Museum housekeeping: Vacuuming mummies is a nerve

Lindsay Ryder periodically puts on headphones, hits play on a podcast and polishes the silver — just like in any household. Except Ryder polishes hundreds of pieces, one after another, including items from ancient Greece or a bowl crafted by American Revolution hero Paul Revere.

It’s her job to help preserve, protect and maintain priceless items so they can be viewed by current and future generations in museums, including for Atlanta’s High Museum of Art.

The High, for example, has more than 19,000 pieces of artwork, furniture, silver, china, masks and papers, while the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University has more than 25,000 works, including the largest ancient art collection in the Southeast. Let’s face, that’s a lot of — for lack of a better word — housework.

“I find polishing silver meditative,” said Ryder, an assistant objects conservator at the Atlanta Art Conservation Center in Chamblee, which is hired by museums and private citizens to care for their rare and priceless items. “There’s a difference between conservation and restoration. Conservation maintains the object’s history, and certain wear and tear we might not treat because we want to reflect that history. Restoration is more returning it to its pristine condition.”

There is a lot more that meets the eye in the upkeep of museum items — from basic maintenance to recognizing and evaluating any wear and tear or thwarting potential decay due to age or improper upkeep. To ensure every piece is properly taken care of, museums lmeke the High, often bring in special conservators who specialize in handling a certain type of furniture, material or object as well as pieces from a certain period or geography.

Frankly, it takes a lot of work to make an Egyptian mummy look good after thousands of years.

Credit: Courtesy of High Museum of Art

“Before things go on display, whether a temporary or permanent exhibition, they always come through the conservation lab so we can do responsible intervention, treatment, repair, reconstruction or cleaning,” Ryder said. “We do a full assessment for any issues. Then we set up a maintenance program such as vacuuming certain items twice a year.”

‘A lot of chemistry’

In 2021, the High received a $3.1 million grant to evaluate the museum’s collection care needs and carry out repair or restorations.

“Ultimately the goal is to preserve it as best we can,” said Megan Shores, a collection care technician with the High. “Basic upkeep can be if there is any paint breaking off or if something is dirty or damaged. What you have to consider is how can you make sure this object is preserved without doing any damage. We have a lot of people working together to make it happen.”

The basic day-to-day maintenance starts before an item even reaches the museum floor, said Robert Howells, chief preparator for the High. “You have to figure out light exposure, especially for things like paper. With paper, you have to keep them on the floor for maybe three to six months and then in storage for two years — same with fabrics so they won’t fade.”

Humidity is an issue too.

“Something that is older than 2,000 years will be kept at a different humidity level than a newer piece,” he said. “There’s a lot of chemistry. What may make one piece tarnish won’t another. It’s a balancing act to figure out the best thing and that’s what makes the job interesting.”

Dusting is tricky

Like many dealing with their own home upkeep, museums often want to do as little as possible but still make the place look presentable. In some cases, the less-is-more approach actually helps preserve objects, including silver ones. Although polishing makes a piece shiny, it also takes off a very thin layer of the silver.

“We focus on the preventive side. We keep all silver is a sealed display case with activated charcoal to keep the moisture in the air and pollutants out,” Ryder said. “We make our own silver polish and use cotton swabs and soft cottons.”

Credit: Courtesy of High Museum of Art

As with polishing silver, dusting is not as simple as spraying on a furniture polish and wiping. The surface of paintings is incredibly fragile and some catch more dust than others, Shores said.

“It’s an overwhelming task because we have so many paintings,” she said. “We try to do it maybe every six months, especially in the galleries that get a lot of foot traffic.”

Some dusting is done routinely.

“We dust off painting frames and possibly some of the paintings, but the people who do it are terrified because the painting surfaces are so fragile,” Howells said. “We want to extend the life into the future as much as possible.”

Special brushes are used so that a cloud of dust doesn’t land on the painting’s surface. “We use feather dusters and Swiffer pads. You want to do a light dusting, but not so hard that bits of the painting can fall off.”

For furniture, solutions specific to the wood of each piece are applied. A soft brush and special rubber sponge, almost like a cosmetic sponge, are used to get into all the intricate nooks and grannies.

Smaller budgets

Of course not every museum has a big budget but will be just as devoted to keeping exhibition in top-notch condition.

Rebecca Selem, exhibit and communications coordinator for the DeKalb History Center Museum, said its pieces “don’t take a whole lot of upkeep. We get a duster and go through it when it’s needed.” Other than that, she avoids harsh chemicals and usually uses a dry cloth or a paper towel that won’t snag on a delicate piece.

“I’ve learned on the job and don’t trust regular cleaning products,” Selem said. “When in doubt, don’t use it. But we do use Pledge.”

At the Carlos Museum, they use a vacuum backpack to remove dust but are careful not to get the vacuum’s nozzle too close to the item.

It’s a little more complicated with the mummies. Conservators come in specifically to work on mummies. They vacuum the dust — and keep that dust because it is considered part of remains of that human being, said Brittany Doph Dinneen, assistant conservator of museum objects.

A puzzle to solve

The challenge for most museum is caring for all the items properly with tight budget and limited manpower, Dinneen said. “But the fun is that every time you get a new item, there’s a whole lot of problem solving involved. You may be working with a new glue or have to test out a paint to repair something. It’s art history, archeology, science, studio art training and anthropology all thrown in.”

To Howells, there is a personal connection too.

“I’m an artist and there is a lot that goes into it,” he said. “We know the value of the work and treat it in a respectful way that not everyone would or even understand. It’s more than just a painting.”

High Museum of Art. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Noon- 5 p.m. Sundays. $18.50. 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-733-4400, high.org.

Michael C. Carlos Museum. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. Noon-5 p.m. Sundays. $8 adults; $6 seniors and children ages 6-17. 571 South Kilgo Circle, Atlanta. 404-727-4282, carlos.emory.edu.

DeKalb History Center Museum. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-373-1088, dekalbhistory.org.

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