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  • 1.  Help! Mold in recently acquired accession

    Posted 04-29-2026 01:03 PM

    We have a collection that was recently acquired that contains items of great value but... it has mold! Our biggest worry is the mold on the leather items. We are looking into a hepa vacuum and I am wondering if anyone has a recommendation on a good but affordable vacuum? Also, Does anyone have tips on how to best stop the growth and make these items safe to go into storage or on display? I'm worried even if we take all the precautions we may not do it correctly and then infect our larger collection. Any solutions are welcome! Thank you. 




  • 2.  RE: Help! Mold in recently acquired accession

    Posted 04-30-2026 12:09 PM
      |   view attached

    Hi Neylan,
    Oh no thats unfortunate! would you be able to share an image? My biggest questions are how big is the infestation and if the mold is active?
     Active = wet and slimy , Dormant = dry and powdery. 
    Please consider consulting a conservator before any treatment. Even after deactivating, allergens and toxins will remain on the object, and there's also a possibility of spores reactivating if there are temperature or relative humidity changes. I'm attaching a guide on mold. Use PPE ALWAYS!



    ------------------------------
    Grisel Marquez-Razon
    Assistant Registrar for Collections
    Mingei International Museum
    San Diego CA
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    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Mold Prevention_Guide.pdf   238 KB 1 version


  • 3.  RE: Help! Mold in recently acquired accession

    Posted 04-30-2026 01:09 PM

    There are many resources, pertinent to the control and removal of mold (or mould). The material from the Canadian Conservation Institute item below is comprehensive, to say the least, while the page available from CoOL lists dozens of articles that may be useful. As mentioned earlier, consulting with an objects conservator may be the most direct way to assess the situation and set up a proper program of treatment.

    A. B. MacLeish
    Curator  Emeritus
    Newport Restoration Foundation

    85 Lake Street
    Cooperstown, NY 13326



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