It is critical for archive environments to maintain adequate environmental levels in areas where historical records are held. An unsuitable environment, including inappropriate temperature and humidity levels, can adversely impact the condition of precious materials, causing issues such as mould growth and accelerating the rate of material deterioration.

Rushden Transport Museum in Northamptonshire is uniquely situated in the Victorian-era Rushden Station. Housing a large collection of items relating to the history of road and rail transport, as well as the social history of the local area, the old station building and the Museum’s storage – a nearby port-a-cabin – are enigmatic surroundings for such collections – but are not ideal environments for displaying and storing sensitive museum collections.

South Georgia Museum opened in 1992 in Grytviken, an old whaling station on South Georgia, an island in the polar front of the Southern Atlantic. The Museum is housed in the former Whaling Station Manager’s Villa and is home to an exciting collection of items that tell the story of the cultural heritage and natural history of South Georgia. The Museum’s collections include exhibitions on discovery, sealing, whaling, surveying and expeditions, maritime and military history, natural history and Sir Ernest Shackleton, the 20th Century Antarctic explorer.

Despite media reports telling us that plastics last forever, from a museum and conservation perspective, they are particularly sensitive materials that are vulnerable to slight fluctuations in environmental conditions.