'The conservation of baby incubators' (1)

PAPER, ICOM-CC 16th TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE

• Isabel Tissot^a, Manuel Lemos^a, Pedro Pedroso^a, Maria S. Lemos^b. 2011. The conservation of baby incubators: balance between medical heritage and social history, In ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference Preprints, Lisboa, 19–23 September, 2011, ed. J. Bridgland, pub. Critério. Paris: International Council of Museums.
  The conservation of baby incubators: balance between medical heritage and social history
  
  ^{a Archeofactu
  b Protective Early Childhood Portuguese Association}

^{Abstract
The Associação Protectora da Primeira Infância (APPI, Association for the Protection of Early Infancy) has four Lion’s brand baby incubators from the late 19th century. These metal incubators, with water and ventilation circuits, are relevant to the medical heritage and represent an important milestone in the scientific and technological developments applied to child care which have led to the emergence of neonatology. The APPI’s incubators were used for several decades and present surface corrosion requiring treatment. This paper outlines the incubators’ conservation, which was preceded by a reflective assessment of the social and historical context, the aesthetic identity and specific issues related to scientific heritage conservation. Particular attention is given to the selection of the surface protection system, which should behave as a barrier against corrosion and meet the aesthetic requirements, thus representing a compromise between the incubators’ conservation and their valorisation.}