To the rescue for the xylotheque at Groeneveld Castle
Around 150 little boxes shaped like a book. When you open them: on the left, a description of a tree species, and on the right, a herbarium containing, among other things, dried leaves, seeds and twigs. Together, they form Schlümbach’s Xylotheque: a renowned collection that King Louis Napoleon donated to Leiden University in 1809. Naturally, this must be kept in good condition.
Since 1980, Schlümbach’s Xylotheque has been on display at Groeneveld Castle in Baarn, which is owned by Staatsbosbeheer. There, Head of Technical Services John Klok looks after the ‘book boxes’ with total dedication. Yet things nearly went wrong in 2010, when the xylotheque was moved to the castle’s cellar during a major renovation.
“The designer at the time had borrowed the good idea of a mini-climate,” says John. “This would keep the collection in good condition using a simpler system than before. A nice idea, but the execution left something to be desired. The cabinets weren’t airtight, you see.” Fortunately for the boxes, Eric van de Vliet from SDB came to the rescue. John: “When I bumped into him at a trade fair, he said: ‘If we can do it for the world’s oldest share certificate at the Westfries Museum, we can do it for you too.’”
Climate-controlled display case
No sooner said than done: John and Eric devised the perfect solution for Staatsbosbeer. The boxes now rest safely in a climate-controlled display case featuring a renowned Austrian system. “All the items still look just as they should,” says John, who, moreover, hardly has to lift a finger. “I check the system once a week. I see if any pump water needs draining or if extra demineralised water needs adding. Furthermore, the system is sent to Austria every two and a half years for a service. SDB helps me with that. They even provide a temporary system.”
“SDB knows exactly what the centuries-old items in the climate-controlled display case need”
Collection management by Helicon
Helicon Conservation Support has been monitoring the condition of the xylotheque for years. At the moment they are very satisfied, but that was quite different after the 2010 refurbishment. “Helicon sounded the alarm when they saw the collection deteriorating,” says John. “They then restored the boxes to good condition in their own cabinet. Later, Helicon did occasionally use our previous cabinet as a showcase at a symposium. But only as an example of how not to do it.”
Satisfied
John is pleased that management is now running so smoothly. The head of technical services at Staatsbosbeheer is also pleased with our collaboration. “The contact is pleasant and they know exactly what the centuries-old items in the climate-controlled display case need. If anyone asks me for advice, I would certainly recommend SDB!”
