Using the museum collections for the benefit and joy of the modern-day audience while also preserving them for the future requires active conservation measures. This work is conducted by the National Museum’s conservators, specialised in various artefact groups and materials, in the museum’s facilities that were completed in 2016 and are equipped for large-scale conservation work utilising the latest methods and devices.
The Collections and Conservation Centre in Vantaa has facilities for artefact, art, furniture, textile and paper conservation, as well as several multi-purpose rooms. The centre uses many types of specialty devices and methods that are tailored specifically for conservation and are not available anywhere else in Finland.
A spacious X-ray room and the industrial-scale digital X-ray machine enable the study of larger objects. Also the XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) devices, among others, make research and material analyses easier. The 5-metre vacuum freeze dryer allows for high-quality and large-scale conservation of discoveries from shipwrecks and other wet organic material.
The aim of the conservation work is to preserve the collections in as good a condition as possible, so that the artefacts can be utilised in activities involving exhibitions, research, loaning, communication and the general public. The Conservation unit gives advice on matters concerning conservation and, where possible, provides conservation services for communities and private individuals for a fee.
Art conservation
Art conservators are in charge of the paintings and sculptures in the collections, their support and protective structures and decorative..
Furniture conservation
the responsibilities of a furniture conservator include finding solutions to conservation challenges related to the structures and surface finishing of..
Object conservation
The conservation work at the National Museum of Finland began at the end of the 19th century with the conservation..
Paper conservation
Paper conservators work with various kinds of paper objects and art created on paper using different techniques, drawings and prints,..
Textile conservation
The work of textile conservators involves the conservation of items made from different textiles and items that consist of several..