The Conservation and Collections Departments are dedicated to the preservation, care, and responsible stewardship of the collection, including the Native Collections. Our preventive conservation efforts focus on maintaining a stable museum environment by monitoring light levels, temperature, and relative humidity, as well as providing archival-quality housing for collection items. When conservation treatment is necessary, the emphasis is on stabilization techniques to prevent further deterioration, rather than more interventive restoration methods.

Following museum standards, the Autry Museum has long practiced an integrated pest management approach that emphasizes the prevention of pest-related damage while aiming to reduce potential risks to human health and the environment. Preventive strategies include regular monitoring, identifying pests, and, when needed, using low-temperature (freezing) or anoxia (oxygen-free) treatments for collections. In accordance with best practices, conservators document all treatments through written reports. These records are stored in the museum’s collections management database and are available to Native nations and Indigenous communities upon request.