Round the clock monitoring is essential for preventive conservation of sensitive items in the historic cricketing collection.

MCC is probably the most well-known cricket club in the world. Lord's is not only an internationally renowned cricket ground, but also holds events in the iconic Pavilion, runs visitor tours and owns the most comprehensive collection of cricket artefacts and books in the world. These include fine and decorative art, photographs, clothing, archive material, books, sports equipment and, of course, the Ashes Urn.

Data loggers were required to provide continuous temperature and relative humidity monitoring 24/7, something that hadn't formerly been practical - previous monitoring with hand-held devices was difficult during functions and on match days, or when staff in the small department were on leave.

The museum chose Tinytags to provide the solution because they are a proven, widely used tool within the museum community. Heather Lomas is Collections Assistant at MCC Museum, responsible for the care and cataloguing of the objects within the collection, and she and the Arts & Library Team chose 10 indoor Tinytag Ultra 2 TGU-4500s, and one robust outdoor Tinytag Plus 2 TGP-4500 data logger to provide the temp/RH data collection.

The data loggers are set up in the museum, archive, library and in other locations that have collections material on display in the Pavilion. The Plus 2 data logger is set up outside to record the external temp/RH so that the internal/external differences can be tracked.

Monitoring is vital because of the comprehensive nature of the data it provides. None of the buildings, some of which are listed, are purpose built for collections, so the team need to know how to react to environmental conditions throughout the year. Also, because the museum lends and borrows objects, an accurate record is needed to satisfy lenders that conditions are suitable. The data will be incorporated in facilities reports for loan documents, and if any problems arise with objects or the data highlights areas of concern, charted evidence can be provided to the Estates Department as necessary.

Heather comments, "The competitive cost of the Tinytag data loggers meant that we could initially start with 11 loggers, which is a real help, but it will be possible to add more in the future as funds allow and new spaces incorporated which may need monitoring. I can attest to their ease of use I'm looking forward to downloading the data and seeing the charts we can produce!"

Cathy Clark from Gemini Data Loggers is delighted that Tinytags were chosen for this prestigious location. "The TGU-4500 is the ideal choice for easy and straightforward indoor monitoring and can be relied upon for accurate and reliable recording over long periods if required."

Above image: Tinytag TGU-4500 data logger

Thumbnail image: Tinytag TGU-4500 data logger in The Long Room, the heart of cricket's grandest clubhouse