Water Damaged Treasured Family Keepsakes, Collectibles and Artwork A short video, a new app and some good advice
Click here for video When treasured family history documents, photos, heirlooms, memorabilia etc are wet, in some way or another, priorities need to kick in. But what makes an item valuable enough to rescue? Remember that value is more than just financial. “Don’t save that stupid thing of your mother’s” may indeed be the most important thing you have to pass down to children, has extreme value emotionally and for story-telling value. Add to your story of saving it from the flood and you will really make it an important item for future generations! “The affection people feel for the art objects they own can be intense, and seeing those objects hurt or destroyed can be intensely traumatic. Take a step back, breathe, and assess yourself,” said Kala Harinarayanan, Director of Environmental Health and Safety at the American Museum of Natural History, speaking at the Consortium on Recovery of Works of Art Damaged by Flooding. It wasn’t too surprising that a conference held at the Museum of Modern Art on how to deal with damaged artwork in the wake of hurricanes and winter storms, at times, felt like a group-therapy session. At the same conference, renown industrial hygienist Monona Russol reminded people, “Among the most common and pernicious effects of flooding is mold. She pulled up a slide of a wooden sculpture covered in white mold—a victim of Hurricane Katrina. “One problem with mold, she said, is that it can take months to manifest itself. You might think you’ve dodged a bullet,” she said, “but you’ll have problems later on, especially in summer.” 1