Beau,

There is a lot of information on packing works of fine art. But so
much depends on the materials, structure, and condition of the
paintings/frames, how far they will be travelling, that will determine
both the safest way to pack and the mode of travel.

Also, if you move them yourself you are assuming the liability if
anything happens during travel. When I was the Head of Objects
Conservation at the Rocky Mountain Conservation Center we were
expressly not permitted to move objects and art in our personal
vehicles. First, your personal auto insurance will not cover damages
to work related things if you do not carry a business policy, and this
applies to equally to rental vehicles if you rent the truck and it is
not rented under a business account (which means that the organization
has to have a certificate of insurance that covers its employees).
Second, any accidents or damages could be actionable against the
institution whose fine arts policy did not cover conveyance of art on
the roads.

I have also seen situations where an organization/museum held a
different policy and left this sort of risk open - usually because it
is easier, less expensive, and there is a history of nothing
happening. So employees were often assigned to move art as part of
their duties. In my years in conservation in a busy regional lab and
when I was in private practice I saw an awful lot of broken objects
and art that had happened from moving and transportation - so Cavet
Emptor should always be the rule.

I think that you need to establish a clear understanding of the
condition of the works of art and also of the potential liability
issues ahead of time.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, CA

On 11/27/07, George Harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi,
> I was wondering if there were any resources out there on how to properly
> pack objects for shipping, specifically paintings.  We are organizing an
> exhibit that will include several paintings from other institutions,
> including a bank, and we need to get them to the museum.  We will probably
> go pick at least some of them up ourselves.
>
> Thanks.
> Beau
>
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