Musuems must address critical issues in the management and care of their collection in order to preserve them for future generations and to fulfill their mission.  Reynolda House Museum of American Art is committed to the standards of collections care and management set by the American Association of Museums.

Collections form the core of any museum's visitor experience as well as being the central focus to most of its public and educational programming.  Reynolda's collections number approximately 23,000 objects.  Most museums are able to display only a small percentage of their holdings.  Fortunately, we are able to display close to 70% of our collection at any given time.

Over time, all objects change or deteriorate as a result of environmental conditions, use, accidents, and natural forces of decay. How an object is handled, displayed, and stored can mean the difference between preserving it for many years or for only a short time. The major environmental factors that affect the long-term preservation of objects are light, relative humidity, temperature, and human error.

Light, temperature and humidity are some of the factors that Collections Management staff monitor and control in order to slow down the rate of deterioration of collection objects.  Most lights are kept at a low level while others are motion-activated to prevent fading and damage to the objects.  Hygrothermograph machines are used to track the temperature and humidity levels throughout the Museum.

If you are interested in preserving or finding out the value of an object in your personal collection the following links will provide useful information.

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)

The American Society of Appraisers

Canadian Conservation Institute