The curatorial team is in full swing moving the permanent collection to our new purpose built storage area. This storage has been specifically designed to house Fanshawe Pioneer Village’s diverse collection of material culture – ranging from archives (paper documents, photographs and books), to ceramics, and from delicate textiles (bed coverings, clothing, and hangings) to robust agricultural and trades implements and equipment. The diversity of objects in our collection is one of the most exciting aspects for me as a Curator, as it permits the creation of varied and unique exhibits and programming, however, it also serves as one of my greatest challenges in terms of proper storage and conservation.

Consider the assortment of sizes in our collection – from a tiny piece of type or a hatpin, to a large plough weighing several hundred pounds. Then, there is the great variety of materials to take account of – wood, glass, china, ceramic, metals, stone, bone, horn, fur, plastics, fibres, paper….the list goes on! Each type of organic or inorganic material requires a particular environment to remain stable, and maintaining this balance is critical to the long-term preservation of artifacts – especially because this is our main function and priority as a public museum and a community steward.

Metal requires a less humid environment to prevent corrosion, while an extremely dry setting will cause wooden objects (and the adhesives...