Conducting a Time-Based Media Conservation Assessment and Survey at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abstract

ABSTRACT The emerging field of time-based media (TBM) conservation is actively creating new theory and practice to address the unique needs of these vulnerable artworks and ensure their long-term preservation. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's strategy to establish TBM conservation includes the implementation of a Time-based Media Conservation Assessment and Survey, which sought to identify institutional and collection needs and build consensus and support for TBM conservation internally among staff. In 2018, the Met contracted three consultants to work with staff, completing a conservation assessment and survey of the Museum's TBM collections, spearheaded by the Photograph Conservation Department. It is hoped that this model for conducting an institutional assessment and collection survey, which engaged colleagues across many disciplines, will be useful to other institutions with similar TBM conservation goals. The role of the conservator is rising in administrative structures to a level where they are shaping policy and positively impacting practice throughout museums and other cultural entities. The importance of this shift from behind-the-scenes to an ever more public-facing position is illustrated in this case study, along with its impact on the steps and strategies used to build a TBM conservation program at The Met.