Skills and Traits
Curious and attentive to how an object is made and their physical attributes for its care and study
Steady hands
Respect for objects, documentation, and history of a life of an object.
Interest in chemistry and understanding material makeup
Ability to work on one item for long periods of focused time
Practical experience in art forms
Interested? Check out this book recommend by Lynn Bathke:
Ágnes Timár-Balázsy, and Dinah Eastop. 2020. Chemical Principles of Textile Conservation. London: Routledge.
Material experts who are responsible for care, preservation, and research
Conservators are specialists who work to preserve, maintain, and better understand objects so they can be protected from deterioration, damage, and loss over time. Their work often involves studying the materials and structure of an object, identifying risks, and making careful decisions about how to care for it.
Conservators may also repair or stabilize objects, but always with the goal of preservation. Their work helps make it possible for objects to be safely displayed, researched, handled, stored, and remembered as part of cultural and historical collections.
There are many areas of conservation specialty, including textiles, costumes, objects, paintings, works on paper, books, frames, photography, time-based media, conservation science, and architecture. Across these specialties, conservators combine close looking, material knowledge, science, patience, and respect for the object’s history and future.