Protecting art 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.

Dry air can also cause paintings to crack, so they should not be stored or displayed 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. 

Gander & White was founded in 1933 by Frank White. 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. They had previous system in place to measure climate, but it had a number of draw backs. These included 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 Jim Grundy – Director of Art Operations) 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, (as is the norm in this type of application), they were looking for a system that would provide 24/7 monitoring of the facility, to ensure that the fine art was being maintained at the correct temperature and humidity levels, going forward.

Interestingly however, they also intended to install a system to establish when the new building would be ready to use. Jim initially had concerns initially 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. To monitor the humidity levels in the various areas of this large facility, 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.