dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark

Modern cultural heritage; an area of research
at the Swedish National Heritage Board
Abstract
The Swedish National Heritage Board conducts
research within the area of modern cultural heritage.
This recently resulted in the publication of two
major projects, one deals with objects made of
metals and the other with plastics. Both studies
include a historical material and manufacturing
survey, analysis of materials and recommendations
for preventive conservation.
Introduction
Since the late 20 th century the cultural heritage
sector has focused on the changes in society making
the transition from the last decades of the industrial
society towards a more unknown digital future.
These processes and new ways of lifestyle are
of significant interest and of high priority for the
museums, and as noteworthy as the changes in the
agricultural society towards the industrial epoch of
one hundred years ago. Remains of industrial sites,
existing factories and expressions of social life are
being documented as well as the objects produced
in the industries. The mass-produced household
utensils constitute a large group of objects, which
has often been overlooked as an important carrier of
a variety of different aspects of cultural history such
as industrial development, production and everyday
life.
Before the industrial revolution, skilled craftsmen
produced most metal household utensils manually.
Pure metal or well-known alloys and techniques
were used. In the middle of the 19 th century the
production changed in a significant way. New
manufacturing processes like casting, pressing
and stamping were introduced. Even the mining
techniques developed and the extraction of metals
was made easier and cheaper and a manifold of new
alloys were introduced. Some techniques and alloys
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were “experimental” and in use for just a short
period.
One hundred years later, after the Second World
War, a new interesting period for the production
of everyday household objects begins. The
introduction of plastic objects takes place. Various
plastics had already existed for quite some time, but
this period marks its real break-through. Due to the
wide range of uses the versatile new material plastic
now makes its way into practically every home.
This early period is also filled with experimental
work and unique materials being produced to exist
only for a short period of time. Today many of these
materials present serious problems with regard to
preservation.
Today we find collected objects from these
productions in small local private museums as
well as in the large national museums. These massproduced
objects, made from metal and plastic,
just like many other everyday objects, had received
fairly little attention until a group of conservators
with responsibility for storage and preservation at
the museums in Sweden undertook the initiative
to raise the awareness and knowledge about these
types of objects.
Among many important missions the Swedish
National Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet)
has the opportunity to support, initiate and conduct
cross-disciplinary research projects. The aim is
to find out more about what cultural heritage
communicates and how it develops. Currently the
research program focuses on three major subjects;
site and tradition, landscape and history, and modern
heritage [1].
Two projects dealing with mass-produced objects
were proposed under the heading “Modern Heritage”.
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