Treasures on Earth: A Good Housekeeping Guide to Churches and Their Contents

Churches are valuable not only for their significance within Christian religion, but also because of the historic value of the buildings themselves, and the artistic objects, furnishings and decorative features contained within them. This book explains the techniques and artistry involved in caring for the fabric and contents of churches. It considers the problems of cleaning and repair, and the damage that can be done by over-zealous non-specialists. The contributions to this book are wide-ranging and each chapter is written by a highly regarded specialist in his/her field. In addition to offering guidance on the conservation of stained glass, sculpture, textiles, metalwork, floors, furniture, decorative plaster work, paintings and so on, the book also covers the technical aspects of creating the right environment with the heating, ventilation and lighting of the building. The advice this volume contains should be essential reading for everyone concerned with the care and upkeep of churches.