Determining correct temperature and relative humidity ranges for historic house museums

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dc.contributor.authorWood, Rebekah
dc.contributor.programMA in Historic Preservationen_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-19T18:14:36Z
dc.date.available2016-08-19T18:14:36Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.description.abstractThis thesis undertakes the task of answering the question, “Can historic house museum administrators provide proper temperature and relative humidity levels in the interior museum environment for the optimum preservation of collections and the thermal comfort of human beings without causing harm to the historic structure?” The hypothesis presumes there is a correct range of temperature and relative humidity for balancing the environmental needs of the historic building and the collections. It also presumes that the environmental needs of the users do not have to be in conflict with those of the building and collections. The thesis first researches the evolution of the “Museum Environmental Standard” and modern day guidelines for museum environments. It then explores the basic psychrometric principles of temperature and relative humidity and applies these principles to typical building and collections materials responses to their environments, as well as to the basic functions of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These research findings thus set the stage for exploring the specific environmental needs of and potential conflicts between the historic building, the collections, and the users of the historic house museum. Selected case studies provide further opportunity to observe actual environmental conditions and environmental control issues at several historic house museums within the context of the psychrometric principles and the information gathered from the thesis research. Based upon the research findings and case study analyses, the thesis draws some practical but not totally unexpected conclusions about the temperature and relative humidity levels necessary for balancing the needs of the building, collections, and users. However, the overall thesis conclusion regarding the use of HVAC systems in historic house museums may come as a surprise to many, but will serve to refocus historic house museum administrators’ priorities for establishing environmental control parameters at their individual sites.
dc.format.extent273 p.en_US
dc.genrethesesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/M2J49D
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/3138
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtGoucher College, Baltimore, MD
dc.rightsTo view a complete copy of this thesis please contact Goucher College Special Collections & Archives at archives@goucher.edu or (410) 337-6075.
dc.subjectHistoric house museums -- Maintenance and repair -- Case studies.en_US
dc.subjectHistoric house museums -- Conservation and restoration -- Case studies.en_US
dc.subject.lcshHistoric preservation -- Theses
dc.titleDetermining correct temperature and relative humidity ranges for historic house museumsen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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Goucher College MA in Historic Preservation