Past Matters, LLC is a woman- and minority-owned small business dedicated to the preservation and conservation of artifacts, art, and architecture. We are involved in all aspects of preserving historic and cultural resources, from research and planning to assessment and treatment. Our professional conservators are committed to working in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Clients include local, state, national, and international non-profit and private entities.
Debora Rodrigues, Principal Conservator and Collections Care Specialist, has over 25 years of experience in the field of historic preservation, conservation, and museum collections management. She holds three degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: a Bachelor of Arts in Design of the Environment, a Master of Science in Historic Preservation, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Architectural Conservation. Ms. Rodrigues is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation.
Sample projects undertaken by Past Matters include the following:
+ Conservation of Grover the Geologic Rover, a 1970s lunar roving vehicle located in the Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. Documentation of all treatment work, with recommendations for exhibit and maintenance.
+ Comprehensive conditions assessment of all bronze sculptures at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, including six large exterior sculptures and nine smaller interior sculptures. Recommendations for treatment with cost estimates.
+ Collections condition survey of approximately 1,000 objects within the museum collection of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. The objects consist of tributes from visitors who have brought offerings to the memorial, many of which are now preserved in the collections of the National Park Service.
+ Cleaning and consolidation of historic graffiti on the plastered walls and wooden windows and doors of a historic jail at the Tule Lake Unit of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in California. Careful documentation of all graffiti and protection of surfaces during ongoing construction activities.
+ Maintenance, conservation, and restoration of the collection of public artworks belonging to the City of Coral Gables in Florida, including works such as Regeneration Art Snail, a piece created from recycled, artificial material, and Midsummer Night’s Dream, a large-scale oolite stone bench in Balboa Plaza.
+ Collections assessment for preservation of the Masur Museum of Art, the largest collection and exhibiting visual arts museum in Northeast Louisiana. Review of exhibit and storage spaces.
+ Historic treatment program for the Old Stone House, the oldest structure on its original foundation in Washington DC, including recommendations for stone, brick, wood, and plasterwork. Quality control during construction activities.
+ Collections storage plan for a museum collection storage facility in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, including determining equipment and spatial requirements for the collections and providing techniques for housing objects to maximize capacity, reduce risks, and ensure accessibility.
+ Examination, assessment, and documentation of nine historic missiles located in Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Recommendations for cleaning, conservation, restoration, and future care.
