with automated climate monitoring
Improper fine art storage can ruin a collection and erase its potential value, so it is important for both private collectors as well as museums and galleries to protect their collections. Temperature and humidity are two of the most important elements that can affect the condition of paintings and other fine art. Paper and canvas are susceptible to mould and mildew, which occur in warm moist environments.
On the other hand, dry air can also cause paintings to crack, so they should not be kept near heating vents or in rooms with very low humidity levels. These factors also need to be considered when choosing a long-term storage facility, which should always be climate controlled and kept at an optimal temperature for fine art storage, avoiding sudden fluctuations in relative humidity.
„The four-hour fire rated concrete walls are very dense and I was unsure if a wireless systemwould work. It’s a very neat solution and gives us flexibility to move loggers in the future without rewiring.”
Jim Grundy (Director of Art Operations)
Museums / Art trade
Gander & White was founded in 1933 by Frank White, and over the last 85 years, they have become established as one of the premier shipping and installation companies, providing services to art dealers, private collections and museums around the world.
Gander & White recently moved into a purpose-built facility in Wandsworth in South West London. The new climate monitoring solution should solve the problems of the previous system and meet two other purposes:
24/7 monitoring to ensure that the fine art was being maintained at the correct temperature and humidity levels
Early detection when the new building would be ready to use
Launched in 2017, the testo 160 was developed especially for monitoring climate and conditions in museums. In Gander & White’s particular solution, 38 testo 160 loggers monitor the temperature and humidity of the new storage facility.
“I’ve been impressed with the technical support, backup and communication. In the past I have experienced so many problems with unresponsive contractors and suppliers. Our Testo Solutions Service Manager has been excellent and responds immediately to any concerns or questions.”
Jim Grundy (Director of Art Operations)
Gander & White was founded in 1933 by Frank White, and over the last 85 years, they have become established as one of the premier shipping and installation companies, providing services to art dealers, private collections and museums around the world. They have offices in various global locations, including London, Paris, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Palm Beach.
Gander & White has been entrusted with the installation of art from some of the largest private collectors and institutions worldwide. Privacy and confidentiality is paramount to Gander & White and is an integral part of their daily work ethic.
Gander & White recently moved into a purpose-built facility in Wandsworth in South West London. A system was already in place to measure climate, but it had a number of drawbacks, such as a lack of data backup, poor technical support, and no function to provide clients with a printout of data for temperature and humidity.
This led the management team at Gander & White, led by Director of Art Operations Jim Grundy, to explore options for a new solution for monitoring climate. As well as rectifying the issues with their previous system, they needed a system to serve two key purposes:
Firstly, they were looking for a system that would provide 24/7 monitoring of the facility, as is the norm in this type of application, to ensure that the fine art was being maintained at the correct temperature and humidity levels.
Interestingly however, they also intended to install a system to establish when the new building would be ready to use.
Grundy initially had concerns about whether a wireless system would work in their new building, but wanted way of monitoring the climate in the facility prior to any items being stored there. Monitoring the humidity levels in the various areas of this large facility was intended to establish when the concrete walls, floors and ceilings had dried out to a sufficient level to allow them to begin storing art in the facility.
Launched in 2017, the testo 160 was developed especially for monitoring climate and conditions in museums. Thanks to versatile options for combinations of integrated sensors and probes, any monitoring situation, from exhibitions to storage, is covered. Operation and programming of the loggers is simple and carried out directly via the Testo Cloud.
While the measurement of lux and UV radiation was not necessary for Gander & White’s application, as daylight has been excluded from the storage areas, the testo 160 system also has this functionality, should it be required. Measurement data are stored by the data logger via wireless LAN directly in the Testo Cloud. If limit values are exceeded, the user is notified immediately by email or (optionally) SMS thanks to the alarm function. All measurement values and analysis functions can be acesssed at any time and from anywhere with an internet-capable smartphone, tablet or PC.
In Gander & White’s particular solution, 38 testo 160 loggers monitor the temperature and humidity of the new storage facility. At Gander & White, they are aware that optimum temperature and humidity levels must be maintained in order to preserve the fine art stored there. testo 160 provides them with a comprehensive, yet simple way of doing so. Coupled with the various reporting options, this makes the testo 160 the ideal system for monitoring climate in such facilities.
As mentioned previously, Jim Grundy had issues with their previous system regarding technical support. With the testo 160, no such issues arose, as Jim Grundy explains:
“I’ve been impressed with the technical support, backup and communication. In the past I have experienced so many problems with unresponsive contractors and suppliers. Our Testo Solutions Service Manager has been excellent and responds immediately to any concerns or questions.”
Jim Grundy’s concerns over the use of a wireless system in the new building were soon eradicated once the testo 160 system was installed. “The four-hour fire rated concrete walls are very dense and I was unsure if a wireless system would work. It’s a very neat solution and gives us flexibility to move loggers in the future without rewiring."