While it is not unusual for FIRELOCK to provide vaults for extremely 
valuable painting collections we have always stayed away from the 
environmental equipment.  Therefore I am not familiar with the 
idealized temperature and humidity for extremely old masters.

Has anyone on the List been called upon to protect rare paintings in 
their archival collections?  What are the recommended specifications?  
Is there an air conditioning company that specializes in masterpiece 
paintings?

I know, I know!  Shoemaker stick to your last as my mother use to say!  
But this client wants us to handle all the details as they want the 
absolute minimum of players on the team that creates this solution.  
They will only allow our crew on site so I have to have everything 
prefabricated off site and then arrive on site with plug and play 
equipment.

But if you saw the collection you would know why I want to be involved. 
  That is half the fun of this job.  the things we are called upon to 
protect make your heart race at times.  There was a recent article 
about a collection in the newspaper and they mentioned the super secure 
vault, but of course we got no mention. But we know where the archive 
resides.

The hard part is that our reputation precedes us and they want us to do 
everything, so we then have to work with other specialists as part of 
the team. If anyone has worked with such a project and could share some 
of their solutions I would appreciate it.

I expect if I live long enough, I will get a phone call where the 
conversation will be like this:   "Can you protect stone tablets in 
your vault?"  No only two! Yes engraved and only 10 things are 
inscribed on the two tablets.  Yes, they are very ancient!"

Hugh

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

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