Saturday Spotlight: Preserving What is Valued

Heather Richardson, Head of Conservation at the Pitt Rivers Museum, will talk about a temporary exhibition on the Museum’s lower gallery, showcasing original repairs found on objects in the Pitt Rivers collections. Part of a conservator’s role is to determine at what stage a repair to an object has been made and it is something they strive to preserve. Finding examples of repairs from originating communities can give the object a deeper resonance while also raising various questions. Why was this object repaired by its original owners rather than replaced? Is it a fine example of craftsmanship or is it a sacred object?