Collections Storage
This article originally appeared in Exchange,
a newsletter published by the Wisconsin Historical
Society. (Volume 26, Number 5, Sept/Oct 1984) It
is the 18th in a
series of articles titled Conservation Corner.
The series features information about maintaining
an adequate environment for the storage and exhibition
of historical collections, employing proper collection
care techniques, and recording and cataloging historical
collections.
It was written by Tom McKay, retired local history
coordinator for the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Few local historical societies allocate 40 percent of their space
for collections storage as recommended by the museum
profession. A small building, a forceful donor, or an overemphasis
on long-term exhibits may all contribute to the pressure
to devote yet another area of the museum to exhibits
until no collections storage space remains at all.
Though the development of each additional exhibit area
may bring initial benefits, eliminating collections
storage mortgages the historical society's future.
A society with storage space can have collections in reserve to support
an active and appealing program of changing exhibits that will continue
to attract visitors and members in the future. Most importantly, many
more artifacts and historical materials can be properly stored than
properly exhibited in the same amount of space. A society with some
space designated for storage will have room to acquire and preserve
historical materials in the future.
Historical societies hard pressed to find any storage space in a small museum should remember that storage areas are measured in terms of cubic feet, not square feet. Fitted with shelves, a small closet or the area in the base of an exhibit case may offer valuable storage provided that the space can be kept clean and well organized. However, drawers and compartments of antique dressers or other artifacts in the collection should not be used for storage. The potential damage caused by wear and tear to these pieces outweighs the benefits gained from the extra storage.
To begin to gain adequate storage space, local societies must devote full rooms or areas of the museum to this purpose. Typically, societies in historic buildings select the basement or attic for collections storage. Unfortunately, most attics and basements provide very poor environments for museum collections. The basements are much too humid, and the attics are much too hot. A society that must choose between the basement or attic for storage will do better to select the attic if it has adequate access. By installing insulation and providing ventilation, attic temperatures can be controlled. Reducing basement humidity is usually more difficult. Unless the society can afford dehumidification equipment that can operate at cool temperatures and control large areas to keep the relative humidity below 60% at all times, disregard the basement as a collections storage area.
When adapting an unfinished area of a building for collections storage,
dirt becomes a problem. In an unfinished attic, some
inexpensive fiber board and paint to finish walls and
ceiling can do wonders by eliminating the dirt that
naturally shakes out of exposed rafters and open walls.
Windows present as many problems in collections storage
areas as they do in exhibit galleries. All windows
in the storage areas should have simple white shades
or blinds to block the harmful effects of outside light. Societies
building new museums have the distinct advantage of planning a collections
storage area from the start. This area of the building need not be
complex — a large, separate room will do. The storage area should
have no windows. Access by double doors to the outside and to the
exhibit area will allow the historical society to acquire and exhibit
large artifacts. The society should use the area strictly for collections
storage and care. It should not house furnaces, rest
rooms, or other utilities. If the museum is built on a concrete slab,
be sure that the floor is sealed. Concrete floors breathe dirt. Finally,
remember that there is as much a need for insulation and air handling
ducts to control temperature and humidity in the collections storage
area as there is in the rest of the museum.
Whether a museum's collections storage is behind an exhibit partition, in a remodeled attic, or is a separate section of a new building, cleanliness and organization mark a good storage area. The amount of damage to historic materials attributed simply to dirt or mishandling is amazing. A clean and orderly storage area combats both causes of damage and can be achieved with well planned shelving and storage fixtures--the subject of the next column in this series.
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