Cigarettes are a strange commodity in an insane asylum. Not everybody has them; hence, they come to serve as a strange currency. Some ask for cigarettes; others hand them out. They can be symbols of friendship and sources of conversation. Most of all, however, they are the only material object that is not confiscated from the patient when he or she enters the asylum. Thus they become an element of identity and assume a much larger reality than they actually have.

Conservators and other museum professionals face a large number of issues involving the mechanical behavior of materials, including questions on craquelure, restoring physically damaged objects, art in transport, or the selection of adhesives. However, science in conservation and museum studies curricula focusses mostly on chemistry. This book fills this important gap in conservation training. It is the first such book written specifically for the conservation community and professionals with little or no background in (mechanical) engineering. It introduces the basics of mechanical properties and behavior of materials and objects with examples and exercises based on conservation practice. More complex issues of mechanical loading and advanced solutions are also introduced.

Provides legal advice for acting as a conservator for someone incapacitated due to illness or age, discusses alternatives to conservatorships, and provides necessary legal forms.

"a useful tool for family members and friends. It provides ciritcal information on conservators duties and responsibilities Recommended for anyone considering becoming a conservator."CALIFORNIA LAW CENTER ON LONG TERM CARE

By surveying a variety of projects and approaches to the difficult conservation-digitization balance, and in fostering a dialogue amongst practitioners, this book demonstrates that a dialogue between the fields of book conservation and digital humanities is not only possible, but in fact desirable and fruitful.