Is it Conservation or Restoration?

Levels of Intervention…Be Careful With the Terms!

As mentioned in an earlier Blog, the primary goal of conservation professionals, stained glass restorers, conservators and consultants, is the preservation of cultural property. This property may be important and deserving of preservation for its artistic, historic, religious, or social significance.

It appears to be time to investigate if indeed a stained glass installation is in need of work and what exactly is needed.

There are 5 different levels of intervention to which cultural property may be subjected.

Conservation at its finest!

1. Preservation – an act of keeping safe from injury, harm or destruction.

2. Conservation – a careful preservation and protection of something especially a planned management of a natural resource or cultural property to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect.

3. Restoration – a bringing back to a former or unimpaired condition.

4. Repair – to mend by replacing a part or putting together what is broken.

5. Stop-gap – Something that serves as a temporary expedient.

These terms should not be used interchangeably. Preservation and conservation are quite close in meaning, restoration generally employs a different approach. Also repair and stop-gap are frequently referred to as restoration, when they are clearly are not.

Cranberry can help you or your committee determine what is the best course of action for your stained glass installation.