Looking After Our Collection: Protecting the Stories Behind the Objects.

The Airborne Assault Museum is home to a collection that tells the story of Britain's airborne forces through the objects, photographs, documents and personal possessions of the people who served.

At first glance, a uniform, flag, weapon or document may simply look like an historic object. But look a little closer and each one can tell us something about the person who used it, the unit they served with, where they went and, sometimes, what they experienced.

That is what makes the collection so important.

Our responsibility is not simply to keep these objects safe. It is to make sure that the stories attached to them survive as well.

When Airborne Assault moved to IWM Duxford in 2008, only part of the collection could be displayed. Much of the remainder was carefully packed and placed into the Reserve Collection, with measures taken to protect it from risks such as damp and pests. Since the Collections Review began at the end of 2024, we have been looking much more closely at the collection, recording, photographing, labelling and assessing objects and considering how we can improve their long-term care.  You can read more about the Collections Review here.

A major part of this work is improving how the collection is stored.

Preventing damage before it happens

Good conservation is not always about repairing something once it has been damaged. Often, the best thing we can do is prevent damage from happening in the first place.

This is the principle of preventive conservation.

Every type of object has different needs. A historic uniform needs protection from dust, unnecessary handling and pressure. A flag may need careful support to prevent damaging folds. Metal weapons and equipment need protection against corrosion. Paper documents need stable, archival materials and protection from moisture, light and unsuitable packaging.

Rather than treating everything in the same way, we are taking a more considered approach: understanding each object and giving it the protection it needs.

Looking after uniforms

Historic uniforms are some of the most personal objects in our collection. They were made to be worn and used, but after decades of age, the fabrics can become fragile.

We will be introducing individual Tyvek bags to provide additional protection for uniforms in storage, resting on padded hangers to protect the fabrics structural integrity.

Tyvek is widely used in museums because it is strong, lightweight and suitable for long-term storage. It provides a protective barrier against dust while remaining breathable and is recognised as a suitable material for textile and costume storage. Giving each uniform its own protective covering will also reduce the chance of badges, buttons, buckles or other fittings catching on neighbouring garments.

Most importantly, it will help us handle the uniforms less.

Every time a fragile historic textile is moved, there is a small risk of damage. Good storage should therefore make it possible to find and retrieve an object without unnecessarily disturbing everything around it.

We will also be using Plastazote lining on storage shelves. Plastazote is a stable polyethylene foam commonly used in museums to provide cushioning and support. It will create a protective surface between the uniform and the hard shelving, helping to reduce pressure and abrasion.

Together, the Plastazote and Tyvek create a simple but effective layered system of protection.

Caring for flags and other textiles

Flags are another important part of the collection, and they can be particularly challenging to care for.

Many historic flags are large and heavy, while the fabric, stitching, embroidery or painted details may have weakened over time. Repeated folding can put stress on already fragile areas.

Where appropriate, flags will therefore be stored with suitable support and conservation materials, using methods that reduce sharp folds, pressure and unnecessary handling. Acid-free tissue and appropriate conservation textiles can be used where additional cushioning or separation is needed.

The aim is always the same: to protect the object while respecting its individual condition.

Caring for weapons and equipment

Our military collection also includes weapons, equipment and other objects made from metal and a range of different materials.

These objects require a different approach from textiles. Metal, for example, can be vulnerable to corrosion caused by moisture, environmental changes and inappropriate handling.

Weapons and equipment will therefore be assessed individually, with appropriate supports and storage methods used to prevent movement, pressure or damage to vulnerable components.

Good handling is equally important. Where necessary, appropriate gloves and handling procedures will be used to prevent moisture and contaminants from hands coming into contact with sensitive surfaces.

The objective is not to make these objects inaccessible. It is to make them safer to store, handle and study.

Protecting the Paradata Archive

The collection is not only made up of physical military objects. The Paradata Archive is an equally important part of our history.

The archive contains documents, photographs, correspondence, reports and other records that help us understand the objects and the people behind them.

Paper needs its own conservation approach.

Documents can become brittle, yellowed or damaged over time, particularly when stored in unsuitable materials. Adhesives, acidic folders, poor-quality plastics, moisture and excessive handling can all shorten the life of historic paper.

As part of the improvements to the archive, we will use archival-quality, acid-free and lignin-free conservation materials, including suitable folders, boxes, sleeves and interleaving papers.

Acid-free tissue and conservation-quality interleaving can be used to separate fragile documents or prevent direct contact between materials. Photographs will also be stored in appropriate archival sleeves, selected according to their particular needs.

This may seem like a small change, but the right storage materials can make a significant difference over the long term.

The archive is particularly valuable because it can provide information that an object alone cannot. A document might identify a soldier, explain an operation, record the history of a unit or tell us how an object came into the Museum's collection. In many cases, the document and the object complete each other's story.

Making the collection accessible

Conservation is not about putting objects away and forgetting about them.

The purpose of improving storage is to make the collection both safer and easier to use.

Better labelling, organised storage and appropriate packaging will help staff and volunteers find objects more easily. This means less unnecessary handling and makes it easier to respond to researchers, prepare exhibitions and develop future displays.

The Collections Review is therefore helping us build a stronger relationship between the objects, their records and the Paradata Archive.

Protecting the stories for the future. It is about people.

Every object in the Airborne Assault Museum has the potential to tell us something. A uniform can tell us about an individual. A flag can represent a unit. A weapon can demonstrate how people trained and fought. A photograph can capture a moment in time. A handwritten document can give us a personal voice from the past.

Together, they tell the much bigger story of Britain's airborne forces.

Our job is to make sure those stories are still here in the future.

By introducing Tyvek bags, Plastazote-lined shelving and appropriate archival materials, while improving the care of flags, weapons, equipment, photographs and documents, we are taking practical steps towards protecting the collection for the long term.

Ultimately, conservation is about more than materials and storage.

It is about remembering those who served, preserving the evidence of their experiences and making sure that future generations can still hold, study and understand the objects that connect us to their stories.