When I send something off to be "backed" or "restored" my assumption is that it is also being conserved for long-term preservation. It's more than a little disconcerting to find out this isn't always the case and/or that there doesn't appear to be any sort of standardization across the industry. I definitely appreciate Charlie's Herculean effort to learn the process and share his results so publicly. I have for one have learned a TON through his writings!
I really don't think one can expect there to be any standardization across the industry. It's just the type of work that can't be fully disclosed, for various reasons.
I agree, that Charlie sharing his knowledge about the science of this stuff, and pointing out what others have done/may be currently doing, is very interesting and informative.
Personally, I think that well-respected, conscientious linen backing folks who own/work for their respective businesses do have a fairly high level of conservation in mind. To what extent each person/business leans more toward conservation than restoration, or vice versa, I can't say since I'm not an expert on the topic, and I don't know exactly what they are doing. However, I think it's safe to say that most of these guys would not be in business if they are consistently doing work that results in items that are not conserved to a fairly high standard.
I understand that the terms "conservation" and "restoration" technically have different meanings, but I'm sure that, as has been stated, many use the words somewhat interchangeably. Although some say they are "restoring" stuff, it is just understood that they are also utilizing "conservation" methods on those items.
The part that is a little unnerving to some, is that there are "secret" or "proprietary" methods that the businesses don't share with their customers. Part of me thinks that's OK, because if a company detailed every little bit of their methods, then others could easily swoop in and basically steal all the knowledge that has been accrued over numerous years, or generations, and then use that information to make their own business. The other part of me wants to know what methods they're using, and to what level of conservation they are employing. Some of these items appear rarely, and maybe never again, so it would be nice to know what people are doing when they conserve/restore them, but one also has to respect their privacy concerns.
The "conservation priority restoration checklist" sounds like an interesting idea. Although it wouldn't be entirely accurate, since many items surely do not undergo the same methods of treatment from each company (certain items may receive different levels of care, practices evolve, etc.), not to mention that unless there's a video of the entire process, on each item, it's impossible to know exactly what was/is done. It would be interesting to have a list showing what some of the guys have done in the past, and may have a tendency to do in the future.
