Conservation & Preservation at The Irish Jewish Museum
The Museum’s collection defines the museum. Conservation is expensive particularly for a volunteer museum. It must always be handled by a professional for assessment and treatment. The continued preservation of the collection is the most important work done in a museum.
When an item requires conservation one of our team of Conservators is immediately called in for assessment and advice on treatment. Over the last ten years the IJM has worked with numerous conservators. Initially, the textile collection had to be assessed, recorded, treated, displayed or boxed appropriately. Following textiles the document collection was assessed, recorded and boxed in museum appropriate boxes.
The book collection followed with a massive two year project to have all books assessed, cleaned, recorded, translated. Over the years works of art have been conserved and are awaiting rehanging in the new museum. Individual items like the Aron Kodesh from Greenville Hall, the 18th century Parochet and the Moroccan Tiq were conserved very successfully.
Greenville Hall Ark
The restoration and preservation of the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) from the Grenville Hall Synagogue on Sth. CIrcular Road is a special achievement carried out by the IJM with grant assistance. Uniquely crafted by the Noyek firm for the newly built Synagogue in 1925 , it was a much-loved and key feature of the shul. Salvaged after the museum closed in the 1960's, it had fallen into serious decay. We are enormously pleased to have this beautiful Ark restored to its previous splendid condition.
This website will look in depth into some more of these precious items in future months.
This work has been totally dependent on grants from government bodies like the Heritage Council, the Department of the Arts, international funding organisations and individuals. We invite you to help us with our future plans.
The large photographic collection must be assessed, recorded and reboxed. This is a major undertaking for the future and will require substantial grants to accomplish.
The entire document collection and art collections also require digitisation.
One individual item for conservation is a beautiful eighteenth century silk Chuppah which was recently found.
Perhaps one of our readers might contemplate funding its restoration.
