Selected Reviews of
Caring for Your Family Treasures
Library Journal
Although there are plenty of guidebooks on preserving museum-quality antiques, this book is unique in that it focuses on the care and handling of precious family heirlooms such as old silver, wedding gowns, scrapbooks, photos, books, and dolls. It was assembled under the guidance of Heritage Preservation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving cultural artifacts, sites, natural science specimens, buildings, and works of art. (It has also published the highly regarded Caring for Your Collections and, more recently, Caring for Your Historic House.) In addition to providing solid and easy-to-understand information on object preservation, the book offers advice on where to find archival supplies, genealogical information, and, if need be, a professional conservator. The many color photos show how artifactual damage is caused and in some instances how it can be treated. Highly recommended for all public libraries and for decorative arts collections everywhere.Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.Booknews
An informative, practical guide, charmingly designed and illustrated, by two authors with considerable expertise. While their previous book was aimed at private collectors, small museums, and historical societies, this one is for the individual who would like to properly care for some family keepsakes. Among the types of items they discuss are books, photos, home movies, paintings, fabrics, furniture, musical instruments, military mementos, and toys. Here's authoritative advice on how to, say, avoid diminishing the value of that beautiful lamp by polishing it, as well as how to avoid having treasured family photos turn to dust over time.Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Ancestry.com
Family historians often play the role of family conservators, responsible for the care and preservation of all types of family treasures. If you are intimidated or confused by the challenges of caring for some of these items, there is an excellent new book available to help you. Caring for Your Family Treasures: Heritage Preservation is written by Jane S. Long and Richard W. Long and edited by Inge-Lise Eckmann. The authors are experts in the field of preservation and conservation and provide authoritative discussions on all types of materials you might be responsible for preserving. These include documents and books, photographs of all types, clothing and decorative textiles, furniture, jewelry and silverware, musical instruments, art work, clocks and watches, ceramics and glass, military mementos, dolls, teddy bears, and other more unusual family artifacts.Each chapter clearly explains the physical factors that may damage or destroy your precious family possessions and provides detailed techniques for maintenance and preservation. Scores of representative photographs and easy-to-understand checklists are provided for each type of item. The book also provides reference resources for finding professional help and locating materials for cleaning and storage, along with tips on security and insurance. I have not seen a better book on the subject for the family preservationist.
from the column “Along Those Lines” by George G. Morgan