Collections Care
The Collections Care Department focuses on the physical care and documentation of our diverse collections.
Our team comprises Conservation, Collections Documentation and Working Exhibits.
Conservation
The conservation team look after the collections on display and in our stores across our two main museums, three historic houses, Bristol Archives and Kings Weston Roman Villa. Our core aim is to facilitate both physical and digital access to all our collections while minimising damage or deterioration.
The team specialises in the conservation of paintings, works on paper, and objects ranging from archaeological finds to steam engines and everything in between. They carefully clean, repair and prepare our collection objects for exhibitions, gallery displays and loans.
Dedicated preventive conservation also works to minimise risk to the collections by controlling factors such as light, humidity and insects, as well as the materials we use in our displays and storage. We work to protect the collections in as sustainable a way as possible.
Collections Documentation
The histories of the objects that we collect – what they are, who gave them to us, why they are important – are all connected to the physical objects themselves. The documentation team oversee our collection management procedures and the database which allows us to digitally share our collections. They also manage image licensing and administer our loans programme. You can download our Conditions of Loan (PDF 325KB) for more information.
Working Exhibits
The working exhibits experts maintain and run the large industrial heritage exhibits at M Shed, with the help of a team of dedicated volunteers. Find out more about the team and our amazing working heritage.