2023 - November and December - page 7
Image details
| Issue number | 395 |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2632-7171 |
| Publication date | 1st November 2023 |
| Transcription |
Opening Lines magazine The DoA sitting in the transit box © National Records of Scotland The document travelling through the museum © National Records of Scotland Install complete and a relieved team © National Records of Scotland Even though the case was cleaned before departure, detailed cleaning is required inside to prevent any hairs or fluff being trapped. Then we were ready to place the document inside, with a monitor to record conditions within the case, and an alarm. The DoA sitting in the transit box © National Records of Scotland The box itself then went into a transit crate which was also made for the purpose. It fitted like a glove, and we practised many times (without the document!) to ensure that the box was lowered perfectly level into the crate. The crate was then moved by art handlers Constantine, and off it went, accompanied, to the museum. The crate was moved directly through the museum while it was closed to the public, to the exhibition space, which was secured separately from the rest of the museum. Next was the nerve-racking unpacking and condition checking with the museum. After this there was a lighting check to ensure that light levels were within agreed limits. The lighting designer cleverly devised the light to gradually reduce from 50 to 40 to 30 lux in the exhibition, so that the human eye had adjusted by the time they got to the case which was at 20 lux. This helps prevent damage and fading to the ink, and will enable it to be preserved for the future. After more media events, all was ready for the grand opening. Four weeks later, after 31,000 visitors, most of this was done in reverse. The document was assessed with the museum’s conservator, going over each tag, seal and textual areas. Once complete and signed off, we were ready to install. 7 |