ABSTRACT
Good documentation is recognized as being an essential element of modern conservation; Conservators have always stressed the importance of keeping good records of the treatments applied to objects and the principle has been enshrined in the Guidance for Conservation Practice (United Kingdom Institute for Conservation, 1980). Conservation records have generally been developed in isolation, and have not been integrated into the curatorial object record other than as a possible statement that the object has received some conservation treatment. The gulf between the curatorial record and the conservation record is often exacerbated by the use by Conservators of a separate numbering system. The separation of the records is unfortunate because the conservation record will provide much information of curatorial value, particularly the condition of the object and its suitability for use in different circumstances; equally the conservation record will document the technological information gained in the course of the treatment of the object and this may be of fundamental importance to the curatorial perception of the object as a historical document.
