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Institute of Conservation | |
| Formation | 2005 |
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| Headquarters | London |
The Institute of Conservation(Icon) is the professional charitable body, representing and supporting the practice and profession of conservation. It has around 2500 members worldwide, including professional conservators, scientists and teachers involved with the care of heritage objects and buildings.
The institute is the UK professional body for those who care for the cultural heritage. This includes the items and collections held by public and private museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, record offices and historic houses; as well as privately owned possessions in people's homes, from furniture to family photographs. Cultural heritage includes buildings as well as movable items in collections. Icon's members - conservators and restorers - care for things attached to buildings too, like wall paintings or sculpture, but the care of built structures themselves is mostly the domain of conservation architects represented by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
Icon was formed in 2005 as a result of a merger between five bodies:
In the years leading up to convergence, these five organisations were known collectively as the 'Vanguard Bodies' of the National Council for Conservation-Restoration (NCCR). In 2006 a sixth organisation, the Institute of Conservation Science also merged into Icon.
A number of other bodies opted not to merge into Icon in 2005. There remain three 'hybrid' bodies which to which conservators belong but which are not exclusively concerned with conservation: Natural Sciences Collections Association, The British Horological Institute and The Archives and Records Association.
From 2005, Icon owned the Chantry Library - a collection of publications concerning paper and book conservation, established in 1999. In 2016, ownership passed to the Oxford Conservation Consortium.
A series of Conservation Awards, recognising achievements in UK conservation, was instituted by the Conservation Unit of the Museums & Galleries Commission in 1994, supported by Jerwood Arts but taken over by UKIC in 2002 and by Icon from 2005, supported for some years by The Pilgrim Trust. The Icon Conservation Awards of 2005 were backed by Sir Paul McCartney. They were followed by Icon Conservation Awards in 2007, 2010 and 2015.
The Institute brings together all those involved with the care of cultural heritage, whether directly involved, including professional conservators and restorers, conservation scientists and teachers, students and interns, or organisations and individuals that own or hold items of heritage. Its membership also includes volunteers, heritage professionals and many others who share a commitment to improving understanding of and access to the cultural heritage. Most of its members are UK-based but many also work internationally.
The Institute's vision is for cultural heritage to be valued and accessible, and its future to be enhanced and safeguarded. It raises public and political awareness of the cultural, social and economic value of caring for heritage and champions high standards of conservation.
Categories of membership are Associates, Accredited, Supporters, Students/Interns, Pathway (for those working towards Accreditation), and Emeritus.
Since 2000, the Institute of Conservation and it predecessor bodies have operated professional accreditation for trained and qualified professionals, who are now designated “Icon Accredited” and use the post-nominal ACR (Accredited Conservator-Restorer). They are searchable online via the Conservation Register and among those listed are practices which offer a commercial service. The formal accreditation scheme fulfils the role of self-regulation of the profession in the UK, underpinned by Professional Standards, a Code of Conduct and Complaints Procedure, all based on principles of agreed ethical practice. Over 1000 Icon members are now accredited.
The institute is a registered charity with a Board of sixteen Trustees, Chaired by James Grierson. Previous Chairs were Siobhan Stevenson, Juergen Vervoorst, Simon Cane, Anna Southall OBE and Interim Chair Carole Milner OBE. The Chief Executive Officer is Sara Crofts. Previous CEOs were Alison Richmond and Alastair McCapra.
An Accreditation Committee oversees the formal process of accreditation. Its current chair is Sarah Peek, former chairs having been Sarah Staniforth CBE and Clare Meredith. The Professional Standards and Development oversees, manages and advises on policy development and implementation of conservation related professional standards, training and education and research, and is currently chaired by Mel Houston.
In addition to the conferences and other events organised by its speciality groups and networks, Icon organises a Triennial Conference.
Recent conference publications have included:
Icon supports Special Interest Groups and Networks which are the engine of professional engagement, offering programmes of conferences, workshops and other networking events. The special interest groups are Archaeology, Books and Paper, Care of Collections, Ceramics and Glass, Ethnography, Furniture and Wooden Objects, Gilding and Decorative Surfaces, Heritage Science, Historic Interiors, Metals, Paintings, Photographic Materials, Stained Glass, Stone and Wall Paintings and Textiles. Its Networks are Higher Education Institutions, Contemporary Art, Documentation, Dynamic Objects (including clocks), Emerging Professionals, Environmental Sustainability, Modern Materials and Pest Management. There are also Groups for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Icon has informal links with the National Heritage Ironwork Group.
Icon is a founding member of the National Heritage Science Forum and a member of the Heritage Alliance. It works with Historic England, and has links with Museums, Archives and Libraries Division of the Welsh Government and Historic Scotland.
In 1991 (as UKIC and IPC), it was a founding member of the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organisations, from which it withdrew in 2007.
Icon contributes to the development of conservation standards under the auspices of the British Standards Institution. Icon also works in liaison with the International Institute for Conservation, also based in London, and its members contribute to the work of the Conservation Committee of the International Council of Museums. It works closely with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
The institute is a company limited by guarantee in England No 5201058
The institute is a charity registered in England and Wales No 1108380 and Scotland SC039336
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The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, including artworks, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections. Conservation activities include preventive conservation, examination, documentation, research, treatment, and education. This field is closely allied with conservation science, curators and registrars.
A conservator-restorer is a professional responsible for the preservation of artistic and cultural artifacts, also known as cultural heritage. Conservators possess the expertise to preserve cultural heritage in a way that retains the integrity of the object, building or site, including its historical significance, context and aesthetic or visual aspects. This kind of preservation is done by analyzing and assessing the condition of cultural property, understanding processes and evidence of deterioration, planning collections care or site management strategies that prevent damage, carrying out conservation treatments, and conducting research. A conservator's job is to ensure that the objects in a museum's collection are kept in the best possible condition, as well as to serve the museum's mission to bring art before the public.
The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) is a global organisation for conservation and restoration professionals with over two thousand members in over fifty countries. IIC seeks to promote the knowledge, methods and working standards needed to protect and preserve historic and artistic works throughout the world.
Conservation and restoration of metals is the activity devoted to the protection and preservation of historical and archaeological objects made partly or entirely of metal. In it are included all activities aimed at preventing or slowing deterioration of items, as well as improving accessibility and readability of the objects of cultural heritage. Despite the fact that metals are generally considered as relatively permanent and stable materials, in contact with the environment they deteriorate gradually, some faster and some much slower. This applies especially to archaeological finds.
Conservation and restoration of movable cultural property is a term used to denote the conservation of movable cultural property items in libraries, archives, museums and private collections. Conservation encompasses all the actions taken toward the long-term preservation of cultural heritage. Activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care, which is supported by research and education. Object conservation is specifically the actions taken to preserve and restore cultural objects. The objects span a wide range of materials from a variety of cultures, time periods, and functions. Object conservation can be applied to both art objects and artifacts. Conservation practice aims to prevent damage from occurring, a process known as 'preventive conservation'. The purpose of preventive conservation is to maintain, and where possible enhance, the condition of an object, as well as managing deterioration risks, such as handling and environmental conditions. Historically, object conservation was focused on the category of fine arts but now many different types of objects are conserved. Each type of object material, typically denoted by organic or inorganic then the specific medium, requires a specialized professional conservator and often requires collaborative work between museum staff, scientists, and conservators.
Conservation and restoration of glass objects is one aspect of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. The nature and varying composition of the material, and the variety of types of object made from it, demand certain specialized techniques. The conservator needs to be aware of "agents of deterioration" presenting particular risk to glass objects, and how to prevent or counteract their effects. Relevant education and training is available in certain countries through museums, conservation institutes and universities.
Iron, steel, and ferrous metals constitute a large portion of collections in museums. The conservation and restoration of iron and steel objects is an activity dedicated to the preservation and protection of objects of historical and personal value made from iron or steel. When applied to cultural heritage this activity is generally undertaken by a conservator-restorer. Historically, objects made from iron or steel were created for religious, artistic, technical, military and domestic uses. Though it is generally not possible to completely halt deterioration of any object, the act of conservation and restoration strives to prevent and slow the deterioration of the object as well as protecting the object for future use. One of the first steps in caring for iron is to examine them and determine their state, determine if they are corroding, and consider options for treatment.
A mount maker is responsible for the creation of structures called object mounts used to provide unobtrusive physical support, stability, and security of objects while on display, in storage, or being transported to museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, botanical gardens or other cultural institutions. Protection and long-term conservation of the object is a key goal of mount makers. This is accomplished through careful design, selection of materials and manufacturing process that will not inadvertently harm the object, and a cautious installation process of the object into its place in an exhibit. Professionals in this field can be employed directly by an institution, be independent contractors, or work as part of larger cultural institution exhibit design firms.
A conservation technician is a specialist in conservation methods pertaining to cultural property, and who may work in museums or public or private conservation organizations. A technician may also work in conjunction with other collection staff, such as a registrar (museum) or collection manager.
The conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera is an activity dedicated to extending the life of items of historical and personal value made primarily from paper, parchment, and leather. When applied to cultural heritage, conservation activities are generally undertaken by a conservator. The primary goal of conservation is to extend the lifespan of the object as well as maintaining its integrity by keeping all additions reversible. Conservation of books and paper involves techniques of bookbinding, restoration, paper chemistry, and other material technologies including preservation and archival techniques.
A conservation scientist is a museum professional who works in the field of conservation science and whose focus is on the research of cultural heritage through scientific inquiry. Conservation scientists conduct applied scientific research and techniques to determine the material, chemical, and technical aspects of cultural heritage. The technical information conservation scientists gather is then used by conservator and curators to decide the most suitable conservation treatments for the examined object and/or adds to our knowledge about the object by providing answers about the material composition, fabrication, authenticity, and previous restoration treatments.
Disaster preparedness in museums, galleries, libraries, archives and private collections, involves any actions taken to plan for, prevent, respond or recover from natural disasters and other events that can cause damage or loss to cultural property. 'Disasters' in this context may include large-scale natural events such as earthquakes, flooding or bushfire, as well as human-caused events such as theft and vandalism. Increasingly, anthropogenic climate change is a factor in cultural heritage disaster planning, due to rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, warming average temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events.
The conservation and restoration of wooden furniture is an activity dedicated to the preservation and protection of wooden furniture objects of historical and personal value. When applied to cultural heritage this activity is generally undertaken by a conservator-restorer. Furniture conservation and restoration can be divided into two general areas: structure and finish. Structure generally relates to wood and can be divided into solid, joined, and veneered wood. The finish of furniture can be painted or transparent.
A textile conservator is a conservator-restorer charged with the care, treatment, research, and preservation of textiles. Issues addressed by a textile conservator are generally related to the field of textile preservation, and include damage caused to textiles by: light, mold and mildew, insects, cleaning, surface cleaning, washing, mounting for display, and storage. Variations in textile types and "the diversity of the textile conservator's work makes it a very rewarding profession". Textiles are among the most fragile artifacts, as they are susceptible to damage from atmospheric pollutants, moisture, biological organisms, and environmental changes and care varies with size, shape, material, and condition issues, all of which a textile conservator must be well versed.
The exhibition of cultural property is a practice used by organizations where collected objects are put on display to the public. The objects are carefully chosen and placed together to offer educational value, and often to tell a story.
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is a professional body in the United Kingdom which was formed as a charitable trust company in 1997 by members of the former Association of Conservation Officers. The object was to widen the scope of the profession from those mainly concerned with the statutory regulation of the historic environment to all those who practice professionally in historic and built environment conservation.
The European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organisations (E.C.C.O.) is a European non-governmental professional organisation aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage through the use of conservation-restoration techniques.
The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) is Australia's national membership organisation for conservation professionals. Its members are mainly professional conservators, conservation students and cultural heritage member organisations in the Australian and Pacific region. It provides services for members and resources for the public and associated cultural heritage organisations and liaises with other professional associations including the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Society of Archivists and Australian Museums and Galleries Association.
The 'ten agents of deterioration' are a conceptual framework developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) used to categorise the major causes of change, loss or damage to cultural heritage objects. Also referred to as the 'agents of change', the framework was first developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The defined agents reflect and systematise the main chemical and physical deterioration pathways to which most physical material is subject. They are a major influence on the applied practice of conservation, restoration, and collection management, finding particular use in risk management for cultural heritage collections.
