Things rust but memories last forever: creative conservation in the industrial heritage

Abstract

The concept of creative conservation began to be developed in 2012 by conservators from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar. This approach, which begins with a process of resignification of fragmented objects, those apparently without possible recovery and on the verge of being discarded, has the goal to develop actions that encourage reflective thinking on preservation and collective memory. This article explores its application in industrial heritage through two case studies: Cartão de Ponto project (2012), based on the conservation of a set of timecards of former workers of the Spinning Mill of Tomar, and the ongoing POR1FIO project, which seeks to create an educational tool from preserved objects from the Torres Novas Nacional Spinning & Weaving Co. These projects demonstrate that creative conservation approach can be a new strategy to help the local community to establish positive memories based on their industrial heritage and to manage the trauma from the de-industrialization processes.