An important aspect in museum processes is conservation. In order to preserve artifacts for future generations, we practice preventive conservation at the Sooke Region Museum. So, what is conservation?
At the museum we mainly practice preventive conservation. It is a set of measures and practices to prevent any further deterioration or damage to artifacts. If an object comes to us in a poor condition, maybe it’s broken in a spot, we don’t look to repair it, rather, we aim to keep it at the same condition it came to us in. There are many ways to practice preventive conservation, such as carefully handling and transporting objects, pest control, how we exhibit items and training amongst staff and volunteers to ensure practices are enacted.
Some efforts at the museum we take for preventive conservation are very basic but are critical to preserving Sooke’s history. For archival items, such as paper, books, and newspapers, we “heat treat” items. We have a special heat box made where we place our archival boxes and heat them up to a temperature where any pests are killed. For objects, after we receive them, we place them in a freezer. This is also to kill any pests or mold that might be on the objects.
While preventive conservation is maintaining a condition or preventing any further damage, restoration is looking to improve the condition that the object is in. Recently, the Triangle Island Lighthouse lantern, went under restoration efforts to help preserve it and make it safer for visitors and staff. The lighthouse lantern was used between the years 1909-1919, at this time, lead was a common additive in paint. To have the lantern repainted, the lead-based paint had to be removed first. Lead paint can deteriorate over time leading to paint chips and dust becoming airborne. The museum brought in professionals to remove the lead paint due to the high risks associated with the process and the paint itself. Most of the process looks to remove the loose chips of lead paint, rather than the entirety of it.
The picture for this piece shows two photos of the interior dome of the lighthouse lantern. The photo on the left is from 2004 or 2005, from when the museum first received the lighthouse. As you can see much of the paint was intact at the time. The photo on the right was taken this week, after the restoration process occurred. Lots of the paint was scraped off since it was loose and posed risks. The next step in the process is to repaint it to the colour it once was.
Once it is warmer outside, the same process will be repeated for the exterior of the lighthouse and soon it will look fully restored! At the Sooke Region Museum, part of our mandate is, “To establish and maintain a museum for the purpose of preserving, recording and exhibiting for public enjoyment such material.” We hope in the future, Sooke will have the same great appreciation for the history of the Lighthouse as it does now.
