The Conservation Section provides technical support for Surrey History Centre in the following ways:
- By undertaking the conservation of archival materials in a wide range of types and formats including paper and parchment documents, books, maps, seals, or photographs. Treatments may include mechanical and aqueous cleaning, stain removal, deacidification, consolidation, repair using wet and dry techniques and binding
- By arranging for the repair of all local studies material, including printed books, pamphlets, illustrations and published maps
- By maintaining a database of archive/local studies material for identifying conservation needs
- By managing the preventative care programme for drying, insect eradication, cleaning and packing all new archival/local studies accessions, and for improving the packing of existing deposits
- By advising on the safe handling of archive/local studies material
- By managing and maintaining a plan for the prevention of disasters, and the recovery and salvage of materials affected by such disasters
- By monitoring atmospheric conditions and storage standards within the repositories at the Surrey History Centre
- By advising on the conservation standards for the display of archival/local studies material
- By promoting and advising on all aspects of conservation and preservative care to members of the public, local history societies and forums, museums and other bodies to help ensure the survival and better preservation of Surrey's documentary heritage.
How we can help you care for your records
Conservation advice and services for local archives and personal collections
We have a large, well equipped conservation studio with a broad range of conservation tools and materials to care for our archive. Our qualified Conservator has over 10 years' experience caring for archival material in archives across the UK, specialising in the conservation of maps and plans.
We offer conservation services to external clients and customers. If we are unable to help directly, we can provide free advice. Our services include:
- Interventive conservation treatments for paper and parchment documents, maps, books, and seals
- Preparing damaged items for digital imaging
- Cleaning and archival packaging
- Preservation assessments, surveys, and reports (including travelling time)
Cost: £65 per hour plus VAT
Please note we specialise in the care of archival material and work to archive conservation standards. We do not do restoration work, or work on art collections. We are also unable to advise on object or textile conservation.
For more information about our conservation service, please contact Surrey History Centre, telephone 01483 518737, email shs@surreycc.gov.uk or via our contact page.
Further information
For more about how we look after our holdings, the treatments we use and the standards we seek to follow, see our Preservation Policy.
- Purchase a copy of our Zoom talk, Behind the Scenes in Conservation: repairing posters, maps and plans, explaining some of the key principles of archive conservation and exploring recent examples of work being done to preserve our history.
- The storage and protection of books and documents
- The storage and protection of photographic material
- Safe handling of books and documents
- Making a heritage scrapbook
- Displaying books and documents
- Insect eradication service for museum and archive materials
- Suppliers of conservation materials and equipment
- Surrey Heritage needs your help
