EVERY year, millions of people visit Glasgow's art galleries and museums to see the city's priceless treasures.

What most will never see are the highly trained experts behind the scenes who have the task of preserving every individual object for future generations.

And whether it's Dali's iconic painting in Kelvingrove, which would fetch an eyewatering sum if ever sold, or a tiny seashell, each is treated with the same care.

Glasgow has around 1.4million individual pieces - with an insurance value of £1.5billion - of which only a tiny 1.5% are ever on show at any one time.

The remainder are in storage in a number of venues across the city where they are kept in conditions of top security.

Jane Rowlands, Glasgow Museum's conservation manager, said: "All of us in the museum service have a duty to look after items which belong to the people of Glasgow. We are looking after them on their behalf."

The Evening Times was invited behind the scenes to witness at first hand the work that goes into ensuring the collection is kept in the best possible condition.

Out of public view at the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park is a rabbit's warren of rooms where staff work with painstaking care on a wide range of textiles and other objects.

Textile conservator Helen Hughes is currently repairing a 19th century tapestry with thread so fine it is almost invisible to the naked eye.

Along with others, it has to be ready to go on display to the public in summer next year.

Before she picked up a needle, Helen did a massive amount of research on the tapestry including whether previous restoration had been carried out and what type of dye was used when the piece was made.

Only then did she start to repair a two inch tear which took almost an entire day to complete.

Jane said: "It is really important to thoroughly examine and understand what it is we are dealing with."

Objects infested with insects are put in a deep freeze which does not damage the item but kills its unwanted lodgers.

Next door to Helen, two conservators are testing under a microscope the best type of polish to use on silver items.

Further along the corridor, archaeology and ethnography assistant curator Katie Webbe is about to start work on a Maori figure which was brought from New Zealand in 1850.

It has undergone botched restoration in the past and Katie will not only put that right but will also repair a series of deep cracks in the wooden figure.

Downstairs there is a sneak preview of a 1930s dress made by Sauchiehall Street dressmaker Murielle, which will go on display in the new Riverside Museum. It is in remarkable condition but textile conservator Maggie Dobbie will go over it inch by inch to check if it needs repair and cleaning.

Jane said: "The interesting thing about conservation work is that we don't think about the value of what we are working with but as an object worthy of preserving.

"As a result, a priceless tapestry or work of art is dealt with in a similar way as something that does not look as valuable or interesting." Maggie Dobbie examines a 1930s dress bound for the new Riverside Museum, while thousands of other exhibits lie in storage. Helen Hughes faces painstaking work in restoring an ornate 19th century tapestry