David Saunders
There is now general awareness of the need to control the environment around all but the most robust works of art. The standards for Class I and II museums and galleries set out in references (I) and (2) have been widely accepted and are being implemented by many institutions as new exhibition areas are constructed or rooms refurbished. To control, we must perforce measure. Thus, measurement is an integral part of an environmental control scheme. If, as should be the case, these measurements are made in a systematic manner, then we have the basis of environmental logging. At its most rudimentary, this log might comprise the periodic measurements made manually in the exhibition spaces committed to paper. At the other extreme are the computer-controlled systems that operate in a few institutions. Whatever the complexity of the system, the aim is the same; to provide a record of the conditions prevailing in the exhibition space. such a record might suggest improvements, indicate seasonal trends, and give an early indication of possible conservation problems.