Abstract
Conservation of artifacts is a major concern of museum cura tors. Light, humidity, and air pollution are responsible for the deterioration of many artifacts and materials. We present here an exploratory analysis of humidity and temperature data that were collected to document the en vironment of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, located in the Walker Art Building at Bowdoin College. As a result of this study, funds are being sought to install a climate control system.
Highlights
The analyses above suggest the following interpretation of the low and high relative humidity values observed in the museum during the winter and summer months, respectively
Some moisture is being added to the museum air in the winter, since the specific humidity in the Bowdoin Gallery is higher than that outside
During November, when neither the temperature nor specific humidity outside were low, the relative humidity in the Bowdoin Gallery hovered about the lower tolerable limit
Summary
Museums are entrusted with the preservation of important artifacts and materials. While the conservation of objects has a long history, recent attention has focused on the need to control the museum environment to minimize the deterioration of collections. Many museums were built before such environmental concerns were recognized Those museums must assess their environments and determine the most appropriate ways to modify them to protect the specific collections that they house. The art collection at the College was started in 1811 when James Bowdoin III bequeathed 70 paintings and a portfolio of Old Master drawings that had come from Europe. This established one of the oldest college art collections in the United States. Several years later the museum staff decided to study the museum environment in a systematic way to document its temperature and humidity levels, and data were collected over a two year period.
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