Tips for Collectors: Disaster Control Guidelines

It is crucial to understand how to handle damaged works of art in the event of a disaster. Disasters include not only events such as a fire, flood or hurricane, but also accidental damage, theft, earthquakes, tornados, pests, the release of hazardous materials in the atmosphere, nuclear disasters and, in some areas, volcanic eruptions. Often, the most important steps are those taken before a disaster occurs:

• It is important to have a complete inventory of the entire collection. This should include the artist, title, subject, date, size, medium, inscriptions or markings, distinguishing features, condition history, the value if known and a photographic image. While it is best to have this survey professionally done to ensure that all relevant information is recorded, another starting point is Object ID, which provides an internationally recognized checklist.
• A copy of this inventory should be kept at a secure site away from your home so that it can be preserved in the event of any harm that may occur to the collection itself. If your collection survey is prepared by a professional conservator, they will also keep a copy of these records for you in secure storage. In the event of a loss this information will ease recovery. This is particularly true in the case of theft as the information can be easily updated to the Art Loss Registry.
• Make sure that your insurance agency subscribes to the Art Loss Registry, an international database that helps to track stolen art in the event that it is resold. This will not only increase your chances of recovery but will also strengthen your claim in the event that the item is sold to a good-faith purchaser.
• Review your insurance policy to be sure that all works of value are listed and report new acquisitions immediately to your agent. An up-to-date policy is the best way to ensure that the conservation or replacement of damaged works will be covered.
• Have a disaster-preparedness survey completed by a professional conservation expert. This will include not only a general inventory of the collection but also an analysis of the structures that house it, the security structures currently in place, and the steps that need to be undertaken to ensure proper emergency response should a disaster situation occur. It will also establish where are the safest areas in your home where artworks are least likely to be damaged by wind and water.

• Consider establishing a standing arrangement with a nearby art storage facilities to pick up and care for your works in the event of a natural disaster warning. Keep a supply of cardboard and packing material on hand to ensure that the items are properly wrapped during transport and storage.
• Install smoke detectors within one hundred feet of your collection. These will allow detection of impending soot or smoke damage from low-heat fires that a heat detector wouldn't respond to.
• Install water alert sensors in areas that may be susceptible to water damage, such as below ceiling trays or on interior walls that may face into a bathroom on the opposite side.
• Only use shatter-resistant glazing with framed artworks to protect the image surface in case of vandalism, extreme heat, or other trauma.
  Once an emergency has occurred, there are several steps a collector can take to guard against further damage to their collection. These tips describe important guidelines to follow during and after a disaster situation:
• The works of art should be removed from the fire, water or mold-damaged environment as soon as possible. Even if the scene appears secure there may still be particulates and other debris in the air that can settle upon and further damage the artworks.
• After a water loss, never lean damaged works of art upright. Lay them flat on a level surface. This will prevent water from running down the piece and pooling at the bottom, which can causing severe localized damage. It is easier to restore a piece that has moderate damage dispersed evenly as opposed to radical damage along the bottom.
• Do not wipe the surface of a wet painting. When wet, the paint layer is fragile and can be easily separated from the canvas.
• If you can, send wet pieces to a conservator immediately. With many items, particularly paper, a conservator has the most success while they are still wet or damp.
• If not, begin drying the items within 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Do not attempt to dry art in the sun; this may discolor works of art on paper. Place items in a cool room with indirect fans and portable dehumidifiers. It is important to reduce the humidity in the room slowly, rather than have the artworks undergo any further extreme conditions
• For painted canvases, prepare a horizontal bed of blotter paper and unused newsprint, equal in thickness to the paint layer, topped by a layer of strong, clean tissue paper. Lay the items face-down on this surface, still in their stretchers. Remove any backings or labels to expose the wet canvas, placing them in a tagged envelope. Place blotters or newspaper against the entire back surface of the canvas with slight pressure, but not enough to dent to the surface. Change the blotter on the back of the canvas regularly, but do not change the blotting materials on the image surface. When the canvas is dry to the touch remove the back blotter and lift up the painting; if the facing blotting materials do not come free, do not force them loose as they will be holding the painted surface together. Send the piece to a conservator as soon as possible.
• Wet photos, books, postcards, stamps or documents that have stuck together should not be separated. Either freeze them or keep them wet and send them overnight in a cooler packed with gel-packs to prevent thawing or drying.
• A painting or frame that has suffered severe water or fire damage may flake and chip. Lay the item flat, image-side up, to prevent further loss, and save the chips and shards, placing them in a labeled envelope and attaching the envelope to the frame.
• If a piece under glass appears to be stuck to the glass, do not attempt to separate it, as this will likely cause additional damage. Use masking tape to mark the glass with an X so that if the glass breaks during shipping, the tape can hold the broken shards of glass in place and prevent further damage to the piece.
• Never assume an object is a loss. An oil painting that has suffered water damage may appear opaque and whitish, giving the impression that the colors have been washed away. Yet the painting is only showing the effects of oxidation of the varnish layer: the clear coat of varnish, which protects the oils underneath, has turned white because of exposure to water, masking the original painting. With careful cleaning, the damaged varnish layer can be removed and the painting restored to its original intent, often with no damage to the paint layer.
• Even when things look hopeless, always talk with a professional conservator before making any decisions on the fate of any piece artwork. There are many advanced treatments available for conditions that appear irreversible.

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