In a message dated 8/19/99 11:11:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> As I recall, the preferred preservation techniques in 1960's involved
>  aluminum siding, plate glass windows in historic buildings, and floods of
>  roofing tar.  What do you "heavy conservationists" think has been learned
in
>  the last 40 years - and what are the biggest unknowns

I'm not sure if I could speak for the last 40 years, but I will say this.

What has been learned...
-Sometimes technology isn't the answer, it's the problem.

The biggest unknowns...
-If George Washington had owned a microwave, where would he have installed it
at Mount Vernon?

-I believe that today we build, in Ruskin's words, "for present delight
alone." So taking that thought to its final conclusion, what will our
grandchildren think of today's buildings and material culture?