A Lighter Side of History: Caring for Your Heirloom

Be it your most cherished family jewellery, photographs or the wedding trousseau that has been passed down over many generations, most objects will eventually deteriorate over time. These heirlooms, or rather any object that is important to us, require proper handling and care to endure the effects of time.

Join the conservators from the Heritage Conservation Centre as they share their knowledge on how to care for your treasured family heirloom. This includes ways to determine the condition of the item and the factors that can cause deterioration, as well as preventive measures such as storage and handling techniques that can help to prolong the lifespan of your heirloom.

About the Speakers

Geraldine Sim joined the HCC’s Conservation Services (Textiles) Department in 2011. She graduated with a Bachelor of Art (Egyptian Archaeology) from the University of Liverpool and holds a Master of Philosophy in Textile Conservation from the Centre of Textile Conservation and Technical Art History at the University of Glasgow. She has a keen interest in collection storage strategies and is currently working on a storage improvement project for textiles, garments and accessories in the HCC.

Irene Dominguez joined the HCC in 2014 as an Assistant Paintings Conservator. She obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Paintings), followed by a Master’s in Cultural Heritage Management from the University of Barcelona, Spain; and a Master’s in Conservation of Fine Art (Easel Paintings) from Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. Before joining the HCC, Irene completed several internships and fellowships in conservation in institutions from different countries including Spain, the U.S., Hong Kong and the UK. She is interested in interventive treatment, especially tear mending.

Cindy Lau obtained her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Materials Science from the National University of Singapore, followed by a Master of Arts in Conservation from the University College of London. She joined the HCC in 2010 as an assistant conservator, and has worked on multiple projects involving 3D objects from various ages and materials. She is engaged in scientific analysis of materials and has a deep interest in treating metal, glass and lacquer artefacts. She recently completed an internship at the Corning Museum of Glass, New York State.

Lee Siew Wah is a Senior Conservator (Paper) at the HCC, and received her professional accreditation from the Institute of Conservation, UK. She obtained her Master of Arts in Conservation from the Camberwell College of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the National University of Singapore. She has written several articles on conservation, and presented a poster “A Conservation Encounter with Modern Balinese Arts” in ICOM-CC Triennial Conference 2014.

Chuance Chen joined the HCC's Conservation Service (Textiles) Department in 2009. He graduated with a BSc Marketing from Singapore Institute of Management and has a Diploma in Apparel Design and Merchandising from Temasek Polytechnic. A large part of his training and practice is on interventive treatment and methods of display. His projects predominantly comprise costume and fashion conservation projects, and he was involved in the National Museum of Singapore’s Beauty in Black (2010) and In the Mood for Cheongsam (2012) exhibitions. Chuance’s interest is in costume and mount making.

About A Lighter Side of History

A Lighter Side of History celebrates Singapore’s diverse multicultural heritage, from food and dress to the different languages and customs passed down over the years. Featuring a range of fun and engaging hands-on workshops, talks, performances and demonstrations by heritage experts as well as collectors and practitioners, A Lighter Side of History is designed for everyone from beginners to history enthusiasts.

This programme is organised by the National Museum of Singapore.