Hermes Knauer is a metal conservator and the department's armorer. Conservators look after the objects and ensure their safety. Objects in museum collections are often very old, and with age they become fragile, sometimes even damaged, and need special care. Hermes will make sure that objects are safely displayed in the galleries or properly stored in our storerooms when they are not on display. He will also carefully clean objects to prevent corrosion, and sometimes make small repairs like replacing a leather strap on the back of a piece of armor. In this work, he can assist curators like Stuart by telling him how objects were made, and pointing out where they may have been repaired at an earlier time.

Conservators and curators assist each other in their work, and together they preserve the objects in our collection for future generations.