3. museum display case types
Two years back we wrote a blog named “5 types of museum display cases”, the list is as below:
- Table Top Museum display;
- Freestanding display case;
- Wall display cabinet;
- Modular display case;
- Drawer cabinet;
Before checking this museum display cases guide, you might be wondering:
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A museum display case (showcase, display cabinet, or vitrine) is a cabinet with one or often more transparent glass (or clear acrylic usually) surfaces, used to display objects for viewing. A display case may appear in a museum, exhibition, retail store, restaurant, or house. Often, labels are included with the displayed objects, providing information such as description or prices. In a museum, the displayed cultural artifacts are normally part of the museum’s collection, or are part of a temporary exhibition.
Metal (stainless steel, powder-coated steel, aluminum) is the preferred material for display cases and storage shelving or cupboards. It is strong, smooth, inert, non-flammable and does not emit any harmful vapors. However, to prevent rusting in situations with high humidity levels, it should always be covered with a protective layer, preferably a baked enamel finish rather than a paint.
Woods produce harmful vapors such as formic and acetic acid and peroxides, although some are worse than others. Freshly cut and unseasoned wood produces the greatest quantities of these vapors.
Composites, such as plywood, chipboard, particleboard, fibreboard, and masonite all could cause problems. Some MDF and plywood use a higher grade of adhesive that other composites and so is more stable if a wood composite must be used. It does however still emit some formaldehyde
The release of harmful vapors by wood and wood products is a normal chemical process that cannot be prevented entirely. The only way to minimize the emission of any harmful gases is to seal the wood with either a paint-on sealant or a barrier foil.
Many plastics off-gas over time and produce plasticizers that can damage certain materials. Plastics such as PVC, chlorinated rubbers, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, or rubbers with sulfur vulcanizing agents should not be used because they contain chlorine and are a danger to the museum objects. Plexiglas, lucite, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, acrylic, and polycarbonate plastics are all safe to use.
Plastics such as Plexiglas and acrylic are a good choice as barriers to prevent visitors from touching objects on display. Vitrines made of these materials are useful for protecting objects from dust and airborne pollutants. Plexiglas and acrylic are also effective barriers for the security of objects from theft or physical damage.
Fabrics should be chosen carefully. Wool and all fabrics coated with fire retardants or finishes and foam or adhesive-backed fabrics have been found to give off harmful vapors and are therefore not recommended.
Undyed and unbleached cotton and linen fabrics are safe to use as long as they are thoroughly washed and rinsed prior to installation. The ideal fabrics for case design are those held together by thermal/spin bonding or needle punched. Textile surfaces should not have surfaces that can stick to the surface of the objects being displayed.
Glass is safe for use near museum objects. It is scratch-resistant, gas-impermeable and is available laminated or coated with UV-filters. Weight may be a disadvantage though, and its low surface temperature may cause condensation and mold growth on the glass and also on organic materials that become damp as a result of the condensation.
Two years back we wrote a blog named “5 types of museum display cases”, the list is as below:
Nowadays LED lighting is very widely used in display cases, because of the following advantages:
LED rigid strip; LED rope lights; LED spotlights; LED stand pole lights
Warm white(2000-3000K) Cool White (3100-4500K) Daylight (4600-6500K)
Warm white color is most widely used in museum display cases.
Control of temperature and relative humidity is critical in the preservation of library and archival collections because unacceptable levels of these contribute significantly to the breakdown of materials.
A humidity generator is a novel approach for controlling humidity and temperature in museum display cases.
Once the machine is set up, humidity inside the display case will be maintained for years without the necessity of checking the water level, adding water or any other regular maintenance. The devices are able to maintain relative humidity from below 17% up to 55% at ambient temperatures of from below 0°C up to 40ºC. The units are of modular design; the main unit can be connected to many slave units to achieve the necessary capacity for a particular application. Thanks to this design the client pays only for the needed capacity.
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