The classic “Collections in Safety” is still a standard work for practical museum operations. Although the third, expanded edition was published in 2002, it contains important additions for conservators that are still valid. When a book appears in its third edition, it must be pretty good or pretty important. In the case of “Sammlungsgut in Sicherheit”, both are true. Because […]
The classic “Collections in Safety“ is still a standard work for practical museum operations. Although the third, expanded edition was published in 2002, it contains important additions for conservators that are still valid.
When a book appears in its third edition, it must be pretty good or pretty important. In the case of “Sammlungsgut in Sicherheit”, both are true. This is because the book on the topics of lighting and light protection, air conditioning, prevention of harmful substances, pest control, security technology, fire protection and hazard management is a fundamental work for museum work. It contains knowledge and numerous tips for the organization of tasks in a museum.
The volume has been expanded to include chapters on the prevention of harmful substances and pest control. This expansion was particularly requested by conservators and restorers. The section on hazard management was created at the suggestion of security experts.
However, some chapters begin with overly basic information. At the beginning of her article “Fire protection in museums”, Barbara Fischer explains what a fire is: “A fire is a chemical process in which a flammable substance combines with oxygen (oxidation) and which takes place exothermically – i.e. with the release of heat – at a high reaction rate.”
This sounds a bit like elementary school science lessons and will underchallenge, if not annoy, any reader. And this is completely unnecessary, because Fischer’s article is good and important, as it not only describes the causes of fires and how to combat them, but also goes into detail about protection and the problems it can cause. These include, for example, emergency exits, which can save the lives of museum visitors in the event of a fire, but which can also be used by thieves. Here, Fischer brings together all the usual options for opening escape routes in an emergency, but making them more difficult for thieves to pass through.
The other articles are similarly structured: They list which technical options exist and thus provide decision-making aids and the basis for weighing up which systems a particular museum might need. All of this is illustrated with numerous tables, formulas and graphics, such as Wibke Unger’s very convincing article on pests in museums. Various insects are clearly illustrated and there are precise instructions on how to destroy them.
All the authors are well aware of one shortcoming of their contributions, as editor Gunter S. Hilbert writes in the foreword: “In the course of working on their manuscripts, the co-authors found themselves in the situation of the hare from the fable of the race with the hedgehog. Although always striving for topicality, by the end of the last chapter some novelty, some innovation, had already caught up with them.” One of the authors, Hans-Jürgen Harras, Head of the Security Department at the Berlin State Museums of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, explains that, in line with Hilbert’s guiding principles, the chapters were preceded by the basics and history of the respective topic. The results were described as a guideline for action and the way in which the knowledge was gained was also made clear.
