Many treatments involved the complete removal of all existing upholstery. At first, this may appear quite radical, but, to put it into perspective, it must be realized that much of the upholstery that we see today is neither original nor of the appropriate style. A much more conservative approach is taken for pieces with original upholstery intact. The momentum within the upholstery conservation field is increasing. What this reviewer sees is a growing need for conservators specializing in the conservation of upholstery.
Future symposia promise to help to move the field ahead in leaps and bounds.
In the morning, they walked through the newly constructed Fowler Museum of Cultural History with the staff to discuss earthquake preparedness and potential buildings problems. In the afternoon, they gave a lecture and slide presentation to museum staff and local registrars and conservators on the DeYoung Museum's disaster preparedness plan and the aftermath of the 7.1 quake. They were able to survive the quake with relatively minor damage due to comprehensive advance preparation. Tom stressed the necessity of a written disaster plan, pre- disaster staff drills, and availability of emergency supplies. A staff telephone tree, where each staff member had a set number of people to call, and walkie-talkies aided in the location of responsible persons and effective communication after the quake.