Summary
A water leak at the Louvre Museum damaged 300 to 400 rare books in its Egyptian antiquities library. The affected documents were primarily research journals from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and no ancient works were damaged. The museum is working to repair the damage and improve its infrastructure to prevent future incidents.
Key Facts
- The Louvre Museum experienced a water leak that damaged hundreds of rare books.
- The leak occurred in the Egyptian antiquities library and affected 300 to 400 documents.
- The damaged books were mostly archaeological journals and research volumes, not ancient texts.
- Museum staff acted quickly to dry the pages and set up air dehumidifiers to reduce further damage.
- The leak was due to poor conditions of the water pipes, which had been a known issue.
- Renovations to address these infrastructure problems are planned for next September.
- The Louvre recently faced additional challenges, including a high-profile theft of jewels and structural issues in other museum parts.
- The museum aims to secure more funding for infrastructure improvements to protect its collections.
