Abstract
The Cerralbo Museum in Madrid treasures among its funds one of the best collections of photoengraving matrices, dated between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. These metallic matrices were used in the illustration of the periodical publications related to the Marquis of Cerralbo. The collection was stored from its origin in the museum's warehouses, in 20 cardboard boxes, with the matrices stacked inside and unclassified. Each photographic matrix was wrapped in a sheet of original paper with the printed image to identify it, following the traditional protection system in the workshops. The only conservation measure, so far, was the general control of the environmental conditions of the warehouse.
The present study aims to offer general guidelines for the conservation and restoration of this type of property through the study of the Cerralbo Museum collection, so that it can serve as a guide for future conservation and restoration actions in similar collections. We consider that it is a novel intervention proposal for these cultural assets, whose methodology and criteria are based on the evaluation and prior establishment of various levels of affectation in order to be able to manage the collection in a comprehensive manner.