Three conservators working on a silk painting.

Department of Collection Care

Contact us

Email: collectioncare@britishmuseum.org

Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8678

Department of Collection Care
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG

The Department of Collection Care comprises the Collection Management, Conservation and Photography and Imaging teams.

The department was established on 1 March 2019, bringing these three teams together. Sandra Smith is the Head of the Collection Care department, which has approximately 180 members of staff. 

The Collection Management team is responsible for the storage, movement, and display of the collection, making it accessible for researchers and the public, both at the Museum and at national and international venues.

The Conservation team conserves, preserves and investigates the collection for the benefit of present and future generations.

The Photography and Imaging team shoots high-quality 2D and 3D images of objects from the permanent collection as well as many other things, including archaeology and architecture. 

Find out more about the work of these teams below. 

In Collection Care

  • A woman carefully snipping while another woman watches.

    Collection Management

    Collection Management is responsible for the care, storage and display of the Museum's collection.
  • A conservator assesing a weight taken from an open painted wooden box with a mirror inside.

    Conservation

    Using traditional practices and innovative new conservation techniques, our conservators preserve the collection for future generations.
  • Camera, light and other photography equipment

    Photography and Imaging

    Find out about the work of the photography team and about the history of photography at the Museum.

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