Preservation

Conservation Branch

Caring for the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and other Founding Documents is just one aspect of the Conservation Branch's work.

  • We preserve records that come to the National Archives in many formats:
    • loose and bound textual documents,
    • photographs, posters, artwork, architectural drawings, and
    • printed and hand-drawn maps.
  • We assess the condition of the records and identify their composition, and we stabilize and treat documents to prepare them for digitization, exhibition, and use by researchers.
  • We make custom housings for large or fragile records, and we teach holdings maintenance and records handling procedures.

The Conservation Branch shares how family treasures are lovingly and painstakingly preserved in its state of the art lab in this video short.

Top