We care for a wide range of objects in the collections through both preventive and remedial conservation. Many objects in the collections play a part in the day-to-day life of the college, and we aim to allow items to continue to be used wherever possible, while preserving their integrity for future generations. We also ensure that objects are safely displayed, stored and transported.
Preventive conservation is a long-term multi-faceted programme that aims to prolong the life of objects in the collections and reduces the need for interventive treatment. We do this through environment monitoring, integrated pest management, housekeeping and assessing the condition of the collection. When necessary we apply remedial conservation, and treatments take place.

collection items underwent remedial conservation last year
Preserving the Collections
Environment monitoring
This allows better understanding of our collection spaces and enables us to make necessary changes to ensure the long-term stability of the objects.
Integrated pest management
Pests are a major threat to collections and the damage that they can inflict on objects should not be underestimated. In order to make sure that there are no infestations or threats to any collection, pest traps are strategically placed in the spaces that house the collections and are regularly inspected.
Housekeeping
Keeping an historic collection clean can be challenging, especially when it is held in spaces that are in regular use. We use conservation-grade cleaning supplies and have a dedicated cleaning team for the historic areas of the college. The conservation team also undertake cleaning projects and liaise with external specialists.
Assessing condition
We inspect and document the condition of the collections. We search for signs of damage, deterioration or alteration. This allows us to plan for their storage and display, as well as for treatment or transportation, when necessary.
Remedial conservation
Remedial conservation consists of working directly to stabilise an object and slow down its deterioration. We apply general principles of conservation, which include minimum intervention, reversibility and re-treatability. Conservation treatments are carried out here by the conservation staff on site and also by commissioning treatment specialists.

RT @Eton_NHM: Excited by the opening this evening of the new exhibition on Sir Joseph Banks in the College’s Tower Gallery. More details he…
RT @EtonArchives: Our Assistant Archivist enjoyed getting out some wonderful albums from our photographic collection to show some students.…
New blog post! https://t.co/YdsykOT1OW

We are excited to announce the dates, and start taking bookings, for this year’s Heritage Tours of Eton College! Visit the historic buildings and collections at the heart of the school. For information and booking see: https://t.co/umGwW5a2Rr #publicvisits #heritagetour #Eton https://t.co/gohTUlCWqm
RT @EtonArchives: We are very lucky to have a fantastic team of archive professionals to keep our collections safe and accessible. The 15th…