Ethics in the conservation and restoration of early brass instruments
Auteur ou éditeur
Barclay, Robert L.
Date de publication
1989
Collation
75-81
Titre de la source
Historic Brass Society journal
Numéro de la source
vol. 1
Résumé
The intention of this article is to discuss some aspects of the preservation of brass instruments in museum collections and to contrast these with the restoration needs of working instruments. From experiences over the last few decades it has become clear that the opening statement of Preservation and Restoration of Musical Instruments, that "Where possible the restoration of a deteriorated instrument is commendable" can no longer be supported in a museum context. Discussions on musical instrument care have centred on the problems of restoration vs. conservation and it has become evident that restoration of instruments in the public domain has, in many cases, resulted in irreversible damage to unique examples and significant loss of historical evidence. The same is true in the private sector and, although a clear distinction exists between the practices of private owners and restorers of musical instrument and those expected of personnel working in and from museum collections, the compromises to the integrity of the instruments in both domains remain an unfortunate constant.
