Caring for Collections
21 December 2010
RAMM’s innovative project to improve care of the South West’s photographic history has been recognised by Icon, the Institute of Conservation, in its 2010 Awards.
The Conservation Awards celebrate the highest standards of conservation skills, innovation, research, collections care and digital preservation within the arts and heritage in the UK. Selected from a wide range of quality submissions, RAMM’s PRIMROSE project (Photographic Records in Museums: Re-Organisation, Storage and Environment) won the award for making significant and sustainable improvements to caring for collections.
As part of her work supporting museums across the South West, RAMM’s Conservation Development Officer Helena Jaeschke, with freelance Conservator Sarah Allen, trained 92 staff and volunteers from 55 museums in the South West. Participants learnt about different photographic processes, conditions that cause damage and how to safely sort, identify, clean and re-house their collections. Each museum received guidelines, factsheets and archival quality supplies to allow it to start work immediately.
PRIMROSE was funded by Renaissance, the government’s groundbreaking programme to transform regional museums.
The Awards are supported by Icon and sponsored by The Pilgrim Trust, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC), the Anna Plowden Trust, and since 2005, Sir Paul McCartney.
The award was presented to Helena and Sarah by Dame Liz Forgan DBE, Chair of Arts Council England, at a ceremony at the Royal Institution in London on 1 December.
