Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 3. (Székelyudvarhely, 2003)
Erdélyi - romániai magyar vonatkozási múzeumi restaurátor publikációk
centuries, usually external experts were commissioned by the Kolozsvár Museum, to carry out complex restoration work on problematic works of art (e. g. paintings, textiles). Meanwhile, archaeological artifacts in Kolozsvár were restored by the talented restorer, András Lehoczky, who had no formal degree. His name first appeared in 1908. By 1921, he taught the restoration of iron objects and of china ware, glass and pottery on an archaeological course organized in Kolozsvár. After 1921, he was employed as the restorer of the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest. Of those who worked for the Kolozsvár Museum, important personalities include the painter, Rezső Moretti, the Budapest artist/restorer József Konstantin Beer, the Kolzsvár painter Gyula Merész and the Kolozsvár sculptor Ferenc Szeszák as well as the painting restorer Kálmán J. Najmányi. This study also includes biographies of prominent personalities of Hungarian museum restoration in Transylvania who passed away. They include Sámuel Fenichel, József Koródi, János Erőss, Mária Antal (Szabó), Kálmán Széles and István Ferenczi who tragically died at a young age in 2002 András Morgós Chemical Engineer, Wood and furniture restorer MA Head of Conservation Department Hungarian National Museum 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 14-16. Levente Domokos Artwork Protection Assistant „Molnár István” Muzeum Cristuru-Secuiesc, P-ţa Libertăţii nr. 45. Aurel MOLDOVEANU Is the deterioration of the material heritage of our culture inevitable? The answer is yes. The goods that form our material heritage cannot be considered constant from a chemical point of view. Their decay, therefore, follows in the form of chemical processes, determined by the interaction between the artifacts and their environment. Decay is irreversible, thus, not even the most perfect restoration can re-create the original object. What can be done then? The author has come up with the following answers:- Collections of artifacts at risk should be stored separately at a relative humidity of 30-40%, not exceeding 45% and 4-5°C. Such storage places must be isolated and equipped with humidity and temperature controls.- In the absence of special storage facilities, a room should be built that meets the aforementioned requirements, to safeguard the most precious pieces in the collection.- Objects deposited under such circumstances can be removed for exhibition or research only following an incubation period during which they are exposed gradually to increasing temperatures. The same holds true for re-deposition within the special storage place.- The recommended relative humidity of exhibits should be 40% with temperatures varying between 15- 17°C. Although this may not be too comfortable for the visitors, it is a price one must pay in the interest of the artifacts. The conditions in exhibits which are not climatized may be improved as follows: 1. Improvement of insulation on doors and windows. 2 Creating a constant temperature (during the cold season) by keeping the heating constantly at only 15- 17°C. 3 Installation of air driers/humidifiers in order to stabilize relative humidity. 4 The most vulnerable artifacts, prone to damage, should be exhibited for no longer than two to three weeks annually. 5 Constant supervision of this protective system in order to guarantee rapid (within 30 minutes) reaction in the case of a breakdown.- Lighting in the proximity of artifacts made of organic materials should be ensured using traditional light bulbs. All these arrangements are urgent. Their execution requires three factors: an appreciation of the importance of this action, indispensable knowledge to install the equipment and adequate financial resources. Greatest damage is usually caused by the lack of understanding as to why these actions would be crucial. Although museum directors tend to be respected specialists in various areas of research (art history, history, ethnography etc.), some of them are unable to comprehend the importance of protecting the artwork stored in the museum. In some cases, as in many other areas in our everyday life, narrow-mindedness has achieved epidemic proportions. However, if the core of the problem is not recognized, how can anybody act? Aurel Moldoveanu Historian Bukarest 111
