Causes of Deterioration

Sudden

Impact, flood, fire, vandalism, shelving collapse, spill or transport accident.

Stabilise the immediate consequence and establish whether the incident created continuing risks.

Cumulative

Fading, oxidation, abrasion, pollutant exposure, embrittlement or repeated handling.

Reduce dose and exposure because no single repair can recover repeated material loss.

Cyclical

Humidity movement, heating and cooling, folding, vibration, seasonal pests or periodic condensation.

Break the cycle; otherwise a successful-looking repair remains under the same recurring stress.

Cleaning

A dark surface may be loose dirt, aged varnish, corrosion, original patina, smoke, altered pigment or a deliberate finish. Misidentification can remove original material rather than reveal it.

Adhesive repair

A detached part may reflect impact, distortion, contamination, poor joint design, shrinkage or cycling. A stronger bond can transfer stress and produce a more destructive future break.

Corrosion treatment

Response depends on metal, corrosion product, salt contamination, moisture, coatings, depth and activity. Removing visible product may offer only temporary improvement.

Flattening and reshaping

Distortion can record irreversible material change. Forcing a brittle, shrunken or delaminated object back to its former shape may fracture it.

Retouching and colour compensation

Fading is usually chemical loss. Retouching can improve appearance but cannot return altered dyes or fibres to their original state, and may conceal diagnostic evidence.

Replacement

A missing or failed component may reflect a wider design weakness. An uninformed replacement can repeat the failure or damage surviving original parts.

Object

• □Title or description
• □Maker and date
• □Materials
• □Dimensions
• □Detachable parts
• □Identifiers
• □Provenance

Condition

• □Exact location
• □Extent and dimensions
• □Colour and texture
• □Stability
• □Multiple-angle photographs
• □Protected comparison areas

History

• □When first noticed
• □Change over time
• □Former storage
• □Display exposure
• □Accidents
• □Cleaning and repairs
• □Packaging, water or pests

Environment

• □Room and furniture
• □Windows, radiators and walls
• □Enclosure
• □Light
• □Damp or condensation
• □Adjacent objects
• □Storage materials

Diagnosis

• □Observed symptom
• □Possible mechanisms
• □Likely initiating factor
• □Contributing conditions
• □Activity status
• □Confidence
• □Evidence still needed

Immediate action

• □Isolate
• □Support
• □Stop handling
• □Remove continuing exposure
• □Retain detached material
• □Photograph
• □Monitor
• □Seek specialist advice