Dee,
Discussion about the ethics and appropriate limits for playing musical instruments in museum collections have been published in several places. Beginning with my own publications on the subject, here are a few sources still in print. 1. Book: Artifacts in Use, The Paradox of Restoration and the Conservation of Organs (published in 2010 by the Organ Historical Society in association with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation). Using organs as the case study, this is a discussion of the often opposing yet legitimate arguments pertinent to all musical instruments in collections. Where it is necessary, how can restoration and use proceed without compromising preservation? Organs were chosen as a focus because retirement to static display is rarely an option for them. The concept of restorative conservation is discussed in which use and preservation are given equal importance for worthy instruments that must work. While restoration and use is taken as a given for such instruments, the book in no way recommends use for all instruments. 2. Article: "Instrument and Document: Balancing Values in the Conservation of Musical Instruments" (AIC/WAG postprints for 2006) This article covers musical instruments more broadly and is available online at http://www.wag-aic.org/2006/watson_06.pdf 3. Book: The Preservation and Use of Historic Musical Instruments: Display Case and Concert Hall. (London: Earthscan, 2004.) This broad treatment of the subject is by retired CCI conservator Robert Barclay who has published widely on the subject. 4. The Manual of Musical Instrument Conservation by Stuart Pollens (Cambridge University Press, 2015) includes an article on ethics and articles on many related subjects. Many other sources that touch on these ethical issues are listed in bibliographies in the books above. John JOHN R. WATSON Conservator of Early Keyboard Instruments 210 John Pinckney Lane Williamsburg, VA 23185 ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/
