Actions for the Conservation of Artillery Military Heritage: from minimal intervention to functional intervention

Abstract

From museology keeping (storage and exhibition) of large metallic artifacts, just like artillery pieces, at the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo military collection, several challenges arise regarding its conservation and restoration.
For study convenience, we will divide these preservation concerns into three distinct groups based on its causes: i) resulting from the exhibition of these objects in outdoor spaces, by the sea, exposed to the harsh climate conditions of an Atlantic island; ii) resulting from the absence of clear intervention rules as these objects should be considered and treated as technical/industrial heritage and iii) resulting from the obsolescence specific issues of military items, raised from its transition from the military and
operational environment to a museological environment.
From this critical approach and hands-on experience, we expect to extract some practical conclusions which can be transformed into museological maintenance plans of paramount importance for this heritage preservation.