Antique conservation professionals can have various job titles and work with different types of antiques, from furniture to artwork and historical artifacts. They may work in malls, auction houses, universities, museums, or as consultants. Ideal levels of humidity, temperature, and light must be maintained for best preservation, and some professionals may have skills in creating environments with special conditions. Vintage car restoration mechanics require deep knowledge of auto mechanics and technical skills, as well as knowledge of historic cars.
Individuals working in the field of antique conservation can hold a variety of different job titles. Some, such as antique restorers, furniture designers, and furniture restorers, work only with antique furniture, while others also conserve and restore works of art, historical artifacts, or documents, in addition to antique conservation. Some people in related professions, such as academia, work in antique preservation as a subset or in addition to their regular work. The range of work in antique preservation ranges from self-taught furniture restorers to professionals with a doctorate in chemistry or fine arts. A true conservator of antiques is someone interested in maintaining an antique’s present condition, even if it is less than ideal, and preventing further deterioration. However, often conservators also work on restoration and repair individually.
Although most people think of furniture when they define the word antique, an antique can be any antique collectible object valued for its beauty, craftsmanship, or emotional value. Because the definition of antique varies greatly, individuals working in the field of antique conservation may restore antique automobiles or boats, repair and clean antique toys, or repair and restore appliances from earlier times in history.
Antique furniture restorers and conservators may work in malls, auction houses, or universities. A conservator of antiquities may hold an advanced degree in science, chemistry, or art history if the individual works on extremely rare or valuable antiques. An antique furniture restorer may have skills in reupholstery, woodworking and refinishing. Some antiques conservation professionals may have skills in creating environments with special conditions for objects on display. For best preservation, ideal levels of humidity, temperature and light must be strictly maintained. A skilled ancient conservationist will have knowledge of the chemical principles necessary to maintain these conditions.
Some antique conservation professionals clean and preserve old paintings or historical documents. If the item is on display, the document must be specially framed using acid-free materials that will not react with chemicals in the artwork. Some jobs in antique artwork conservation involve not only artwork conservation, but also restoring and repainting damaged areas of canvas. These individuals need fine arts skills in addition to chemistry knowledge to restore these items to their original condition. Art conservationists may work for universities, museums or art galleries.
An antiques conservation professional might work as a college professor, art appraiser, or furniture designer and do antiques conservation when needed as part of their larger job. Some may teach college-level antiquities conservation courses to others who want to enter the career field. Art appraisers may do antique conservation or restoration as consultants to art dealers or investors.
Vintage cars can require a lot of upkeep, restoration and repair effort to help them retain their value. Vintage car restoration mechanics have deep knowledge of auto mechanics and technical skills, as well as knowledge of historic cars. Often, an old automobile or motorcycle may need to be rebuilt in whole or in part using replacement parts. This requires a lot of technical knowledge of cars from various eras.
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