28 May 2025

Artefacts Conservation Services

Providing a high-quality service in all aspects of objects conservation and mount making for display.

Artefacts Conservation Services provides a high-quality service in all aspects of objects conservation and undertakes the conservation of a wide range of materials and object types (both organic and inorganic), including social history, ethnography, natural history, decorative and applied arts.

Additional services include mounting objects for exhibition and display (fabricating museum quality display mounts and installation), condition assessments and surveys of individual objects and collections, recommendations for exhibition, loan and storage and packing objects for transit, handling collections and storage.

Artefacts Conservation Services, established in 2004 with over 20 years of experience, undertakes work for a wide range of museums, institutions, heritage organizations, churches and private collections.

Conservation work can be undertaken both on-site or from a fully equipped studio based in Surrey with full insurance cover.

Our services include:

Conservation Treatment

Artefacts Conservation Services undertakes the conservation treatment of a wide range of materials and object types (both organic and inorganic), including social history, ethnography, natural history, decorative and applied arts and with a speciality in the conservation of scale models (ship models and architectural models).

Treatments may include cleaning, stabilisation, consolidation, repair, reintegration of detached or loose elements or replication of missing parts.

Full written and photographic documentation is provided on completion of a project, including recommendations for handling, display and storage and advice for future care.

All treatments are undertaken to the highest museum standards and in adherence to the code of professional conservation ethics.

Collections Care

Artefacts Conservation Services provides condition assessments and surveys of individual objects or collections, recommendations for handling, display and storage, environmental conditions and advice on future care.

Practical advice on packing for storage and transit is provided as required as well producing custom-made storage boxes and enclosures for individual objects, taking into account size, shape and specific material needs. We specialise in foam template cut-outs which provide enhanced support, access and protection for objects and in particular packing for handling collections.

We also provide practical advice and implement improvements to current storage of individual objects and collections. All materials used are inert and conservation-approved to ensure the long-term stability of stored collections.

Mount making for exhibition and display

Artefacts Conservation Services is unique in that it can provide both expertise and advice in conservation as well as practical services in mount making and installation for exhibition and display.

Every effort is made to ensure that all mounts are fabricated to be discreet and to fully protect and support objects on display.

Mounts are manufactured using a variety of materials, including brass, steel and acrylic and designed with the long-term preservation and stability of objects in mind, using inert and conservation-approved materials.

Mount making for exhibition and display can be undertaken both on-site from mobile workshop facilities or from a workshop based in Surrey.

Roald Dahl Writing Hut Decant, Conservation and Redisplay Project, Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, 2012

Project to decant and conserve the contents of Roald Dahl’s writing hut and to redisplay contents in new hut structure at Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Great Missenden. Contents of the writing hut included all wall, ceiling and floor coverings, furniture, fixtures and fittings and artefacts to be redisplayed in a new hut structure within the museum building.

Conservation treatment of model of submarine missile launcher, National Museum of Royal Navy, 2018

Conservation treatment of model of submarine missile launcher, National Museum of Royal Navy. Conservation involved surface cleaning, repairs to broken elements and acrylic casing, reintegration of detached elements and replacement of missing and broken details and acrylic.

Plaster figure of standing male with discus, Charterhouse School, 2024

Conservation treatment and repair of scale plaster Classical figure of Discobolus. Treatment including surface cleaning, stabilisation and consolidation of break edges and cracks, reintegration of detached and broken plaster pieces, fills to areas of loss and inpainting to match surrounding painted surfaces.

Conservation treatment of numerous objects for display in new galleries, National Army Museum, 2012

Conservation treatment of a wide range of military objects consisting of a wide range of materials for display.

Conservation treatment of numerous objects for display in new galleries, National Army Museum, 2012

Conservation treatment of a wide range of military objects consisting of a wide range of materials for display. Conservation treatment of model of a flat-bottomed landing craft, 1757-1758. Treatment included surface cleaning, reintegration and repair of detached and broken elements.

Mounting of Staffordshire Hoard objects for loan exhibition, “Warrior Treasures”, Stoke Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, various venues, 2016

Mounting of Staffordshire Hoard objects for loan exhibition, “Warrior Treasures”, Stoke Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, various venues. Measuring, designing and manufacturing of bespoke brass mounts for display of selected items from Staffordshire Hoard.

Elmbridge Museum Discovery Boxes, Handling Collection Packing, 2021

Repackaging of museum and replica objects for Elmbridge Museum Handling Collection for Educational Outreach (Roman, Tudor and Toys from the Past Discovery Boxes). Objects packed into aluminium flight cases and set into stacked layers of foam cut-outs to support and protect individual objects as well as provide easy access for outreac

Conservation and mounting of objects for “Do you believe in Magic” Exhibition, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, 2019

Mounting of decorative horse bridle onto custom-carved Plastazote foam support for display. Mounting of carved figures for display.

Conservation treatment of large ship model, private owner.

Treatment involved surface cleaning, repair of broken structural elements, reintegration of detached elements, replication of missing elements (cannons, fixtures and fittings) and re-rigging.

Silver cleaning, National Army Museum, 2019

Cleaning of numerous items of silver for display. Surface cleaning to remove silver tarnishing and application of protective lacquer coating.

Conservation of taxidermy Pike specimen in glass fronted display case, City of London School, 2019

Conservation of mounted taxidermy specimen of pike in a bowed glass-fronted display case. The glass front was detached and loose and vulnerable to damage and with a significant gap between the wooden backboards of the display case. The surfaces of the taxidermy specimen were soiled due to the display case not being sealed.

Conservation and mounting of objects for “Do you believe in Magic” Exhibition, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, 2019

Conservation treatment of bark painting including surface cleaning and stabilisation of splits in bark support

Conservation of WWI RFC wooden memorial cross for redisplay, St. Margaret’s Church, Cliffe, 2020

Conservation treatment of wooden WWI memorial cross for redisplay. Conservation treatment included surface cleaning to remove dirt and biological growth, heat treatment to eradicate potential insect pests, stabilisation of rotten and damaged wood at base, reversible fill to area of large loss at base of cross to enable mounting for display. Mount plinth and supporting brackets for display including interpretation panels.

Accredited members

Stephen Umpleby ACR

Stephen is an objects conservator and has been working in private practice since 2004. As well as working in private practice, he has also previously worked for the National Trust as conservator for the London and South East Region, Applied Arts conservator at the Museum of London and has held fellowships and internships at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institute and National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.

Qualifications
MA in the Conservation of Historic Objects, De Montfort University, Lincoln
Post Graduate Diploma in Conservation Studies, De Montfort University, Lincoln
MA (Hons) Fine Art, University of Edinburgh

Client testimonials

Stephen helped us renovate the museum’s discovery boxes. Our discovery boxes are designed for primary aged children and contain a mixture of real and replica items.
Stephen provided an excellent service, working with us to create the best design for showcasing our museum objects whilst also taking great care to ensure that they were stored securely. The final product was professional and very well designed, allowing easy access to all the items included. We have since sent more boxes to be renovated, and have been very happy with the results!

Jodie Altham
Learning and Outreach Officer, Elmbridge Museum

Stephen has successfully undertaken three significant artefact conservation projects for us over the last 3 years.
These involved restoring wooden Boarding House War Memorial plaques, a metal Chapel Cross and thirteen metal Chapel plaques dedicated to Old Blues (Christ's Hospital alumni). The stabilised, conserved and aesthetically pleasing results are testimony to his expertise in this field, meticulous care and professional skills.

Laura Kidner

Museum Curator, Christ's Hospital School Museum

Stephen is a pleasure to work with, providing conservation work to an excellent standard with thorough reporting and documentation, clear communication and flexibility. Highly recommended.

Matt Brosnan
Head Curator, London Transport Museum

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