Storage of unstable glass

Working as a group of freelance conservators we have been surveying
a glass bead collection from Papua New Guinea, belonging to a museum
in the Netherlands. Most of the glass beads on necklaces within the
collection show crizzling and cracks typical of unstable, degrading
glass. We intend to improve the lifetime of these objects by storing
them at around 42% RH. To achieve these conditions we want to use an
acclimatized storage cupboard which makes use of pre-conditioned
Artsorb packages.

We would be very much interested what the experiences are of other
conservators/institutions in maintaining a lower RH in a storage
cupboard; the storage area in which the cupboard would be situated
has a stable climate with 50% RH. Which requirements do the
cupboards need to meet?

How often does one need to renew the Artsorb packages? Is such a
collection rendered inaccessible as one cannot open the acclimatized
cupboard anymore? Would sealing in plastic with RH stabilizers be a
better option?

Margrit Reuss
ethnographic conservator
member of "Tempus Fugit - maatschap voor restauratoren"


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:79
                  Distributed: Wednesday, May 22, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-79-014
                                  ***