Join the Museum's conservators to learn about what goes on
behind the scenes of an exhibition. by Vicki Humphrey, Head of
Conservation An exhibition is really just the tip of an iceberg
– a visible product presented to audiences to explore themes and
tell stories about the objects on display. However, as with any
iceberg, there is a great deal below the surface that visitors
don't see. The Museum Workshop provides a glimpse of what takes
place behind the scenes. The Museum Workshop highlights the work
of conservators in preparing collection items for exhibition and
maintaining the Museum’s collection as a whole. The exhibition
space mirrors the three main conservation labs in the Museum –
paper and textiles, large technology and objects – as well as
showing some preventive measures used to reduce the risk of
damage to collections. This is a very different experience for
Museum visitors, who will enter a space equipped for
conservation work, where conservators are actively working on
collection items. Some pie