Preventive conservation and ‘a madness to gaze at trifles’: a sustainable future for historic houses

Abstract

Museum standards for preserving cultural material need to be interpreted sensitively if they are to ensure sustainable access to fragile historic house interiors, presented as homes still in occupation. High standards of preventive conservation can be achieved by adapting traditional housekeeping practices, recorded in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century manuals. Conservators have revived methods to protect collections from physical damage, biological infestations, pollution, light, and inappropriate levels of temperature and relative humidity. To ensure that vulnerable collections are properly maintained, conservators equip historic house managers with an understanding of preventive conservation and technical information to aid monitoring and documentation, staff training and management. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the need to establish a sustainable balance between conservation and access.