Condition

Condition ratings as agreed with colleagues in Conservation and Collections Care.

Condition status

• Good - object in the context of its collection is in good condition, or as good as new, with little or no sign of use. Or few signs of wear but physically sound - No work needed. An object in good condition may require Assistants – rehousing/labelling. If small losses are present, but they do not affect the integrity of the object, are only present around edges, in proximity of corners etc. the condition is Good.

• Fair - object presents minor damage, signs of wear, some losses or deterioration, more aesthetic than physical; platemark is in pristine condition but edges show signs of damage; item is dusty or shows previous repairs; needs no immediate action. It might need consolidating or cleaning prior to being displayed. It is suggested that we select one or more options from the Condition Damage Type pick list (e.g. folded/creases/rolled, tears etc…). An object in fair condition may also require Assistants – rehousing/labelling.

• Poor - Object is unstable and possibly not suitable for retrieval without conservation supervision. It shows damage, deterioration, or loss to a large portion of the item; broken e.g. in two pieces, with risk of loss; not suitable for display or loan. Not in immediate danger, but action desirable. It is mandatory that we select one or more options from the Condition Damage Type pick list (e.g. brittle/vulnerable substrate, high risk of loss etc…). An object in poor condition may also require rehousing/labelling pursued by conservators. If tears are threatening the integrity of the objects, or could worsen with handling, the condition is Poor.

• Unacceptable -object is severely weakened, and/or highly unstable and actively deteriorating and/or affecting other objects; with very extensive loss/damage which greatly affect the integrity of the object; insects or mould attacks; friable or fragile surfaces which can make handling difficult; not suitable for display or loan and immediate action should be taken. It is mandatory that we select one or more options from the Condition Damage Type pick list (e.g. flaky, mould/pest/hazard etc…). An object in unacceptable condition, may also require rehousing/labelling pursued by conservators.

Condition Damage Type

Select from the picklist of controlled terms as needed, you can select multiple options in order to provide further detail on the type of damage an object is subject to. This list was provided by the Collections Care team.

Full list as follows:

• Brittle / vulnerable substrate

• Dirt

• Tears

• Fragments

• High risk of loss

• Folded / creased /rolled

• Backing / mount / tape causing damage

• Media friable / flaky

• Frame damaged

• Mould / pest / hazard

• No/poor housing

• Heavy/Inappropriate mount

• Conserved/treated*

*'Conserved/treated was added to the picklist in May 2024, to allow the conservation team to update QB when an item or collection was worked on, for both catalogued and uncatalogued material. At the same time the condition can be updated to reflect the condition post treatment.

Condition Comments

This field can be used for damage/issues not covered by the Condition Type picklist. It can also be used by collections care to summarise any treatment or consolidation to an object, ensuring data is accurate and up to date.

It is good practice to record if an item is mounted, as this may be of interest to collections care should they decide to separate heavy material from unmounted prints, paintings or photographs.