ever
tried to "conserve" rust or paint on a car? It's not really very easy on
anything, and large objects are not like Tang Dynasty jar that can be
conserved in a relatively short period of time. If you tried to conserve
the original paint that is cracking all over a car it would take you years
and that is only for one object. Most museums with these large objects have
lots of them. We would never get anything else done, just one vehicle.
Also, I think that you don't give children enough credit. My kids and I go
into museums all the time and have seen thing that look old (and are not) to
things that appear brand new and they are able to get the concept of age.
If you want kids to learn about the effect of time then you can maintain
some object parts, photographs, etc of its unrestored condition, but if you
want them to understand what a Model T looked like when it came off the Ford
assemble line then it was probably need some restoring.
Sorry to rant.
Tracie
----- Original Message -----
From: Roeland Stulemeijer <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: I Am Very Concerned-- What do with replaced parts?
> I'm sorry but as a C&R specialist I have to say at least my one-cent
worth.
> If I where to restore a Tang Dynasty jar and parts of the glaze came off,
it
> would be easier to restore the missing glaze with a colour filling then
> spent hours putting the glaze back. So if I could action of the glaze to
get
> funding I should do that? (Ok I know this in not a real 'hot' item to
action
> but for the sake of the argument.)
> Each and every time we do that we are putting on more and more 'fake'
glaze
> until we have a Tang Dynasty shaped jar made out of clay from the right
> period but the glaze is one big 'restoration'. Please don't call this a
> restoration this is just repair (taking the easy way out).
>
> Conservation & Restoration is not replacing parts, especially in a museum.
> Museums show objects that are conserved to show the public about history
and
> not about how these things looked when they where new. How can kids
realise
> that the things they see in a museum are old if everything is new and
shine.
>
> So I would say don't make the T-ford a new car, you might as well sell the
> repaired car to fund other projects in the museum. Maybe like hiring a
> conservator to do at least basic preventive conservation.
>
> Thank you for your attention,
> Roeland
>
> Like Terry Vidal said:
>
> TAG YOU'RE IT
>
>
>
>
> Deb Fuller
>
> In a message dated 8/23/00 5:04:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > Now, what is a museum to do with the parts that have been replaced
from
> a
> > restoration project?
>
> > * Others might sell off some of the surplus scraps with authentication
> > certificates. ("Buy an authentic piece of the ____ and help the
> museum!")
> > Many people would love to have authenticated relics of a famous
aircraft
> > type.
>
> While others might disagree, I think this is perfectly legit. The old
parts
> aren't going to do anyone any good in storage and would take up space for
> more useful items. I've seen some nice plaques or lucite paperweights with
> scrap objects in them and for an avid collector or enthuiast, they make
nice
> gifts and conversation pieces. Plus you can auction or sell them off so
that
> the museum gets funds for the restoration project. (Note I mean like a
> museum
> auction rather than something like eBay.)
>
> For example, I have the brads that held J.R.R. Tolkien's manuscripts
> together. I'm sure that no museum would care about them but since I'm a
big
> fan, I think they're neat so I keep them and they would have been thrown
> away
> otherwise. (Now if a museum really really wants them, I'll donate them but
> only on the condition that they be displayed. ;) To anyone else, they're a
> bunch of old rusty brads. Same with scraps of metal from a famous plane or
> ship. It can make people feel like they have something special and it
might
> encourage them to become more involved with the museum because they "own a
> piece of an artifact". They can go and see "their" plane or ship or
whatnot.
> For kids, that can be very powerful.
>
> > What if a museum decided to dispose of the scraps and not offer them
to
> the
> > public under any circumstance? Not everyone would agree with such an
> > approach.
>
> One man's trash is another man's treasure...but I can see the point of
> disposing of the scraps as to not encourage people to collect them and
then
> sell them off to unsuspecting people for reams of cash. I'd rather see
> scraps
> disposed of than end up on eBay but each to his own.
>
> deb
>
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