Conservation labs

As part of its strategic vision to conserve Palestinian cultural heritage in all its components, the Palestinian Museum seeks to 1) Train and develop the capabilities of units specialised in conserving museum pieces and 2) Provide specialist conservation labs for the restoration of some tangible heritage components. From this stance came the establishment of two labs; one specialised in the conservation of paper documents, and the other specialised in fabrics and textiles. The labs came to be in cooperation with institutions with a great deal of experience in the field, and they are accompanied by intensive practical training for the Museum’s Collections team at the hands of professional conservators.

The Museum’s conservation work will not end here but rather seeks to share and disseminate this knowledge throughout Palestine. It will do so among the various institutions, museums, and interested individuals whose vision intersects with the Museum’s regarding the conservation of tangible Palestinian heritage. This will raise awareness among the general public regarding the importance of conservation procedures for documents and fabrics at threat of loss or damage.

Document conservation lab

The Document Conservation lab at the Palestinian Museum was established in 2019 as part of Conservation for Digitisation, a collaboration between the Palestinian Museum and the British Library. The project aims at the preservation, conservation, and digitisation of documents regarding Palestinian history and cultural heritage at risk of damage and endangerment. The project succeeded in preparing a specialised team in the field of paper document restoration. Thus far, over 5,000 paper documents have been restored and prepared as much as possible to facilitate the digitisation process, including photographs, maps, letters, diaries, and more.

In addition to the preservation and conservation of collections, the project aims to raise collective awareness of the importance of document preservation and to disseminate knowledge on the most valuable practices that contribute to the preservation of tangible heritage. It does so through workshops and lectures on conservation, organising school and university visits and producing educational resources, publications, and films, all of which provide a detailed, simplified, and interactive explanation of the document restoration process.

Textiles conservation lab

The Palestinian Museum Textile Conservation lab was established in late 2022 as part of a cultural heritage conservation project funded by ALIPH (the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas). The lab is part of a collaboration between the Palestinian Museum and the British Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum. The collaboration aims to restore and preserve endangered Palestinian tangible heritage, specifically fabrics, textiles, and tatreez (Palestinian embroideries).

In addition to the preservation and conservation of collections, the project aims to raise collective awareness of the importance of textile preservation and to disseminate knowledge on the most valuable practices that contribute to the preservation of tangible heritage through workshops and lectures on conservation, organising school and university visits and producing educational resources, publications, and films, all of which provide a detailed, simplified, and interactive explanation of the textile restoration process.

By establishing this lab, the Palestinian Museum will be able to restore, document, and conserve its permanent collection of embroidered heritage dresses (thobes) and accessories. The museum will also be able to specialise in this field and present its valuable material heritage on a broader scale.

Resources