ATR Seminar 2006


Don’t Forget the 3 C’s

Charters, Conservation and Collection Management

 

Warren Doubleday

It is important too!

 

§    Collection Management – even for Tourist Railways.

§    Know what you have, its significance and its story.

§    Applicable to both objects, places and buildings.

§    What are you missing?

§    Conservation – know what you are doing to your collection items ►policies.

§    Charters – Help you to plan for your conservation (work) activities.

Some definitions (Ours?)

§    Conservation – safeguarding it for the future and retain its significance

§    Restoration – returning it to a known earlier state (without new materials)

§    Reconstruction – recreate it to nearly as possible earlier state (with new materials)

§    Maintenance – protect and care for it – not repair

§    Repair – involves restoration and reconstruction.

§    Significance – the value attached to it by the community. (local, regional or national)

 

What is available

§    Guidelines

§    I.E. Aust – 1992, Safe in the shed, Assoc. of Railway Museums, shortage of railway ones.

§    NSW Heritage Office – moveable objects

§    NSW Rail – very detailed rolling stock analysis

§    Charters – Burra, Riga and other guiding documents.

§    The Web – ICOMOS, Professional sites, examples and some more.

What is original?

§    “Restored to Original Condition”

§    Is it the genuine article?

§    Is it as it once was?

§    Or just as you would like to see it now!

§    The work delimina – vs the loss of originality.

§    Review, determine Significance, Plan and Record.

§    Although the Visitor may not worry too much about it; be honest.

 

Significance and Stories

§     Historic

§     Technical

§     Scientific

§     Social

§     supplementing these are:

§     Provenance

§     Rarity

§     Representativeness

§     Condition

§     Interpretation

§     The Stories it can tell about its life – links, events.

 

Some Charters

§    ICOMOS – International - 1931

§    Burra – Australian - 1979

§    Riga – Fedecrail (Barcelona)

§   Burra written for places and monuments

§   Riga written for rail heritage, but light on.

§    Good reference documents > Frameworks.

§    What have others done?

 

Examples

§    Wanganui – Electric Tram No. 12

§    Ballarat - No. 12

§    Cable Car Wellington – Grip Car No. 3

§    NSW Railway – rollingstock heritage plans and assessments

§    The Cutty Sark.

Where from here?

§    Awareness

§    Takes time

§    Prepare assessment document/s

§    Be aware of what you have - significance

§    Manage and conserve your collection

§    Plan for its future

§    Use it to tell it’s stories

§    Balance with safety.