WINTERTHUR, DE.- Whether it’s a personal letter or grandmother’s jewelry, an antique wedding photo or a family quilt, Caring for Your Cherished Objects: The Winterthur Guide will help you to preserve your item for generations to come.

“It’s easy to do an internet search to get information about taking care of the objects you own, but how reliable is that information? Will it help or harm the things you hold dear?” says Joy Gardiner, director of conservation at Winterthur and co-editor, with Joan Irving, senior conservator of paper. “This book will give you practical information to help you know what you should and shouldn’t do to prolong the life of your objects. You’ll also find advice about proper storage and display, plus a variety of resources.”

Caring for Your Cherished Objects: The Winterthur Guide will help you to assess your possessions, understand which objects are most vulnerable, and avoid situations that will put them at greater risk. Illustrations show the kinds of problems you may see in your own items or warning signs that indicate that preventive, conservative, or restorative action is necessary.

Chapters include information about: preventive conservation; books, documents, and ephemera; ceramics and glass; textiles; photographs; metals; furniture; and more.

Sidebars in each chapter explain the science behind caring for the range of objects covered. The book outlines procedures that can be performed safely by an owner as well as those that require the services of conservation professionals. It also includes a list of suppliers.

Written by current and former conservation staff at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, each chapter draws on the expertise of its author’s specialized field. Winterthur is home to nearly 90,000 decorative and fine art objects made or used in America from 1640 to 1860, as well as a renowned research library with rare books, manuscripts, and more. Winterthur’s highly trained conservation professionals work in one of the finest laboratories and research facilities in the United States. They also instruct the next generation of conservation professionals through the internationally recognized conservation program sponsored by the Winterthur and the University of Delaware. Begun in 1974, the master’s degree program in art conservation is one of only four in the country.

Caring for Your Cherished Objects: The Winterthur Guide is distributed by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (2021) and retails for $24.95 in paperback and $23.50 as an ebook. It may be purchased online at winterthur.org or from Rowman & Littlefield.