Transportation Environment Assessment
The transportation environment for loaned objects is an extension of the museum environment. Though buffered from the exterior environment by its packing case, transported objects are potentially at risk from effects that differ from those in a typical museum gallery or storage facility. These may include temperature and relative humidity conditions that exceed the range designated by loan agreements or episodes of shock and vibration that may be among the greatest encountered in the object's lifetime. However brief the length of travel is, these environmental conditions may cause physical responses such as material expansion or contraction or result in impact from an extreme force that could damage an object (Michalski 1991).
Since an object's sensitivity to physical forces can vary depending on temperature and moisture content of the constituted materials, it is necessary to monitor climatic conditions in conjunction with recording of physical forces in order to gain a better understanding of the risk for mechanical damage. The packing and transportation (of mainly paintings) has been an area of study in the past. Research by the Canadian Conservation Institute and other institutions, the 1991 conference Art in Transit, and follow-up workshops were instrumental in raising the level of packing worldwide. With the further development of sensor technology over the last decade, it is an opportune time to reassess the performance of packing cases currently in use.
The case in which an object is housed provides the primary buffer against exposure to extreme environments during transport. The permeability of materials used to construct the case and the method of case construction (i.e., tightness of seams, quality of gaskets) can reduce the rate of air exchange into the case and potentially limit the impact of the outside air on the interior environment of the case (Richard 1991). The use of packing material with low thermal conductivity can also slow changes in interior temperature. While the exterior case structure provides physical protection for the object, the use of isolation materials can reduce vibration and dissipate shock experienced by the object. (Marcon 1991).
Getty Museum Packing Cases
MCE's research focuses on a performance assessment of packing cases constructed at the J. Paul Getty Museum, where the Preparations department commonly uses a double-crate packing technique, particularly for three-dimensional pieces and panel paintings. This technique essentially houses an object inside an interior box that is then enclosed in an exterior box. In addition to cushioning foams commonly used in the packing industry, Getty Preparations is unique in its application of custom-designed Sorbothane rings that protect an object by absorbing shock and isolating and dampening vibration. The determination of how much isolation material to use within a case is typically based on the dimensions and weight of the object and the specific cushioning material's physical properties, which are reported by the manufacturer. However, verification of a material's ability to mitigate shock and vibration is not typically conducted. In this research, the shock and vibration inputs to the case from the exterior and the resulting response experienced within the case are assessed, in addition to the climate an object experiences during transportation. This will help determine safe parameters for the collection environment during travel.
Related materials:
Doherty, T., Metro, B., and Gomez, R. 2008. "The transport and display of icons from Saint Catherine's Monastery." In Conservation and Access: Contributions to the IIC London Congress, 15-19 September 2008. 50-55.
Kamba, N., Wada, H., Tsukada, M., Takagi, Y., and Imakita, K. 2008. "Measurement and analysis of the global transport environment for packing cases for artifacts." In Conservation and Access: Contributions to the IIC London Congress, 15-19 September 2008. 60-63.
Marcon, P.J. 1991. "Shock, vibration, and protective package design." In proceedings from Art in Transit: Studies in the Transport of Paintings, ed. Marion F. Mecklenburg, 107-120. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Merrill, R.M. 1988. "In the service of exhibitions: the history, problems, and potential solutions of cultural materials in transit." Preprints from 16th annual AIC meeting: New Orleans. 138-147
Michalski, S. 1991. "Their response to temperature, relative humidity, shock and vibration." In proceedings from Art in Transit: Studies in the Transport of Paintings, ed. Marion F. Mecklenburg, 223-248. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Richard, M. 1991. "Control of temperature and relative humidity in packing cases." In proceedings from Art in Transit: Studies in the Transport of Paintings, ed. Marion F. Mecklenburg, 279-297. Washington DC: National Gallery of Art.
Saunders, D. 1998. "Monitoring shock and vibration during the transportation of paintings." National Gallery Technical Bulletin. 19: 64-73.
Saunders, D. and Clarke, R. 1990. "Monitoring the environment within packing cases containing works of art in transit." In Preprints from 9th triennial ICOM-CC meeting: Dresden. 415-422.
Page updated: October 2015