Museum Environment

Since the timely publication of the first two editions of The Museum Environment in hardcover, interest in preventive conservation has continued to grow strongly making publication of this paperback edition all the more welcome.

Those whose responsibility is to care for the valuable and beautiful objects in the world’s collections have become increasingly aware that it is better to prevent their deterioration, by ensuring that they are housed and displayed in the best possible environmental conditions, than to wait until restoration and repair are necessary.

The book is in two parts. Part I, intended for conservators and museum curators, describes the principles and techniques of controlling the environment so that the potentially damaging effects of light, humidity and air pollution on the museum exhibits may be minimized. In part II, the author brings together and summarizes information and data, hitherto widely scattered in the literature of diverse fields, which is essential to workers in conservation research.

The changes for the second edition have been mainly concentrated in the sections on electronic hygrometry, new fluorescent lamps, buffered cases, air conditioning systems, data logging, and control with historic buildings. A new Appendix giving a summary of museum specifications for conservation provides a useful quick reference.