A Brief History of the Walters Art Museum and Conservation
What William Walters started, today conservators and conservation scientists at the Walters Art Museum continue: the care and preservation of some of the world’s greatest cultural heritage objects. Conservation is a discipline in which science and art come together to ensure that historical artifacts exist for future generations to study and enjoy. A conservator is a professional who works to treat objects so they withstand degradation. A conservation scientist contributes to this work, but has scientific training specifically in chemistry and analytical instrumentation to support the work of conservators. The Walters Art Museum has an internationally-recognized collection of objects as well as a rich history of conservation science.
The Walters Art Museum, named for the property’s original owner, sits in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Built from the private collection of the Walters family, this public museum maintains a reputation for its diverse collection and strong commitment to art conservation science. William Walters was the chief collector before his son, Henry Walters, took over. The Walters made their fortune through whiskey, but William left the trade for something more tasteful – art. He began collecting local paintings in the Antebellum era, but when war erupted in 1861, he moved to France. While in Europe, he became interested in European art, especially paintings. At the end of the war, William Walters moved back to Baltimore and made money in railroad and banks. He spent some of this money amassing a massive collection of art from around the world. While he displayed these objects in his home, in 1874 he opened his residence to the public so they could appreciate his large collection.
When William Walters died in 1895, his son Henry took over the collection. Henry had also made his money in the railroad and continued to grow the collection. He envisioned a museum that could fill an educational role in the city of Baltimore. In 1900, he purchased three buildings next to the family home and turned the block into a Palazzo-style area to house the collections he had amassed over the years. During this time, Henry served on the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, earning experience in museum management and forming a relationship between the museum that exists still to this day. When Henry died in 1931, he gave his home and museum to the city of Baltimore so all its citizens could enjoy the art.
Although the practice of art restoration/preservation has existed for centuries, the field of conservation science only developed in recent decades. As defined by the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), art conservation can be defined as “actions taken toward the long-term preservation of cultural property. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventative care, supported by research and education.” While conservators may add nonoriginal material to a work of art, modern conservation ethics requires conservation treatments to be reversible in the future. Art conservation has become an essential aspect of studying and exhibiting art, and it has become a department within museums all over the world. Within the conservation laboratory, conservators and scientists combine traditional artistic techniques with chemistry-based analyses to understand the composition of a work as fully as possible. From there they use the least invasive, most reversible treatments possible for the preservation of a work. Within this academic discipline is a wealth of research and scientific literature.
The Walters Art Museum has demonstrated a long-term commitment to scientific research in addition to its routine conservation practices. The museum’s conservation laboratory started back in 1934 when the board of trustees hired a restorer and a chemist to undertake the conservation efforts. This laboratory was one of the first of its kind within a museum. The museum continued its tradition of scientific conservation research over the years through outside collaborations after the departure of the museum’s first conservation chemist in 1937. In 2004 the science department was reintroduced at the Walters, and its contributions have helped the greater conservation community. A defining feature of the Walters Art Museum, this laboratory also helps to bring visitors closer to the art. Through the innovative conservation window, the public can interact directly with conservators as they work.
Consulted Sources:
The American Institute for Conservation
http://www.conservation-us.org/about-conservation#.V3b0gesrLDc
The Walters Art Museum