Blog-posts
The curators and conservator share fascinating stories about physical objects from the Special Collections through regular blog posts.
Artefacts tell a story
The preservation of the original objects is important because the artefacts tell a story beyond the information they carry in text or image. The materials of which the item is made, the media that were chosen to write, print or draw, the traces that users left behind in the lifespan of the item all shed light on how a book or a drawing was valued, used, stored, transported or forgotten. It is the task of a curator to stimulate research into these aspects and that of a conservator to safeguard such traces of use and preserve all historic evidence that is stored in the physical appearance of the object to ensure that this information remains accessible. Attention to the materiality of the collections and a broad knowledge of the different materials that shape the objects is of utmost importance.