Page :« 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ALL»
2000-07
Executive Summary
This grant funded the expansion and review of a database with an initial working title of Conservation Materials Database. It is now called Conservation and Art Materials Dictionary (CAMD). The database incorporates technical information about historic and contemporary materials used in all aspects of the conservation, preservation and production of artistic, architectural and archaeological materials. No other resource in the field of conservation has attempted to provide reference data of this scope and magnitude. Thus the database is an important step in the development and defmition of the growing fields of conservation and historic preservation.
This grant funded the expansion and review of a database with an initial working title of Conservation Materials Database. It is now called Conservation and Art Materials Dictionary (CAMD). The database incorporates technical information about historic and contemporary materials used in all aspects of the conservation, preservation and production of artistic, architectural and archaeological materials. No other resource in the field of conservation has attempted to provide reference data of this scope and magnitude. Thus the database is an important step in the development and defmition of the growing fields of conservation and historic preservation.
Each of the six reviewers used an early prototype database. They reviewed the format and content as well as examined many of the entries. Their written comments are attached to the final report. In addition to many specific changes there were three dominant recommendations from the reviewers.
- It is important that a wider audience of experienced conservators review and edit the entries.
- The citations for further information is a key field and it is very important to have this field as complete as possible.
- The searching mechanisms for the data need to be revised to include more options.
The recommendations of the reviewers have been incorporated into the structure of the database.
The database is currently on-line through the Intranet at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It is being used and reviewed by more than 200 specialists (curators, conservators, collection care specialists, registrars, students, etc.) throughout the Museum. In June 2000, CAMD will be introduced at the annual meeting for the American Institute of Conservation in Philadelphia. It will then make its debut on the Internet July 1, 2000. For the initial six months on the Internet, access will be limited by password to volunteers who agree to provide additional commentary and review. The database format allows searching, browsing and comparison of all records. Internet distribution ensures a wide audience will have access to the database. Because of the digitized format, it will continually be added to and revised, as additional information becomes available.
The Conservation Materials Database is an important resource of information for the fields of conservation and preservation. As a depository of information, it will become a historical record of the use of conservation and art materials.
Project Narrative
Introduction
As with any growing field of expertise, art conservation and historic preservation has its own unique collection of terms, materials and techniques. These conservation terms must be defined and disseminated to provide the developmental cornerstone needed for a solid professional base. Currently, however, the conservation field is lacking in this area.
In the past fifty years, some excellent books, by Rutherford Gettens, George Stout, Ralph Mayer, Reed Kay, Max Doemer, C.V. Horie, E.J. Lebarre and others have been important resources in the field of art conservation. While these books supply technical information on materials and processes used in art and conservation, they are limited by their focus on specific areas as well as by their lack of information on contemporary materials used in conservation and preservation treatments, such as adsorbents, corrosion inhibitors, geotextiles, enzymes, surfactants, and some polymers. A more recent attempt to produce an on-line database (Materials Conservation Information Network, MCIN) with technical information on materials has been criticized for lacking a useful number and variety of materials.
Outside the field of conservation, there is no incentive to combine the interdisciplinary set of information that encompasses artistic and historic materials. Instead each specialized industry developed handbooks to meet their specific requirements, such as Standard Handbook of Textiles, Metals Handbook, Dictionary and Encyclopaedia of Paper and Papermaking, Merck Index, and Polymer Handbook. Thus, while these resources are available, it can be expensive, time-consuming and frustrating for a conservator or conservation scientist to search multiple sources for desired data. It is important for conservation to develop reference collections to meets its own needs.
Conservation and preservation of historic materials is a broad yet complex field and the levels of training and experience can vary greatly. Since the building blocks of the field are the materials and methods it encompasses, the Conservation Materials Database (now called the Conservation and Art Materials Dictionary, CAMD) aids in the standardization of terminology, increases access to obscure information as well as provides a guide and references for additional information. The dictionary also creates a historical context for materials used in conservation in the last few decades and develops a chronological record of new materials as they are evaluated for used. Thus the dictionary is an important resource of information for the fields of conservation and preservation.
