Conservation ethics and anaesthesia

The current attitude of conservators towards restoration is to preserve objects and materials in the condition as they are but without attempting to restore them 'as new'. Museum objects have generally ceased to serve their original utilitarian function but have become objects for study, information and inspiration. Conservation and restoration are discussed in relation to anaesthetic exhibits. Conservation is the prevention, detection, containment, control and recovery but risk avoidance and monitoring hopefully will lessen the need for conservation. Some objects such as rubber and plastic items are, by their very nature, prone to ageing, accident and mistreatment. Cleaning and maintenance may lead to loss of original detail and is 'an act of critical interpretation'. Reshaping of distorted objects and repair of broken pieces can sometimes be justified but, in other work, the actual restoration may become part of the object's history that should not be lost in trying to restore something to a presumed earlier state. The mind interprets images by reference to earlier patterns and so imperfections, if not disguised, may be unduly distracting. Museums exist for information, evidence, enlightenment and even entertainment. Conservation must serve these purposes and is not an end in its own right. The professional actions of the conservator must be governed by a total respect for physical, historic, and aesthetic integrity but this must be interpreted widely.