Home and Away

Mount Making and Preventative Conservation

As part of our work developing Home and Away, we had to ‘adopt’ artifacts from the Peterborough Museum and Archives collection that were being exhibited. We were responsible for writing a condition report and creating a mount to allow the artifact to be safely displayed. I chose my favourite artifact, a hot pink ‘beaded whimsy,’ and set about making a mount, with suggestions from my conservation professor and the museum collections staff.

I also partnered with a classmate to create handing mounts for a canoe paddle and a pair of snowshoes. By laser cutting and bending clear acrylic, I made a mount system that blended into the wall while securely holding the artifacts in place.

After installation, we took RH, light and temperature readings of the exhibit space, following the Canadian Conservation Institute’s guidelines for preventative conservation wherever possible. These findings were assembled into a Preventative Conservation report, with suggestions on preventing the ten agents of deterioration and on exhibit maintenance and takedown.

Beaded Whimsy Condition Report

Beaded Whimsy Mount Design

Canoe Paddle and Snowshoe Mount Design

Exhibit Preventative Conservation Recommendation Report