Conservation

Bolton Museum looks after many rare and fragile artefacts, if left untouched in store and on display many of the artefacts would deteriorate due to natural ageing processes. For example a newspaper may become yellow and the paper may become brittle and dirty over time. It is the aim of the museums conservation department to try to minimise and prevent the natural deterioration of the collections for the future generations of museum visitors.

The museum has a dedicated conservation department, with two full time conservators who try to ensure that each individual artefact is stored correctly. It is also the role of the department to conserve artefacts for display and to help provide increased access to (and knowledge of) the collections.

In the conservation section you will find the detailed and award winning conservation process of our famous painting by Thomas Moran, Nearing camp on the upper colorado river.

Also you will find an area where we answer the most frequent conservation questions that conservators at the museum are asked.

The conservators are always willing to give advice on how to care for artefacts at home, ranging from stuffed animals to ceramics!. Although the conservators will not recommend any ‘DIY’ conservation/restoration treatments they do have details of the conservation register of conservators in the UK where they can advise on individual enquiries.