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Private Collections
We have devoted over 25 years to the pursuit of art preservation and conservation, constantly developing our market leading environmental monitoring equipment to assist private art collectors with damage prevention to fine art whether it be on display, in transit or in storage.
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Measurement Types
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Temperature & Humidity
Light & UV
Insect Pests
A solution for every private collection application
Collection Displays | Stored Goods | Couriered Collections
Temperature & Humidity
Collections containing materials such as paper, metal and textiles
In high relative humidity (RH) conditions insects and moulds thrive and reproduce readily, metals corrode, dyes and textiles fade and deteriorate more quickly, organic materials such as wood and leather swell or change shape, and gelatine emulsions and adhesives become sticky.
Hanwell’s data loggers and radio transmitters are well established for monitoring RH for private collections such as these. The ML4106 and ML4114 radio transmitters provide conservators with accurate tools to wirelessly monitor temperature and RH levels together.
No bigger than a mobile phone, the HumBug smart logger is ideal for situations where logging may be temporary or for enclosing with a valuable shipment.
Light & UV
Collections containing materials such as paper, photographs, paintings and textiles
In order to reduce and eliminate damage to private collections the first step would be to monitor the light levels in areas where damage must be kept to a minimum.
Our light measurement equipment assists to prevent light damage caused by fading in private and corporate collections.
The ML4000LUX/UV series of data loggers and radio transmitters can record both light and/or UV levels within an area, helping collection owners to ensure the correct levels of light are being monitored and maintained. The use of wireless sensors over data loggers provide users with immediate alarm notification of unacceptable conditions allowing preventative action to be taken.
Insect Pests
Organic materials such as paper, textiles, glue and gum of bookbinding
A common problem within collections comes from irreversible damage to wooden frames, canvas and other textiles mostly caused by insect pests. Termites, silverfish, clothes moth are most commonly found to be responsible for feeding on organic materials within valuable private collections.
The Hanwell AnoxiBug system is a cost-effective anoxia treatment that can be used in-house with ease when an infestation occurs. The infested items are placed within an aluminium packet with an oxygen indicator. When the bag has been sealed the oxygen levels are lowered to such a point that all insects perish. The bag (with containing artwork) and environmental indicator can either be stored at this point or reused for other items.
Shock & Vibration
Private collections and corporate collection damage caused by impact during transit
Collections are never more vulnerable than when being transported, so it is essential to monitor their journey to ensure they have not been damaged by shock or vibration on the road.
Happily, there are a number of measures that the curatorial staff responsible for the collections can take when making exit arrangements. For deterring damage, the judicious application of tamperproof impact indicator labels packaging items provides a visual deterrent to improper handling. If it’s important to learn when and where an item was damaged, a G-View data recorder can be used. A ShockLog data recorder also allows users to monitor relative humidity.
Monitoring parameters within critical areas like these can prevent further damage and assist with preservation processes.
Latest Case Study
Mary Rose Museum
Modern engineering helps the historic warship’s safe passage into the limelight providing visitors with an insight into 16th century maritime.
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