Safe handling of artifacts and documents

In August 2014, museum staff were preparing to repair lights in the case holding King Tut’s golden mask when — oops! — they knocked it over and broke off the beard. They tried to fix it with epoxy that left the beard crooked, and with too much glue oozing out. They tried to fix that by scraping it off with knives and scalpels, damaging the gold. They ended up in court and received large fines for what they did.

Hope you have a big bank account for fines! No, just kidding. But this is a big responsibility, entrusted with protection of these irreplaceable treasures by all future generations.

Basic principles

Don’t touch when you don’t need to touch.

1. No food or drink, anywhere.
2. Evaluate the situation thoroughly before doing anything.
3. Prepare for handling — for the whole process, for interruptions, and for the end steps. Gather supplies first.
4. Handle with care.
   1. Handle minimally.
   2. Reduce stress on objects.
   3. Use two hands, and more when needed.
5. Practice good procedure all the time, for the least critical document as for the most. This develops good handling habits.

Handling artifacts and documents

The moment an object is entered into our collection it stops being what it looks like, and becomes something else. It might look like a jug with a handle, in which the handle was designed to pick up the jug. Now, it is a museum object to be protected and preserved; so that handle becomes the worst way to pick it up, because it has the highest chance of breaking. That other thing might look like a hammer, but it can no longer be handled or used like one.

Handling artifacts

• Wash your hands first.
• Handle as little as possible.
• Never use built-in handles or knobs to lift an object; they are usually the weakest points, most likely to break.
• Always handle an artifact over a well-padded surface. Even a short fall to a counter can chip or break an item, while a fall to the floor can be disastrous.
• Lift and hold from underneath or from the bottom, if possible; always lift from below the center of gravity. Lift from under bulges.
• When moving items, carry in protective padded boxes and use extra support for unstable objects. Put items in their most stable position for carrying (e.g., a teacup should be carried upside-down in a padded box).

Handling documents

Every document has a painfully limited life span. Our job is to extend that lifespan as long as possible.

• Wash your hands first.
• Do everything possible to minimize handling of original documents.
• Priority should be given to immediately making usage copies — facsimiles that can be used for following research, while the originals are safely stored.
• Pencils only. No pens, markers, or highlighters in the area.
• No post-it notes or paper clips in the area.
• Work with one item/folder/box at a time. Keep separate projects separate.
• Touch the “least important” parts of a document, staying in margins and away from content as much as possible.
• Most documents can be moved into a folder, allowing contactless work with them.
• Unfolding paper is a very dangerous process. If needed, do it slowly, using two hands, one fold at a time. Watch for any hint of tearing or any part getting caught or “hung up” on a fold or tear. Watch particularly for when sheets are interconnected by folds and tears.
• When paper dries out it becomes brittle (and even more so when there is acid damage). Watch for this, and when there is any threat of damage pause the work and talk to the director. There are controlled methods for re-hydrating paper to give it more pliability, and in extreme brittleness there are even safe methods to reinforce and add stability.
• Do not correct for folds by bending them backwards the opposite way. Paper can sometimes be gently flattened by carefully placing it under even pressure (like a book press). Be careful not to introduce new creases!
• Lay documents on the table; don’t hold them while reading. Don’t hold them with one hand. Keep them flat.
• Use archival weights to help keep documents flat.
• Use a book cradle or foam wedges to reduce stress on bindings.
• Use extra caution changing pages, whether in a book or stack of papers.  Lift a page by an undamaged spot, which typically means avoid the corners.
• Do not lean over documents, rest your hand or elbow on them, or have wires/chords hanging over them.
• Do not write on a document; do not trace or take notes on another sheet on top of a document.
• Keep documents in order. Keep letters with their envelopes. Talk with the director about adding ID numbers to documents which can assist in maintaining correct order.
• Consult with the Director before unfurling a rolled item. Never unroll a photograph.
• Never remove at item from the work room.

Using tools

• when a tool is necessary, use the gentlest form of the tool. For example, a wood tool is preferred to a metal tool.
• The exception is some uses of knives. As in a kitchen, a sharp knife might be safer than a dull one. Use extreme caution.

Hands and gloves

Using your hands

• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly and frequently. Dirt, oils, and salts are your enemies.
• Do not use hand cream or hand sanitizer while working with items.
• Be aware of touching your hair and face, and re-wash any time you transfer oil or dirt to your fingers.
• Re-wash after handling a dirty object, before moving to another object.
• Wash after removing nitrile gloves, before handling other objects.

Using gloves

Have you ever tried a delicate operation, like tying or untying a knot, while wearing gloves? Gloves greatly reduce your ability to work with objects and increase your chances of a bumbling error. Cotton gloves, in particular, have little loops and hairs that can catch, tear, and break things; they can also be slippery when holding smooth objects. However, gloves can prevent other kinds of damage. As a result, gloves are used selectively and carefully.

• Most paper, wood, and basketry: NO gloves. Clean, oil-free hands will usually do the least damage to these items. In particular, do not use cotton gloves; it is too easy for cotton fibers to catch and tear or break an object. Wash your hands often!
• Most glass and ceramics: NO gloves. The objects are typically more resistant to oil and dirt damage, but they are more fragile and can be very slippery.
• Most metals and lithics: NITRILE gloves. Metals, especially iron, are very sensitive to finger oils — and damage often doesn’t appear for months or years after being touched. Stone is less sensitive, but still safer to use gloves. Wash after removing them, before handling other things; gloves can cause sweat, oil, and chemical buildups on your hands.
• Photographs: It’s complicated, but usually NITRILE gloves plus extra care. Non-glossy older prints like cabinet photographs are handled with NO gloves. Finger oils can be very damaging to photographs, but glove damage is a threat too. Try to handle photographs as little as possible and do your best to never touch the photo surface.

Cleaning and repair

Just this: do not try to clean or repair any artifact or document. In particular, do not use any erasers, glues, tapes, brushes, or chemical cleaners. Many of our objects do need cleaning and repair; make those needs known to the director, but do not attempt the work yourself. Add notes about damage and dirt to the “Curatorial Notes” field in Omeka.

What got the “Tut mask” people in such great trouble was not actually knocking the beard off; it had come off before. The trouble was actually in the botched repair.