Taking care of "Memory triggers"
Some items that are collected or kept for decades in families may have historical or cultural value. But much more important are the elements to which emotions, stories and memories are attached. Therefore, what should be kept for future generations among your collectibles or family heirlooms can only be determined by YOU! Remember, too, and give serious thought to whether the item you are wondering whether to save or not will be of value to future generations as an item to keep that will be important to connect them with your generation or earlier.
Not only is it important to choose the elements to pass on to future generations, but the question of how to take care of the “memory triggers” so as not to cause damage and take care of them in the best way is urgent.
Perhaps protecting and saving family heirlooms from insects, moisture, and damage may seem like an ill-timed addition to your already busy schedule. And the question of how to do it correctly can slow it down.
But you have the help, expert, and authorized help to make the process quick, interesting, fun, and inexpensive.
How to get professional help for your treasured items
In fact, there is an international interest in helping people like you get their questions answered and how to help.
The renowned UK-based international conservation organization ICON publishes primarily to professional curators, non-profit volunteers, heritage professionals and many others who show a commitment to improving understanding and access to cultural heritage.
Consulting with a licensed conservation professional is the best way to ensure that your items are in good hands and will be kept to the proper standards.
How ICON can help you preserve your treasures
You can easily access the ICON Retention Registry, where an up-to-date list of all ICON Accredited Members (ACRs) is provided.
ICON accredited members are a great source of help and inspiration for everyone, as they work in a variety of settings; some work for museums, galleries or archives, and others work in the private sector. You can get collection care brochures, free of charge, that provide written preservation information for your members. Get your collection care brochure here.
In the US, the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works provides similar information on its website.
The most distributed and authoritative easy-to-use help
However, the most widely distributed authoritative help is a series of books that are more appropriately written for public use in easy-to-understand language and instructions. Scott M. Haskins, author of the Save Your Stuff series, is a renowned art conservator with decades of experience who also provides fun and engaging information on YouTube videos and blogs.
The Save Your Stuff series has had more than 8,000 copies distributed since the Los Angeles, Northridge earthquake in 1995.
The verbiage, focus, and presentations are written for public consumption, and the 210-page Save Your Stuff – Collection Care Tips multimedia book is now FREE to download.
The latest book, just added to the Save Your Stuff series, recently received a prestigious international book award for Saving Your Pet From Disaster, the essential emergency preparedness guide for feathered friends and furry babies.
If your house caught fire and you had to grab it and leave, would you grab your house pet or family heirloom?
But while it may seem like a book on pet care at a glance, both heirlooms and pets are heartfelt treasures that you would regret losing … for years.
Remember, though, that heirlooms and household pets don’t mix!
Haskins commented: “At any time, we can have pet-damaged art conservation lab items that cost $ 1,000 to restore … it’s pretty common to see scratched or cat-pissed or dog-ripped artwork. parrots have done damage to works of art. “
This book is full of tips for protecting your pet and for the care and maintenance of collectibles. Available in print and Kindle from Amazon, but visit the website to order so you can more easily take advantage of the authorized continuing education included in the price of the book.
George Clooney playing the role of George Stout as a monument. The men presented to the American “war machine” the value of protecting and saving the heritage of the European people. It worked!
To illustrate the importance of this idea of preserving and storing family history items that document the legacy and heritage of a family (which after a few generations can represent many people), the movie Monuments Men teaches an important lesson.
These WWII heroes, called “Monument Men,” received the Congressional Gold Medal. This heroic work, as mentioned in the movie, was the salvation of our heritage and history.
“While we must and will win this war, we must remember the high price that will be paid if the very foundation of modern society (or its added family) is destroyed.” George Clooney. But it’s not about praising people and giving credit. It is about teaching an important and essential lesson. It wasn’t just about saving art.
It was about saving our heritage and our history, which was so important to the people of these European cities that it turned the tide of the war. Do what is best for your family. Everything you can do, no matter how little, can be very important to the eyes and hearts of future generations of your family.
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