William,

The museum I worked for many years ago started a contract conservation program that was promoted as a way of enhancing the budget to upper management. In some instances it led to conflicts with museum exhibitions as well as legal issues, because when you sign a contract with a completion date you are obliged to meet that date. When you stack up contract projects and then new exhibitions or collections issues come up on the calendar that can put a squeeze on staff and resources and the mission of the institution or the obligations to the contracts may suffer. In the end most institutions who do this do not make much income when you look at the time expended on it. While museum contract conservation is appealing at first it has proven difficult for several institutions who later ended the practice.

I think that are far better ideas for enhancing a museum's income.

Cheers!

Dave

David Harvey

Senior Conservator & Museum Consultant

Los Angeles CA USA

www.cityofangelsconservation.weebly.com

On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 10:01 AM, William Shepherd <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hello,

I’m wondering if anyone while working at a heritage institution has or has had their institution launch/maintain a service preforming preventative conservation/conservation work for the public as a means of revenue generation? I’m not necessarily talking about major projects, but things like rehousing, humidification/flattening, light cleaning, or other typically low intensity/quick turnaround services. How did this work for you or your institution? What was the response? What population area/type did you serve? Any potential competition/pitfalls you didn’t expect?

It’s an idea that I’ve been tossing around and thought I’d check things out. Thank you.

William Shepherd

Collections Officer

Swift Current Museum

44 Robert Street West

Swift Current, Saskatchewan

S9H 4M9

Phone: 306-778-4815

Fax: 306-778-4818

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