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This is the first of two courses which deals with the subject of preventive conservation.

The artifact is examined and described in terms of material, manufacture, and condition. Types and causes of deterioration are also identified. Consideration of the environment focuses on phenomena that present themselves as potential hazards to the artifact.

Core topics: Introduction to preventive conservation; introduction to the materials (Cellulosic, Proteinaceous, Inorganic); agents of deterioration (light, relative humidity, pollutants, pests, physical forces, dissociation); how to write a condition report; artifact handling,  and artifact labelling.

Instructor: Cindy Colford

Prior to joining the Manitoba Museum in the fall of 2016, Cindy spent 11 years as a part-time faculty member in the Heritage Programs at Fleming College, and more than eight years as a conservator at the Peterborough Museum & Archives. Cindy has worked in a number of institutions across Canada and in the United States including the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Parks Canada Atlantic Service Centre, the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland & Labrador, and the Canadian Museum of History where her work has focussed on preventive and practical conservation, collections management, and collections and conservation training. 

CMS: Artifacts 2025-2026

  • July 14 - September 19, 2025
  • Online