Conservation is central to the work of the Museum, preserving our Grade I listed buildings and collections so that they will be accessible for generations to come.
Sir John Soane negotiated an Act of Parliament, passed in 1833, that stated the Museum should be kept ‘as nearly as circumstances will admit' in the state at which it was left at the time of Soane's death. When possible, we restore objects and interiors to their original arrangement and appearance.
Our Conservation department ensures the Museum’s historic spaces and extensive collections of paintings, antiquities, sculptures, books and architectural drawings are protected and maintained. Works of art are conserved in-house in the John and Cynthia Fry Gunn Conservation Centre, as well as by external specialists.
The Museum has undergone a number of landmark conservation projects, notably Opening Up The Soane, which saw large areas of the Museum returned to their original state, allowing visitors to explore areas of the Museum not accessible for over a hundred years. Today, we continue this mission, but we are wholly dependent on those who choose to support our work. Should you wish to help ensure that the Museum and our world-class collections continue to inspire visitors, please support us today.
