Solutions on reserve

“We have to give time some time,” wrote Miguel de Cervantes. This is the same idea that is applied to museum construction. The collection aims to avoid the erosion of historical memories. However, time can be a double-edged sword. Speaking of the only museum in St. Laurent, years have gone by with no solution for its stock items. In fact, in the depths of the borough, somewhere underneath the commotion on Decarie Boulevard, lie countless objects, tapping their toes waiting for a better home. They are the museum’s stock. In reality, if the museum’s permanent collection is made up of 450 pieces, this only constitutes the tip of the iceberg. There are over 9,000 pieces in the basement, sleeping in conditions that are far less than ideal.

“The stock pieces are not protected enough,” said Pierre Wilson, conservation director of the Musée des Maîtres et Artisans du Québec. “There haven’t been any losses for now, but the risk of deterioration is there, for sure.”

Stored in the basement, the hidden part of the collection has some pretty bad upstairs neighbours: stores and restaurants cause unrest that does not help conservation. But the most threatening enemies can be the least visible, like humidity and heat. Control of these conditions is not possible from the heart of the current room. Art is also confronted by these climate issues. “The worst thing is when there are big variations in temperature over the course of the same day,” said Wilson. “The objects are protected with boxes and plastic, and, thankfully, we haven’t lost any of them up to now.”

According to the museum directors, this storage is not entirely appropriate, especially for items that are worth a few million dollars.

The purpose of the museum’s stock is that certain items can be taken to compliment temporary exhibitions. For example, a few crocheted carpets were taken to accompany a current exhibition.