THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION † NOVEMBER … · THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION † NOVEMBER 2012 † ISSUE 43 ICONnewsNOVEMBER2012Cover:01234 5/11/12

A treatment turns full circle

Also in this issue

Accreditation goes East

Horn, coated paper, bats

Meeting the new interns

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION • NOVEMBER 2012 • ISSUE 43

ICONnewsNOVEMBER2012Cover:01234 5/11/12 08:49 Page 1

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Conservation Tools & Equipment

visit us online at www.willard.co.uk

Willard Conservation Limited, The Workshop, Leigh Road, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8TS United KingdomT: +44 (0)1243 776928 E: [email protected] W: www.willard.co.uk

By Appointment To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIConservation Equipment Engineers

Willard Conservation Ltd, Chichester

Willard Conservation manufactures and supplies a unique range of equipment, specifically designed for use in the conservation, restoration & preservation of works of art and historic cultural media.

Our product range provides a premier equipment and technology choice at an affordable price.

Visit our website at www.willard.co.uk to see our wide range of conservation equipment and tools and to find out how we may be able to help you with your specific conservation needs.


inside NOVEMBER 2012Issue 43

2 NEWSFrom the CEO andmembership FAQs;Professional guidelinesupdate; West Dean news;trustee talk

12PEOPLEMeet the new intake of interns

14ACCREDITATION GOESEASTSingapore conservators go forACR status

18AROUND AND ABOUTAn alloy bowl hides secrets;Glasgow students meet thepublic; learning about bats;choosing photographicequipment

23GROUP NEWS& Graduate Voice on coatedpaper

28REVIEWSAIC photography guide; IICCongress; courses onjapanning and the book; visitsto Abbotsford, a Glasgow artexhibition and a tapestryworkshop

35 IN PRACTICETreating a horn flask

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Institute of Conservation1.5, Lafone House, The Leathermarket, Weston StreetLondon SE1 3ER

T +44(0)20 3142 6799

[email protected]@icon.org.ukwww.icon.org.uk

Chief ExecutiveAlison Richmond [email protected]

Conservation Registerconservationregister@icon.org.ukwww.conservationregister.com

ISSN 1749-8988

Icon NewsEditorLynette [email protected]

Production designerMalcolm [email protected]

PrintersL&S Printing Company Limitedwww.ls-printing.com

Design Rufus [email protected]

For recruitment and all otheradvertisingRebecca Hendry020 3142 [email protected]

Cover photo:A Roman copper alloy bowl seenfrom above. Old fills from a previousrestoration have been removed butthe structural supports used to buildup the rim can still be seen. ©Hampshire County Council Arts &Museums Service

Disclaimer:Whilst every effort is made to ensureaccuracy, the editors and Icon Boardof Trustees can accept noresponsibility for the contentexpressed in Icon News; it is solelythat of individual contributors

Deadlines:

For January 2013 issue

Editorial: 28 November

Adverts: 10 December

From the Editor With the last issue we completed seven yearsof publication of Icon News! It hardly seemspossible: so many stories told, so manytechniques explained, so many memberscongratulated on awards and honours, somany interns welcomed and so many eventsattended.

To keep us all on our toes, we are introducing one or twosmall changes to the layout but the content remains broadlysimilar and as you, the reader, provide so much of thatcontent it seems the right moment for me to say a heart-feltthank you to all the authors of our first seven years. Whetheryou were uncertain with your first venture into print or well-practised and fluent, it has been a huge pleasure hearing fromyou and working with you. I cannot put the magazine togetherwithout you, so do keep the stories flowing in and let yourcolleagues share your triumphs – or learn from your disasters.

At the start of our eighth year, we have two pieces which Ithink demonstrate Icon’s solid worth as a professional body.We hear from a group of conservators in Singapore whodecided to undertake accreditation – a great accolade for thePACR concept and process. We also introduce the next batchof interns: a vote of confidence by their funders in Icon’sprofessionalism and dedication to the future of conservation.On which note, early bird booking has opened for next April’sconference Positive Futures. Don’t miss it!

Lynette Gill

ICON NEWS • NOVEMBER 2012 • 1

Icon is registered as a Charity inEngland and Wales (Number1108380) and in Scotland (NumberSC039336) and is a CompanyLimited by Guarantee, (Number5201058)

IconNewsNOVEMBER2012 5/11/12 08:45 Page 1

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ABOUT ICON MEMBERSHIP

Wiebke Morgan, Icon’s Membership Manager, writes:Since arriving at Icon inJanuary I have focussed onmaking membershiprenewals and applications amore efficient and smoother-running process, and I amnow able to work on otherexciting developments, likethe membership campaign.

Since 2010, membershipfigures have been steady ataround 2,400, with retentionat about 85% and newmember growth accountingfor 13% of the total. Whilst astable membership isimportant, increasedmembership and its income

are vital to sustain Icon and extend its influence.

In the last membership survey (2008) members said that whatthey valued most was:

• Advocacy (both government and employers);

• Member communications (Icon News and Iconnect ratedmost highly);

• Supporting CPD;

• Accreditation.

From a ‘Lapsed Membership Campaign’ which we conductedin April/May this year, we learnt that most lapses were due toa career change or leaving the sector. Those who re-instatedtheir membership said:

‘I love membership, particularly the skills and training strategythat has just come out’

‘It helps keep me up to date and I also like attending theconferences’

‘I am working towards accreditation, I find it helpful to find outabout courses etc’

‘I find the journal interesting but even more so the newsletter– too many benefits to mention!’

‘When I first started out I wanted to meet new people andmix with the conservation fraternity. I also want to stay up todate with my discipline’

Although appreciated, the benefits and value of Iconmembership need to be profiled more prominently andunderstood. Anecdotal evidence suggests the potential toincrease membership, particularly among emergingprofessionals.

Taking all this into account, our Membership Campaign hasthree strong goals:

1. to increase retention rates to 96% by 2015

Since March, we have increased member engagementthrough Facebook, phone contact, an insurance survey, andlaunched CEO and trustee articles in Icon News. There ismore we wish to (and will) do to increase membershipsatisfaction.

2. to increase membership to 3,000 by 2016

We will target those with a profile similar to that of existingmembers, as they are likely to find our membership benefitsattractive. Our Workforce Intelligence Research will tell usabout the size of the sector in 2013. Icon’s Groups’ valuablerole in recruiting new members remains vital to achieving ourmembership target.

3. to improve members’ satisfaction with membershipprocesses and benefits to 85% by 2015

A membership survey in 2013 will evaluate levels ofsatisfaction with our service, providing us with direction onpriority areas to improve.

We plan to do this in several ways:

• By expanding our social media presence, building on ourvolunteer-maintained Facebook and Twitter sites, to makethe most of these communication tools to spread Iconmessages more widely.

• By creating an attractive non-member online newsletter topromote conservation and Icon’s work and its sector role tomore people.

• By learning about our members and their motivations tostay and why others might join, using the data from ourWorkforce Intelligence Research and member and non-member surveys

• By continuously improving our customer service, forexample, through personally welcoming every new memberand looking after current members more closely, improvingcommunication through networking and engaging withmembers, making joining and renewals easier (online), andby having a presence at events to reach potential newmembers.

The campaign will involve the entire Icon team and will meanworking closely with Icon Groups and members. Happymembers make Icon thrive and if Icon thrives we can do somuch more to benefit everyone working and learning in oursector. A successful membership organisation will havegreater influence and provide even greater public benefit tocaring for our heritage and making it accessible to peoplenow and in the future.

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WHAT IS ICON DOING FOR ITS MEMBERS?Alison Richmond writes:

Members often ask: is Icon amembership organisation, aprofessional association or acharity? The answer is: we areall three.

Icon’s membership of 2400 ismainly comprised ofconservators, but we alsohave many supporters andabout one hundredorganisations representinganother thousand individuals.(The pie chart shows Icon’scomposition in more detail.)This membership allows us toclaim that we are the leadvoice for conservation ofmovable cultural property in

the UK. i

We are also a professional association because we setstandards for the profession and for others involved in theconservation of cultural heritage and we advocate forprofessional conservation. Our process of ProfessionalAccreditation for Conservator-Restorers (PACR) is based on aset of standards which now underpins the NationalOccupations Standards for Cultural Heritage.ii

Our charitable status is based on our ability to deliver publicbenefit. We do so through two ‘charitable objects’, whichdefine how we do this.iii Most professional associations likeours are also registered charities. This status makes Iconeligible for funding from grant-giving bodies and foundations,

such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Not-for-profitorganisations are given priority in Heritage Lottery Fundapplications and our HLF award of nearly £2.5 million,2007–15, is significantly important for Icon. As a charity we areexempt from paying corporation tax and in some cases canclaim back VAT.

These three identities are perfectly compatible as long as wecarefully direct the balance between them. As an example,our recent decision to stop claiming gift aid on membershipsubscriptions (allowed as a charity) enables us to apply forProfessional Body Status with HMRC, which in turn frees us topromote membership more effectively and allows membersto claim their subscription against their tax.

When asked what Icon is doing for members, the answer fallsunder all these three identities. Everything that Icon does isfor members, affecting them directly and indirectly, whether itis providing CPD events, publishing our highly valued journal,advocating for professional conservation, creating anenvironment for conservation to thrive, or reviewing our peerreview process to ensure that ‘ACR’ builds confidence as themark of industry quality.

There is always more to do to benefit our members. Increasedmember satisfaction inspires members to encourage theircolleagues, friends and students to join Icon. In this way, ourmembership will grow. To support this we are planning amembership campaign, outlined opposite. Please let us knowyour thoughts about it.

i) ‘Moveable cultural property’ because there are other organisations whomore directly represent the voice of the built heritage

ii) http://tinyurl.com/czsyw6k

iii) ‘To advance the education of the public by research into and thepromotion of the conservation of items and collections of items of cultural,aesthetic, historic and scientific value’ and ‘To preserve and conserve itemsand collections of items of cultural, aesthetic, historic and scientific value’

762, 32%

1051, 44%

341, 14%

54, 2% 75, 3%

115, 5% Icon MembershipAugust 20122,398 members

Accredited

Full

Student

Graduate

Organisation

Supporter

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ICON’S NEW ACTING CHAIROur Chair of the Board ofTrustees, Amber Xavier Rowe,had no sooner gone onmaternity leave than ImogenSusan Rowe arrived on 20 October. CongratulationsAmber! In the meantime,Juergen Vervoorst, Icon’s ViceChair, has stepped in to act asChair until the AGM on 3 December when the resultsof the Board elections will beannounced.

POSITIVE FUTURES 2013 By the time you read this, registration for our next triennialinternational Icon conference will have opened. Don’t missthe early bird booking rate which ends on 18 January. You willfind all the information you need to consider before you bookon our conference website www.IconPF13.com

There was a great response to the calls for papers with sixtyfive abstracts received for the plenary sessions alone.Volunteers on the Organising Committee and on GroupCommittees have been working hard on the programme. Youwill find the draft programme on our website.

We are delighted to announce that Historic Scotland issupporting the conference with funding that includesbursaries for members of Icon Scotland Group to attend. Weare also asking other organisations to support delegateattendance in this way.

We are looking for members and student members who arewilling to volunteer on the day. If you sign up as a helper, yourdelegate fee will be waived. If you are interested pleasecontact Wiebke Morgan [email protected]

GABO TRUST CONFERENCE GRANTThe Gabo Trust for Sculpture Conservation is offeringbursaries of up to £1,000 for suitable candidates to attend thePositive Futures conference at the University of Glasgow inApril 2013.

Applications will be accepted from now to 31 January 2013and must be submitted to the Gabo Trust on a completedapplication form (available by email, post or download fromthe Gabo Trust website). A letter of support from a Head ofDepartment (if employed by an institution) will also berequired along with two professional references.

Successful candidates will receive an award letter confirmingthe grant amount by 21February 2013. Payment will be madeon receipt of invoices/receipts from those running the event.Successful candidates will be required to submit a brief reportno later than one month after attendance at the conference.

Web:wwwgabotrust.org Email:[email protected]

professional updateSTUDYING THE CONSERVATIONWORKFORCEIt is great news that Icon has been awarded funding for itsConservation Workforce Intelligence Research Project. Theproject will identify the nature of employment and work forprofessional conservators across the UK in 2012–13. It hasbeen generously supported by Arts Council England, EnglishHeritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. We are delighted bythis endorsement of Icon to carry out this much-neededresearch.

The absence of up-to-date workforce intelligence forconservation has meant that the sector has previously reliedon out-of-date or anecdotal evidence of skill needs inconservation. The new project will collate and reviewinformation that has already been gathered about the natureof the conservation workforce across the UK. This will becombined with new data that will be collected by surveyingemployers in both the private and public sectors to identifythe profile of their workforces and their skills’ needs for thenext five years.

The data will provide a foundation for effective advocacy andbe a benchmark for measuring the success of the NationalConservation Education & Skills Strategy (NCESS). Acquiringand using this labour market intelligence will allow museumsand the conservation sector to plan and prioritise actions thatwill sustain and support a skilled and diverse conservationworkforce.

For more information about the Conservation WorkforceIntelligence Research project or the NCESS, contact KennethAitchison, Skills Strategy Manager, [email protected].

IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR ALL ACRS

CPD recall 2013: Do we have your correct email?From 2013 the annual cpd recall will be co-ordinatedelectronically. This means that if you have been recalled youwill receive notification and feedback by email. If you do notuse email please notify us by writing to: Accreditation Officer,Institute of Conservation, PO Box 7452, Hilton, BlandfordForum, Dorset DT11 1BU.

It is a requirement of maintaining your ACR status that yousubmit a cpd review when requested and so it is importantthat your contact details are accurate. If you would like toupdate your email details please contact either KatherineCresser, Membership Officer ([email protected]) or ShullaJaques ([email protected]) by 11 January 2013.

PROFESSIONAL CODES & GUIDELINES

Icon Trustee Lizzie Neville ACR updates the progress ondeveloping Icon’s own codesLast issue we announced to members that Icon was forming aworking group with the goal of developing Icon’s own Codesof Ethics and Practice. Drafts of the Codes and supportingguidelines would be made available to members to commenton, prior to balloting members in 2013.



trusted to behave accordingly but what will be the process toreprimand or remove any member who is found to betray thattrust?

Please try to come along to the AGM. Members’ input will bevery much appreciated.

DEVELOPMENTS AT WEST DEAN West Dean College (part of the Edward James Foundation) inSussex offers a number of graduate and postgraduateprogrammes of study in conservation disciplines: books,ceramics, clocks, metalwork, and furniture. It is also the venuefor a regular series of short Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment courses for conservators, ranging from horologyto the conservation of concrete.

The Foundation has recently been undergoing areorganisation under its new (and first) Chief Executive, PeterPearce, designed to unify activities across the Foundationunder a single management team. In the new structure, theposts of Principal and Head of Academic Affairs have beenconsolidated and replaced by one new post of Director ofHigher Education held by Dr Roger Bown, who has been atWest Dean for over a decade as its Head of Academic Affairs.The extensive and popular range of short courses continuesto be run by Alison Baxter. Robert Pulley, who as Principal hasserved and developed the College for eleven years, is movingon to a new challenge. Bob was particularly inspired by theCollege’s potential to expand its offering in art and design-related courses and programmes. He also took a real interestin conservation and listened to the voices of the professionwhen developing West Dean’s conservation offering. I knowmany Icon members would want to join with me in wishingBob well in his future career.

The Foundation sees its conservation courses as being at thecore of what it offers in the future, and is initiating an externalreview of its education provision to ensure it meets futureneeds to the best of its ability; Icon will be closely consulted

We have been able to bringtogether a working group spanningthe spectrum of Icon’s professionalmembership: archaeology to newmedia; practitioners, conservationmanagers and conservationscientists, with backgrounds fromboth the commercial andinstitutional sectors. Several of theworking group have an in-depthexperience of the PACR standardsthrough their contributions asAssessors or AccreditationCommittee members and othershave past experiences of workingon Code of Ethics Committees.

Working group members:Jonathan Ashley Smith ACRDinah Eastop ACRJulie Eklund ACRMary Greenacre ACRMartin Holden ACRHelen Hughes ACRPip Laurenson ACRClare Meredith ACRKathy Tubb ACR

Supporting Icon Trustees:Ylva Dhansjo ACRJane Henderson ACRJuergen Vervoorst ACRLizzie Neville ACR

Icon staff Kenneth Aitchison, Susan Bradshaw and ShullaJacques will also provide support and advice. At variousstages of the project we will be asking for help from ‘criticalfriends’, outside of Icon, to draw on their own experiences ofdeveloping professional codes and guidelines and to ensurethat our own documents are framed appropriately for legalpurposes and for dealing appropriately with infringements ofour professional codes.

We had intended to have the first drafts ready for Icon’sDecember AGM. This was over ambitious and there havebeen several requests from the working group to extend thisproject to ensure plenty of development time and give themembership due opportunity to consider the proposalsbefore a ballot. We will let members know, via Iconnect, whenrelevant documents are put up on the website and we will beholding a discussion session, with Icon members, after theofficial proceedings of the AGM on 3 December. Memberswill be able there to question representatives of the workinggroup and discuss any concerns with us.

Developing new codes and guidelines has an impact on everymember of Icon and this is an opportunity for all of us toconsider what it is that makes conservation different fromother professions and how to explain this clearly. We alsoneed to consider what it means to be a professionalconservator bound by the Icon codes. All members of Iconwill be fellow professionals and should be treated as such and

Lizzie Neville

West Dean’s new Chief Executive Peter Pearce


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as part of this important project. Funding for the purchase offurther analytical equipment and for training ProgrammeLeader David Dorning to use it are further evidence of thisstrategy.

I look forward to working with Dr Bown, along with theconservation programme leaders and tutors, on West Dean’srole in implementing Icon’s National Conservation Educationand Skills Strategy.

Alison Richmond, Chief Executive

The consultation on education will be led by Dr. Clare Morris.Anyone interested in contributing to this important work pleasecontact Jackie Herrington [email protected]

EASING THE TRANSITION…from student to worker, Buckinghamshire New Universityhas recently launched a company to help its conservationgraduates access furniture conservation work and privatecommissions. Called Bucks Conservation, the pioneeringenterprise will channel commercial conservation andrestoration projects to recent alumni from their BA (Hons) andMA Furniture Conservation, Restoration and Decorative Artscourses. The idea is to help them make the transition fromeducation to employment within the conservation sector.

Under the guidance of the University’s furniture conservationexperts, graduates will gain valuable experience in acommercial environment, where they will be employed fortwelve to eighteen months developing their conservationskills and expertise as well as sharpening their business skills.Selection to join the new company is by interview and aportfolio review.

Dr Campbell Norman-Smith, Course Leader of the MA

Furniture Conservation and Decorative Arts, comments: ‘thelaunch of Bucks Conservation is a unique opportunity tosupport our most talented graduates and provide them withexceptional commercial experience, which will give them anedge when looking for employment in the conservation andrestoration professions’. It is believed to be the first alumnibusiness model of its kind in the UK.

ARSENIC RISK UPDATEIn the last Ingestion table, published in ‘Safe Handling ofMuseum Collections Containing Arsenic’ article in Icon News,May 2012, Issue 40, p.19, I did not clearly explain how theresults from a 2cm² sample translate into how much potentialarsenic is within the bird, and therefore how much one wouldneed to ingest to become ill. I have had a few requests toexplain this, so hopefully the table below will help.

World Health Organisation Guidelines indicate that there is anincreased risk to health from ingesting about 3 µg of inorganicarsenic per kg of body weight per day. For a 50kg female, thiscorresponds to 150 µg of arsenic per day (this has changedsince the earlier article, so it is always useful to check forupdates on the health sites).

Sample A – 2cm² sample weighing approx 0.05g – 40mg/kg

Sample B – 2cm² sample weighing approx 0.05g – 1.6mg/kg

Sample C – gloves weighing approx 11g – 27mg/kg

Also be aware that labs can give the results in mg/kg or %. Soif you received a result as a percentage, for example, 40%,you would need to carry out the following calculation:

Weight of the sample (0.05g) x 40% = 0.02g = 20 mg per sample100%

Samples Labresults

Amount in wholebird (assumedcylindrical shape)

Amount requiredto be ingested

Lab sample BSpotted crake

1.6 mg/kgof sample

Total area 360cm²A 2cm² sampleweighs approx 0.05g360cm² weighs 9g9g of skin contains0.009 x 1.6 = 14.4 µgAs

You would needto ingest morethan 10 wholebirds per day

Lab sample ACapercaillie

40 mg/kgof sample

Total area 2080 cm²A 2cm² sampleweighs approx 0.05g2080cm² weighs 52g52g of skin contains0.052 x 40 = 2.08 mgAs

You would needto ingest 75 x2cm² samples perday

Lab sample CGloves

27 mg/kgof sample

One pair of glovesweighs 11g andcontains 0.011 x 27 =0.297 mg As

You would needto ingest the dustfrom one gloveper day

John Bly and Lennox Cato, antiques experts who have appeared onthe BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, with an ornamental torchere restoredby Bucks New University Master’s graduate, Nicola Little, at TheCourtauld Gallery in London, where the new company was launched.



The results might also be in parts per million (PPM) –numerically this is the same as mg/kg.

In conclusion I could say that it is unlikely that one willbecome ill through ingesting the bird but there is definitely arisk through ingestion from glove to mouth; this incombination with potential absorption through the skin makesthe use of PPE vital when handling these collections.

I would like to thank Julian Thompson Webb for his adviceand Barry Knight for his help to review the data provided.

Deborah Cane ACRHoard Conservation Project ManagerConservation and Environment OfficerBirmingham Museum and Art Gallery

WALL PAINTING SCHOLARSHIPSThe Courtauld Institute of Art has announced that AkzoNobel,the world’s largest paint and coatings company, is fundingthree postgraduate students undertaking either a PhD or MAin Conservation of Wall Painting from October this year. Thesethree latest Scholarships are for students from India, Chinaand Brazil.

LIBRARY NEWS

Opening hoursIn our last issue we announcedchanges to the Chantry Library’sopening hours There has been afurther change since and thelatest news is that Ros Buck willbe spreading her hours overthree days instead of two.

The hours now are:Monday AM (9.00 –12.30)Tuesday ALL DAYWednesday PM (1.30 –5.00)

Ros has been busy recentlydelivering workshops on PracticalInformation Skills forConservators. And look out for

new subject bibliographies coming soon….

PhotocopiesDon’t forget that we supply photocopies of journal articles,chapters from books, and conference papers, which are heldin the Chantry Library collection. Icon members can claim tenfree articles each year, provided either as scanned pages or inhard copy. Email Ros Buck, Librarian [email protected] with your requests, quoting yourmembership number, or complete and send the copyrightform available on the Chantry Library webpageswww.chantrylibrary.org.uk (Library Services).

Recently received publicationsContributions to the 2012 IIC Vienna Congress, (10–14September 2012): The Decorative: Conservation and theApplied Arts, IIC Director of Publishing, Joyce H. Townsend,IIC (The International Institute for Conservation), London,Maney Publishing, London, 2012, 391pp. ISBN: 978-1-907975-77-6Details of the conference papers, and posters:www.iiconservation.org/congress/2012vienna/programmeA review of the conference can be found on page 30

The Artist’s Process: Technology and Interpretation(Proceedings of the fourth symposium of the ArtTechnological Source Research Working Group), edited bySigrid Eyb-Green, Joyce H. Townsend, Mark Clarke, JilleenNadolny and Stefanos Kroustallis, Archetype Publications,London, 2012, 217pp. ISBN: 978-1-904982-73-9Further details, and contents:www.archetype.co.uk/publication-details.php?id=149

Turquoise in Mexico and North America, edited by J.C.H.King, Max Carocci, Caroline Cartwright, Colin McEwan andRebecca Stacey, Archetype Publications, London, 2012, 232ppISBN: 978-1-904982-79-1www.archetype.co.uk/publication-details.php?id=159

Emergency Planning and Response for Libraries, Archivesand Museums, by Emma Dadson, Facet Publishing, London,2012, 230pp. ISBN: 978-1-85604-808-8

Recently received journalsJournal of the American Institute for Conservation, Vol.50,No.2, Fall/Winter 2011

Restaurator, Vol.33, Nos. 3&4, 2012

The Ephemerist, No.158, Autumn 2012This special issue of The Ephemerist stems from a study dayorganised by the Centre for Ephemera Studies at theUniversity of Reading on 4 July 2012, with the theme ‘Blackephemera: depictions of people of African descent’.

WAAC Newsletter, Vol.34, No.3, September 2012

Find out moreFor further details of new resources and a full listing of alljournal articles received over the past two months, check outthe library blog ‘Library News’ at:http://chantrylibrary.wordpress.com/

You can also subscribe to our RSS feed and track new booksand journals at the Library in real time. More details on how todo this at http://chantrylibrary.wordpress.com/feed/

More details about new library resources can also be found inthe quarterly Chantry Library Resources Updates, on thewebsite here:

www.icon.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1827&Itemid=175

Ros Buck


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Booking has opened for Icon's 2nd Triennial International Conference

Positive Futures in an Uncertain WorldIn partnership with the University of Glasgow

10 –12 April 2013Early Bird booking fees apply until 18 January 2013

www.iconpf13.com

The Cloisters at the heartof the Conference venue

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My name is SiobhanStevenson and I joined theIcon Board of Trustees inDecember 2009 in thereserved seat for NorthernIreland.

Working with Icon has beenan enriching and rewardingexperience and one which Iwould recommend. ATrustee’s work is interestingand varied. Being on theBoard gives me anoverview of the work acrossthe breadth of Iconactivities, and responsibilityto ensure that it remains

true to its purpose. I have found the last three yearseventful ones for the Board: staff changes and achallenging financial climate, not to mention delivery ofsuccessful programmes, such as the Heritage LotteryFund Internships, and new initiatives, such as theNational Conservation Education and Skills Strategy.

I have been involved in many different levels as aTrustee: as a member of the Nominations Committee,member of the Professional Standards Committee, aspart of the staff appointment process and, most recently,Chair of the Conference Committee and steering groupfor our upcoming conference Positive Futures (PF13).

Through my time on the Board I have seen manypositive developments particularly in the appointment ofAlison Richmond as our CEO and the bedding in of anew staffing structure. We have been fortunate to havethe support of our funders throughout this process.

These changes have brought a welcome shift of focus forour work on the Board, as the role of Trustees becomesincreasingly one of oversight and governance while theday-to-day business of the Icon office is in Alison’s andthe team’s capable hands. This means I can help tocontinue improving Icon’s service to members whiletaking a more outward-looking approach to developingpartnerships and allies with other cultural sectororganisations, and play a key part in delivering the Iconthree-year strategy.

For me, continued work as part of the ProfessionalStandards and Development (PSD) Board will see thecommittee taking forward consultation and developmentof a Code of Ethics and new Code of Practice for Icon.As part of the Icon action plan for the NationalConservation Education and Skills Strategy there is abusy programme for PSD in overseeing itsimplementation. Major work streams include: research

which will inform our continued delivery; supporting thedevelopment of professional standards and careerpaths, such as our recently re-launched ConservationTechnician’s Qualification and our accreditation process,which we will be reviewing next year. Added to these willbe work with the recently established National HeritageScience Forum.

I am also particularly excited about my part in leadingthe delivery of the Icon PF13 Conference, a key elementof Icon’s three-year strategy. Building on the success ofCF10 in Cardiff, all involved hope this will set the patternfor the Icon conference as a regular feature of theconservation calendar. I believe that the theme for nextyear’s conference, to be held in the sumptuoussurroundings of the University of Glasgow’s Bute Hall,will provide an opportunity to galvanise members andstakeholders in looking positively at our profession andhow we can make our contribution and rise to thechallenges the cultural heritage is facing in theseeconomically constrained times. I expect that it willprompt some vigorous, provocative and inspiringdebate.

The conference is being developed and run by a strongteam of volunteers and staff who will oversee theselection of papers, provide a glittering eveningprogramme and offer a pre-conference programme ofvisits and tours, not to mention carry out all the tasksassociated with planning, promoting and running thethree day event. The hard work and enthusiasm of staffand volunteers alike is all making my job as Chaircomparatively easy!

strategically speaking

Glasgow University's Bute Hall, venue for the PF13conference plenary sessions

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A Trustee writes about your Icon from the Board’s perspective


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Icon AGM andDRINKS RECEPTIONDon’t forget that our Annual GeneralMeeting is coming up very soon!Date & time: Monday 3 December at 5pm

Venue: The Sackler Centre, Victoria andAlbert Museum, London

After the formal business there will be adiscussion about the work which hasstarted to develop a new disciplinaryprocedure and code of ethics for Icon

Come along and meet staff and trustees,colleagues and friends. For cateringpurposes, please let the office know if youplan to attend ([email protected]).(Note: use the revolving doors on Exhibition Road as theGroups/Visitors doors will be closed for building works)



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Wellcome Collection, where I mainlyworked on rehousing and collectionscare projects. I am very excited to bestarting at the Museum of London.

Alice BrownTextile Conservation, The Textile Restoration Studio (TRS)Cheshire

I studied BA (Hons) Embroidery atManchester Metropolitan University in2009 before completing the MAConservation of Historic Objects at theUniversity of Lincoln in 2012, where Ispecialised in textiles. I hope myinternship at the Textile RestorationStudio will help to broaden myknowledge of conservation treatmentsthrough a wide variety of objects.Working in a private studio will alsoprovide the opportunity to liaise withclients and gain some businessexperience.

Salvador Alcántara PeláezBook Conservation, Wellcome Library,London

In Spain I undertook a degree in ArtHistory, a masters degree in MuseumStudies and some training inbookbinding. I came to London twoyears ago to do the FdA BookConservation course at the CamberwellCollege of Arts which I successfullyfinished last June. During my degree Ihave had the opportunity to get someconservation experience at the MoDA,Canterbury Cathedral, the College ofArms and the Victoria and AlbertMuseum. This internship should provideme with the necessary knowledge andpractice to cover the gap betweenuniversity and a genuine professionalcompetence.

Jihyun KwonConservation of Archaeological andHistoric Materials, CSI:Sittingbourne

I have a BSc in Conservation of Objectsin Museums and Archaeology and aMSc in Professional Conservation. Thisinternship opportunity atCSI:Sittingbourne will allow me to learnand experience communityengagement in conservation as well asbroaden and deepen my expertise andexperience in archaeological andinvestigative conservation.

Danielle Connolly Conservation ofBanners, People’s History Museum,Manchester

Having undertaken voluntary work ontapestry installations at Dovecot Studios,Edinburgh and work with the textileconservation department at The BurrellCollection, Glasgow, I was keen tobroaden my knowledge of textileconservation within a museum setting.This, coupled with my recentcompletion of the two-yearpostgraduate course in textileconservation at Glasgow University,means the internship will provide theopportunity to put all the skills I havegained over the past two years intopractice within a working conservationstudio. I will have the chance to learnthe specialist skills and knowledge usedin banner conservation and in theconservation of painted surfaces and itwill allow me to observe and practisethe handling, packing and display oflarge, fragile, complex objects. I amlooking forward to starting theinternship, meeting fellow interns andthe Icon training team but mostly I amlooking forward to the learningopportunity and experience theinternship will provide me.

Rosemarie Wachsmuth PreventiveConservation, Birmingham Museumsand Art Gallery

I come from a museological backgroundas my first degree was in History of Artwith Museum Studies. From there Imoved to doing the Graduate Diplomain Conservation Studies at LincolnUniversity which I then took to a Masterlevel that I have almost completed. Iwant to use this internship as anopportunity to gain valuable practicalexperience in preventive conservationwhich I eventually want to take toaccreditation level hoping to work in thepublic sector.

Alexandra Walker Collections Care, The Museum of London

I have recently completed thePreventive Conservation MA atNorthumbria and Paper ConservationPgDip at Camberwell the previous year.I have done various work placements insome fantastic institutions such as theV&A, Stanley Kubrick Film Archive and

Since 2006, Icon has managed theUK-wide conservation TrainingBursary Scheme funded with a£1.49M grant from the HeritageLottery Fund (HLF). In May we wereawarded a grant increase of£968,800 to support the delivery ofthirty six additional internships overthree years. We are grateful to theHLF and our funders and aredelighted to announce thirteen newinterns starting this autumn.

Heritage Lottery FundedInternships for twelvemonthsMaria Ledinskaya Conservation ofSculpture and Architectural Metalwork,Hall Conservation Studio Ltd, London

My background is in sculpture, prop-making and prosthetic effects. Havingjust completed a Graduate Diploma inConservation Studies at the University ofLincoln, I was looking for ways to applymy practical making skills toconservation work and was delighted tobe offered an internship with HallConservation Ltd. I am especiallylooking forward to developing mymetalworking skills, working on site andgetting an insight into an ethicalcommercial conservation practice.

Anna Zwagerman - PreventiveConservation, National Trust Scotland,Aberdeenshire

After studying History, I went on tocomplete both an MA and aProfessional Doctorate in Conservationand Restoration of Cultural Heritage atthe University of Amsterdam. During mydoctorate I specialised in preventive andremedial conservation of HistoricInteriors, completing a number ofplacements, one of which was with theNational Trust. Last February I receiveda Leonardo da Vinci scholarship for asix-month placement at Pollok House inGlasgow, where I learned a lot aboutworking in a historic house environment.During my internship I hope to gainmore practical experience in preventiveconservation, especially relating toenvironmental management, projectwork and providing training for staff andvolunteers.

peopleMeet the new interns!



projects at the Bowes with theconservation team, where I have gainedinvaluable experience. This internship isthe ideal opportunity for me to expandand develop my knowledge so that Ican confidently enter the profession andhave a career in paintings conservation.

Other news

QEST ScholarsThe Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trustis as beneficent as ever towardsconservation and has this year awardedmore scholarships than ever incelebration of the present Queen’sdiamond jubilee (although the Trust isnamed after her mother).

Two Icon members who have benefitedfrom this generosity are Megan Staceyand Sarai Vardi

Megan is studying stained glassconservation and her award enables herto continue her two year MA course inStained Glass Conservation andHeritage Management at the Universityof York. Sarai is a book conservator andher scholarship will part fund the finalyear of her Conservation MA atCamberwell College of Arts. The awardwill also go towards furthering Sarai’sstudy in the craft of bookbindingthrough evening classes.

MovesHelen Wilson has started her first job asa Conservation Research Fellow at TheNational Archives. Helen is lookingforward to developing protocols for theconservation and preservation oftransparent paper in the context of itsuse at The National Archives. The rolefollows her previous training inconservation science as an Icon HLFintern at The Pigmentum Project (nowArt Access & Research) (2007-2008) andas a Science and Heritage ProgrammeAHRC/EPSRC PhD student at TheUniversity of Manchester and the BritishMuseum (2008-2012). Helen alsofeatured in issue 28 of Icon News as thewinner of the judge’s award in theStudent Poster competition at theCardiff CF10 Conference

Holly SmithConservation of Books and BoundMaterials, PZ3, Penzance (18 months)

I graduated from West Dean Collegewith an MA in Conservation Studies,specialising in book conservation. Ivolunteered for some time beforebecoming a Project Conservator at theNational Archives. I’m now really lookingforward to starting this internship,building on my practical knowledge andgaining new experiences in a privatestudio environment. I’m especiallyexcited about the involvement withoutreach projects as it’s something thatI’ve always wanted to do.

Holly is the author of this issue’sGraduate Voice – see page 25

Makiko Tsunoda Conservation ofMedieval Manuscripts and Rare Books,Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge(6 months)

I developed a passion for paper andbook conservation by working at TheAshmolean Museum and the BodleianLibrary of the University of Oxford, andfollowed this by a Master of Arts inPaper Conservation at CamberwellCollege of Arts, London, graduating in2011. I then had internships in the USand Japan in 2012, where I expandedmy knowledge and skills related toWestern and Japanese paper-basedmaterials. Through the Icon internship, Ihope to improve my understanding of awide range of conservation issues,focusing on developing my interventiveconservation skills in 15 -18th centuryprinted books, as well as Persian andWestern Medieval and Renaissanceilluminated manuscripts.

Jemma Edwards Conservation ofPaintings Caring for Kenwood House,English Heritage, London (12 months)

Having studied for a degree in Englishand Art History I went on to completemy masters in Conservation of Fine Art,specialising in easel paintings, atNorthumbria University in March 2012.After placements working on a variety ofprojects, including condition surveyingfor Berwick Museum and conservingpaintings at the Bowes Museum, I wascommissioned to work on different

Externally Funded Placements

Charlotte GamperTextile Conservation, Historic Royal Palaces, London (12 months)

In August this year I handed in mydissertation, which marked thecompletion of my studies on the newtwo year MPhil course in TextileConservation at the University ofGlasgow. During my studies I undertooktwo work placements, the first at theTextile Conservation Studio at the BritishMuseum where I was privileged to workon some Ancient Egyptian fragments.For the second, I was working in aprivate practice with Tuula Pardoe at theScottish Conservation Studio. I am nowextremely grateful to have beenaccepted as an Icon intern at HistoricRoyal Palaces. Here, I will fill a gap in myexperience, having the opportunity towork within an historic house settingand also to work on objects which I havenot previously treated, such as tapestry,to build upon my existing knowledgeand repertoire. I am looking forward toseeing how the challenge of working onlarge objects, such as tapestry and statebeds, is overcome.

Karen HorsleyPreventive Conservation, National TrustScotland, Bute (12 months)

I have recently completed the MA inConservation of Historic Objects at theUniversity of Lincoln. Since then, I havegained practical conservation andcollection management experience withLincolnshire County Council Museumsand the National Trust. In the past year, Ihave worked with staff and volunteerson a variety of collections care projects -protecting objects during building work,helping with the winter clean, improvingstorage, cataloguing, condition surveysand cleaning outdoor statuary. I amparticularly interested in the preventiveconservation of collections. During thisinternship, I am keen to develop myskills by assisting with IPM, lightmanagement, environmental monitoringand emergency planning.


The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC), Singapore, approached Icon in 2011 to discuss thepossibilities of the PACR process being made available for some of its conservation team. Aproposal was presented to identify costs over and above the normal rates of PACR and atimetable was agreed. A PACR clinic was set up via Skype for the potential applicants and atraining day was organised for potential PACR assessors – both with the support of KatharineSt Paul who had recently been accredited and was now working in Singapore. Rachel Witt,another new ACR working at HCC, also acted as a mentor.

The four HCC applicants followed the same timetable and process as all other PACR applicantsand in May 2012 they were assessed by Louise Bacon, Deborah Cane, Corinne Hillman-Farmerand Lesley Thomas, acting in different combinations as the primary or secondary assessor forthe object and paper conservators being assessed.

Icon really values the exceptional input from all those involved in this opportunity to test thePACR process further afield and thanks them very much.

This article presents some of the projects used in the assessments at HCC, starting with anintroduction from Mr Robin Liu, who led this initiative, to present the HCC perspective. Susan BradshawIcon’s Professional Development Manager

Accreditation goes East

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In addition, the new ACRs would like to acknowledge andthank National Heritage Board and Heritage ConservationCentre, as well as their mentors for the encouragement,support and advice given to them during their journey toaccreditation.

Mr Robin Liu, Senior Assistant Director (ConservationServices)

SOME OF THE CANDIDATES’ PROJECTS Ms Lee Swee Mun, Assistant Director/Senior Conservator(Objects), presented The Pleasure of Being, Crying, Dyingand Eating, a mixed media installation artwork by MontienBoonma (1953 –2000) acquired by the National HeritageBoard, Singapore.

She writes: The key structure of the artwork is a pagoda-liketower comprising more than a thousand glazed ceramic bowlsstacked up together. Standing at 255cm tall with a diameter at180cm, one intuitively stands an arm’s length away from theceramic tower for mutual safety as well as for appreciating thebeauty of the artwork. Every curious mind would probablywonder how these bowls could stack so high up so stably.Well known for his sculptures and installations, the artist hadused cyanoacrylate based adhesive, commonly known assuperglue to adhere every bowl securely layer upon layer.During de-installation, warm air from the hair dryer wasapplied to soften the adhesive to take the bowls apart.However, the adhesive remained on the bowls. Due to thesubstantial efforts and resources which would be required for

Conservators in Singapore decided that they wanted the professionalrecognition provided by the UK’s professional practice assessmentprocess – PACR

THE HCC PERSPECTIVE The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC), Singapore, iscommitted to ensuring the continuing professionaldevelopment of our conservators. The initiative to supportand nominate four of our conservators for professionalassessment for accreditation to a professional body is part ofour overall efforts to raise the standards of preventive andinterventive conservation practice in Singapore. Theaccreditation process is also a learning journey for HCC as aninstitution as it is a framework which allows us to generategreater awareness of current developments in the profession.

The successful accreditation of these conservators serves as afitting recognition for their years of experience andcontribution in taking care of the National Collection ofSingapore. The Centre views this accreditation as verificationof their conservation knowledge and practical skills. Itconfirms their ability to apply their knowledge and experienceto practice. They will serve as role models and motivation fortheir colleagues in pursuing a fruitful career in conservation.

HCC is an institution of the National Heritage Board,Singapore. Our key responsibility is to manage, care for andfacilitate access to Singapore’s National Collection. TheCentre also promotes practical standards of heritagepreservation through outreach, continuous research andprofessional development. The Centre is housed in a purposebuilt centralised collection repository and conservationlaboratories. More information about the centre can be foundon the website, www.hcc.sg.



conservation, the adhesive stains were left untreated.

Fourteen years later, in 2010, the artwork was selected fordisplay again with less than three months for preparation. Theartist has passed on. Little information about the originalinstallation of the artwork was documented. The supergluehad yellowed and proved time-consuming to remove. Afterdiscussion with the curator, the decision was to display theartwork in its existing condition. Instead of using superglue, areplacement anchoring material with good strength andworking properties was sought to safely stack the bowls upwhilst enabling ease of complete removal from the surface. Aquick test was also conducted on materials available in thelaboratory. In summary, 3M’s Scotch-Weld 3748 Q jet meltadhesive (a polypropylene based adhesive) turned out to be avery suitable option which not only satisfied the structuralsafety requirements and good working properties, it also hada setting time which was just right to enable adjustment tothe positions of the bowls and make them aestheticallyacceptable. The whole adhesive blob could be easilydislodged once in contact with a little ethanol.

After the exhibition closed, the bowls were moved to thelaboratory for conservation. A team was formed, includingmyself, to set up a treatment line to conduct conditionassessment and treatment. Aqueous treatment completelyremoved the old adhesives and other surface dirt and grime.The treatment took 524 hours and was efficiently carried outwith minimal use of other chemicals, which reduced risk tohuman health and maximised safety.

Every contemporary artwork is unique and the conservatoroften has to be very creative to manage the installation whilstconserving the artwork. This project was selected foraccreditation not only because sound conservation strategiescontinue to play an important role in ensuring structuralstability with minimal intervention in presenting works of art,but also because the task of making informed judgments andengaging relevant conservation practice in preserving the

integrity, and presenting the meaning, of a piece of artisticwork is also a critical role of the conservator.

Ms Lee Siew Wah, Senior Conservator (Paper), presented aconservation project on the works of art on paper collectionof Museum Puri Lukisan in Bali, funded by the RudolfBonnet Foundation.

She writes: I selected this project for PACR accreditationbecause it was one of the most challenging and interestingprojects that I had encountered in my career.

The museum collection is based on early modern Balinese art,consisting mainly of watercolours on western papers. A totalof eighty one works of art on paper were surveyed in 2010with assistance from the museum staff and my fellow paperconservator, Mr Tay Jam Meng. There was no climate controland pest management in the museum, hence conditionsresulting from humidity, such as cockling and foxing, andinsect activities were common. The majority of the artworkswere framed with plywood backings, and mounted ontowood-pulp mounts using PVA-like glue or pressure-sensitivetapes. As a result, there were stains and discolouration onmany works, as well as some artworks having brittle andfragile supports. The conservation treatments proposedsought to address problems arising from less than satisfyingframing materials.

The treatments were conducted in August and October 2011for six weeks at the Bali museum. Given the time-constraints,we treated nineteen artworks of higher treatment priority. Therest of the collection would be treated by a member of themuseum staff, Mr I Wayan Sumadi, who completed hisinternship in Singapore before the treatment phase commenced.

As conservation materials were not as readily available asbasic art materials, we decided to adapt our treatments to thevarious alternative materials and those we could bring with us.Our intention was also to allow the museum to continue theconservation work independently after our trips and to makeuse of the materials available in Bali, for example, white non-woven synthetic fabric used for gift wrapping in place of

Swee Mun carrying out treatment on a drum

Demonstrating mounting mock-up to staff of Museum Puri Lukisan


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Esther in the process of microclimate framing one of the test frames

Reemay. We had created a humidification setup using awooden frame, nylon netting, weights, plastic sheet and abath towel, which were all found locally.

It was a challenge to preserve the watercolours after thetreatments. Fortunately, the museum managed to get fromJakarta museum-quality mountboards and corrugatedpolyethylene boards for conservation framing. Chinese papersfrom Bali’s art shop and wheat starch were used in hingingand the frames were sealed with pressure-sensitive krafttapes. Although conservation framing will not address theenvironmental concerns totally, the corrugated boards andkraft tape sealing should help to reduce moisture and insectsfrom penetrating the frames.

Ms Esther Ng, Senior Conservator (Paper), presentedMicroclimate Framing in the Tropics as one of her projects

She writes: The natural environment of Singapore rangesbetween 25–35ºC in temperature and 70–90% in RH. Framedworks of art on paper are potentially at risk, especially whenthey are on loan to institutions which have no climate control.The high RH and its constant fluctuations could causedamage, such as structural distortion and/or mould growth, tothese works of art.

Microclimate has been discussed widely in conservationliterature as a viable solution to problems of distortion andmould on paper artefacts. Hence, this project aims toestablish the effectiveness of using different materials tomicroclimate – frame a work of art on paper and to determinethe length of their effectiveness in the tropics, so that someform of guidelines can be established.

In order to meet the aims of the project, three sets of framedmicroclimates were placed in three different scenarios. Thesescenarios are: a museum environment with controlledtemperature and RH; an office environment with onlytemperature control for ten hours a day, five days a week andlastly, an indoor housing environment without any form of

temperature or RH control.

The frames were microclimated in the way that Hugh Phibbstaught. Differences in the frame configurations for the projectare listed in the table below.

For monitoring and capturing of data, there is a Temperatureand RH datalogger within each individual frame. One loggeris also placed in the external environment of each of the threescenarios. The results will be extracted and interpreted at theend of the study.

The project has been in progress for over a year and has yetto yield its final outcome and conclusions. At the end of it,however, the results should not only benefit the centre’snational collections, they should also be shared with privateand public collections and industry partners in Singapore,such as framers.

Mr Alvin Tee, Conservator (Objects), presented a projectConserving a Straits Chinese Hearse

He writes: The hearse is a large wooden artefact which wasconserved for display at the National Museum of Singapore’sHistory Gallery. It is the funerary hearse of Tan Jiak Kim(1859–1917), a prominent individual in Singapore history. AStraits Chinese, he was a merchant and a community leader.

Test scenarios

A: Control. Placed in a controlled environment of 23ºC and55% RH

B: Natural environment in a public apartment without climatecontrol

C: Office environment with app. 10 hours of airconditioningfor 5 days a week

Frame configurations

Frame package with perspex glazing and sealed withaluminium/PE laminate

Frame package with glass glazing and sealed withaluminium/PE laminate

Frame package with glass glazing and artsorb and sealedwith aluminium/PE laminate

Frame package with glass glazing and mylar as barrier asbacking and sealed with aluminium tape

Frame package as glass glazing and framed normally withoutany microclimate sealing materials. (Only for set B)

Table showing the test scenarios and frame configurations of the project

Test Conditions



The elaborately-carved hearse is a rare Singapore artefact andit represents a period of reform in Straits Chinese funerarypractices during the early twentieth century. Its carvings beardistinct evidence of European, Chinese and Malay styles.Thehearse was acquired in the 1970s in a completelydisassembled state, with no documentation or images of howthe parts should be re-constituted, nor what the assembledhearse looks like. Putting the component parts together wasone of the challenges of the conservation treatment.

The objective of the treatment was to retain its historical andaesthetic integrity by restoring it to the extent that it can bearits structural load when fully constituted. There wereseventeen structural components of which only thirteen werein fairly complete form. Poor storage had resulted inaccumulated dirt and metal corrosion. There were numerousbroken carvings, severe structural damages, missing structuralpieces and termite infestation.

Treatment was carried out in several stages. Thirty to forty percent of the structure was either damaged or missing. Themissing parts included two major roof structures and a wheel– important support structures. Identifying suitable skilledcraftsmen to fabricate replacement parts proved anotherchallenge. The specifications then needed to be carefully andprecisely communicated to the craftsmen and builders.

The hearse posed challenges in various respects. Theseranged from the assessment of the condition, problem-solving, researching the historical background to decisions toreplace and restore missing parts, managing stake holders

and the complex installation. I managed this project from startto completion. It pushed my boundaries then and tested mydecision-making and judgement.

The accreditation assessment criteria require applicants todemonstrate nuances of in-depth considerations. This hearseproject presented various situations where several factorsneeded to be considered in the decision-making process, andalso where decisions needed to be continuously assessedduring the work. Hence, I selected it for assessment andfeedback.

During the assessment, my assessors provided valuablefeedback on our projects and practices. The assessment dayis a platform for applicants to interact meaningfully withhighly-qualified professionals in our field; it raisesopportunities for the applicant to reflect upon our work andconsider revisiting some issues or making changes. The wholeaccreditation process was not a piece of cake but the fruits ofthe process are definitely sweet.

P.S. As Mr Liu’s overview on page 14 implies, all four ofthe Singapore candidates were successfully accredited.Hearty congratulations to them all!

Final installation of the hearse in the gallery


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A unique technique? A selection of Roman archaeological material from Blackmoorin the parish of Selbourne, long held in store at HampshireCounty Council Arts & Museums Service (HCCAMS) recentlyarrived in the studio for a routine condition check before itsreturn to the stores.

One of the items in this box attracted particular attention: acopper alloy bowl, heavily restored with what appeared to bepainted papier mâché. This seemed an unusual solution andone which had not yet been encountered among ourcollections. Although not of a current standard, it also seemedto have been carried out with a degree of skill – at least in theshaping and colour matching. There were no knownconservation records for this work, which is estimated to havebeen carried out several decades ago. The extent of therestoration, although obvious on inspection, had actually

remained undetected while the bowl remained in storage andit had previously been assumed to be a complete example.

The true state of the object indicated that furtherconservation would be necessary: the old work was failing;shrinking and pulling away from the fragile edges of the bowl.There was a danger that the degree of repair was hiding notonly a large proportion of original material but also the truefragility of the bowl and further damage may as a result occurthrough careless handling. Aside from this, the bowl had athick layer of particulate dirt and small areas of active ‘bronzedisease’ corrosion.

As the dismantling of the old restoration got underway, itscomplexity was revealed. Strips of very thin sheet lead hadbeen used in larger areas of loss as the basis for a gap fill,covered and built up on either side with further strips ofgummed, painted paper. As this material was carefully

around and about

The bowl as received

As the fill material is peeled back, layers of paper and sheet leadcan be seen

Detail of bowl underside, showing lifting of papier mache

Top view of bowl as received, showing old fills shrinking away fromedges



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stripped away by hand, it was interesting to see a markeddifference in the level of skill employed on the outer surfacecompared to that on the areas which would have beenhidden. There was extensive scratching of the original surfaceto prepare areas for the application of solder, fragment edgeswere not aligned, pieces had been replaced where they maynot have necessarily originated, and solder had beengenerously applied in rough lumps. The rim had been built upwhere there was loss with two bent lengths of copper wire,soldered into place, over which the sheet lead and papiermâché had been laid. The front cover image shows thecopper rim clearly.

Following removal of the fills, the bowl was further cleaned,mechanically and with deionised water on cotton swabs – theonly solvent found that would remove the over-painting. Itwas then dewatered and degreased with acetone. It had beendecided as work progressed that the areas of solder andcopper wire would remain, since they were still valid asstructural supports. Removing them would also entailunnecessary risk to the object and more in-depth work thanneeded at this stage.

Immersion in benzotriazole under vacuum for forty eight hourswas carried out to stabilize any active corrosion, before finalrinsing in Industrial Methylated Spirits. An application ofIncralac was considered but not carried out, as the bowl is tobe returned to store and will certainly need further work ifrequired for display in the future. It was felt important to

minimise the level of intervention at this stage, as stabilisationwas really the only outcome required. Since our sensitive storeis totally dark for the majority of time, it is hoped that thebenzotriazole will not degrade.

This object is a reminder of the changing nature ofconservation and of the inevitability that what is consideredbest practice today will also become outdated. Althoughobjective criticism of previous work is necessary forimprovement, I hope that what comes across from this articleis the sharing of a past treatment solution that I find genuinelyinteresting, rather than a judgment. However inappropriatecertain actions may seem against our modern guidelines, andhowever unfortunate some of their consequences, the pastrestorer still deserves credit for the continued survival of thebowl. It did, after all, arrive in my hands in much the samestate as it left theirs.

As I was considering my own options for a light, easilyreversible yet strong material which would provide bothstructural support and protection for fragile edges, I realizedthat I was in fact going to end up echoing the past treatment:in preparation for the bowl’s return to storage, the gaps weretemporarily filled with spider tissue strips impregnated withParaloid B72 in acetone, built up to form a thin papier mâché.

Claire Woodhead ACRH.C.C.A.M.S

Bats at Work!One of the National Trust for Scotland’s preventiveconservators, Mel Houston, has recently been awarded a batlicence from Scottish Natural Heritage. This follows a year-long training programme which Mel fitted in around herpreventive conservation duties.

Mel says ‘At first it may sound strange that a preventiveconservator has gone through this training but many of ourcollections are stored or displayed in properties with batroosts. We need to do the best by the collections and by the

During removal of extensive old fill material

The bowl will return to store with new temporary supporting fills ofspider tissue and Paraloid B72 The cage ensures that bats are not at risk from sticky traps

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bats. It is important to give correct advice to our property staffand having someone in our team who is licensed helps dothat. The licence allows me to enter roosts if necessary butmore importantly has enabled me to work with our NatureConservation Team to understand how we can work with thebats and comply with the legislation which protects them. Wehave produced a bat leaflet for property staff with the help ofa licensed bat ranger and this gives practical advice on howstaff can protect our collections from damage and our batsfrom disturbance. We have also built up a great workingrelationship with the Nature Conservation Team and there is amutual appreciation and understanding of the work eachdepartment needs to do.’

The bat licence training is a progression from the IntegratedPest Management work Mel leads on for the Trust. She hasworked with their nature advisors to make sure the IPMprogramme does not put bats at risk, for example, byproducing cages to ‘bat proof’ sticky traps used to monitorinsect pest activity. This highlighted the need to provideaccurate, clear information for property staff and CollectionsConservation Service and so Mel began training for her batlicence.

The Trust would like to know if there are other conservatorsout there in the UK with or working towards gaining a batlicence. Get in touch if you do with Mel Houston, PreventiveConservator, on [email protected]

Glasgow students meet thepublicEarlier this year the MPhil Textile Conservation students at theUniversity of Glasgow had a taste of promoting textileconservation to the public. When developing the newprogramme in Glasgow, it was considered important to reflectthe increased emphasis on the need for conservators toengage with the public, following the publication of theDemos report It’s a Material World in 2008. Communicationskills are also such an important part of the conservator’s workthat one of the aims of the programme is to give students

practice in planning and delivering talks to groups ofincreasing size and diversity.

One of the strengths of the new programme is its relationshipwith Glasgow Museums, part of Glasgow Life, the localgovernment body responsible for culture and sport in the city.Frances Lennard, the Programme Convenor, worked with theLearning Manager at Glasgow Life to identify communitygroups within the city who might appreciate hearing aboutthe work of a textile conservator.

Mark Langdon, one of Glasgow Life’s Community ActionOfficers, came to brief the second year students on speakingto community audiences. In an inspiring forty minutes he gotthe students talking about their passion for conservation,demonstrating how engaging a genuine enthusiasm for yoursubject can be. He advocated making the talks personalrather than general, suggesting that a non-specialist audiencewould identify with talks that described how the studentscame to be interested in textile conservation, what theyhoped to do, and why it was important. He explained howhumour can help to draw your audience in too, and askedthem what props they could bring to help their audiencesunderstand the topic, while suggesting the use of film to givea better idea of the work. When asked how to combat nerves

Engaging with the public

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The leaflet about bats for NTS property staff

Bats at work!Bats and Collections Care in

the National Trust for Scotland

Guidance for staff working with historic collections

Bats may roost near historic collections in attics, cellars and roof spaces, and even occasionally in the historic display

rooms. As bats are protected by law, we collaborate with the NTS bat workers to protect both our collections from damage

and our bats from disturbance.

do turn up occasionally.

the winter when there is not enough food.

as older or damaged trees with suitable roosting spaces are often felled for H&S reasons.

existing spaces.

Cover image:In Chinese, the word for good luck and the word for bat sound the same (fu). Bat symbols are therefore used to represent good fortune. This ceramic jar is displayed in the Chinese Sitting Room at Newhailes.

Adults are often mistaken for juveniles due to their small size.

Never handle bats with bare hands.1. Find a suitable box, something like an ice cream tub or check the stock

of the box.

and bat up together and put both in the box.

4. Make sure the lid is securely replaced, bats can escape through very small

5. In the evening place the open box on a window ledge away from cats and

6. If the bat appears injured contact the NTS Nature Conservation Team or the Bat Conservation Trust Bat Helpline for advice.

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More information on bats, situations that may arise and what to do will be made available on Sharepoint in the future.

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he recommended Kalms, or chamomile tea!

In small teams of two or three, the students gave talks tothree groups in the city: an over 55s art class based at theTramway Arts Centre, a sewing group in Pollok and the ‘BigGreen Sunday’, a community event with an eco theme inScotstoun. The students talked about their own conservationprojects and explained their work within the context of whatconservation sets out to achieve. At the Tramway, studentstried to articulate the distinction between conservation andrestoration; they broached the subject of object biographies,explaining how objects can gain significance over time andwith use. The second group talked about their own particularinterests, in ethnographic textiles and contemporary textileart. Care for individuals’ own treasures was a good entry pointto conservation for the environmentally friendly theme of theScotstoun community gathering, and the students touched onthe causes of damage in textiles and the principles ofpreventive conservation.

All three talks were extremely well received, with varyingreactions from the different audiences. The art groupmembers were very engaged and asked lots of questionsabout how to care for their own textile possessions. Thesewing group members already had an interest in themuseum world having had their own work exhibited at theBurrell Collection, and they were interested in the students’stitching exercises and the needles and threads they tookalong to demonstrate their work. One listener was particularlyintrigued by how exactly the students would go aboutthreading one of the tiny curved needles and asked for ademonstration. The ‘Big Green Sunday’ community was thehardest to crack (especially the woman who fell asleep) butone audience member admitted that it had been ‘moreinteresting than he thought it would be’!

Nikki Chard commented ‘I think what gave me the mostpleasure was the way that the audience reacted to things thatyou don’t think about much, such as the sewing techniques orneedle and thread sizes. I watched them looking at oursamples and they seemed fascinated. The questions wereceived about conserving objects were interesting too. Iremember someone asking if we were going to clean thedoll’s face and it is interesting that the general publicappreciate the aesthetic side of conservation and seem toidentify with it more – making things look good regardless ofwhether it compromises the object’s integrity.’

The students really enjoyed delivering the talks and found it avery useful experience. Charlotte Gamper concluded ‘Afterstudying for two years with most of our time spent at theuniversity, it was great to have the opportunity to go outsideand tell people about textile conservation and the work wedo, and even better to see their enthusiasm and genuineinterest for it.’ And the students can take satisfaction fromhaving played a small part in promoting understanding ofmuseums and conservation within the Glasgow community.

Making the local newsJulie Benner’s treatment of a rare 1830s student gown fromthe university’s Hunterian Museum was also the focus of apiece on the BBC local news programme Reporting Scotlandin May this year. See www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18061961. This exercise demonstrated the real challenge ofgetting accurate information across while still creating a goodstory. Its success is demonstrated by the number of peoplewe’ve met since in Scotland who remember seeing the clipand who clearly now understand something of textileconservation.

Frances Lennard, Programme Convenor MPhil TextileConservation, and students Julie Benner, Nikki Chard andCharlotte Gamper

The Art of TravelFrom March to June 2012 an exhibition of Scottish railway artentitled See Scotland by Train was held at the NationalMuseum of Scotland (NMS), Edinburgh. It predominantlyshowcased original posters, but oil paintings, photographsand artefacts were included to complement and highlight thestory of railway art in Scotland from the turn of the 20thCentury until the present day. Paper conservators LisaCumming, ACR, and Vicki Hanley dealt with the conservation,mounting and installation of these complex objects against avery tight timetable and budget. A full article about theproject can be found at thebookandpapergathering.org Theirblog about this fascinating exhibition also features on theNMS websitehttp://feastbowl.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/the-conservation-of-railway-posters-for-the-see-scotland-by-train-exhibition/

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22

Grasping the nettle A professional approach to conservation photography inthe digital age The past two and a half years have seen a concentrated effortat the Oxford Conservation Consortium (OCC) to raise fundsto update the photographic system used for conservationdocumentation. The speed of change in digital photographyhas progressed so fast that it was becoming increasingly clearthat the rather basic ‘point and shoot’ digital camera beingused for all studio photography (including documentation)was no longer ‘fit for purpose’ and the system of imagemanagement was also unsatisfactory.

It was clear from the start that there was an urgent need toassess the pros and cons of different systems and that in orderto find the most appropriate equipment and imagemanagement available, research was needed. To that end,Maria Kalligerou visited a number of conservation studios tosee what equipment was being used and what was workingbest for others in the conservation world; we are extremelygrateful for all the guidance and support that we have hadfrom conservation colleagues along the way, in particular atthe Bodleian Libraries, the Ashmolean and Pitt RiversMuseums, to name just our closest colleagues. In addition tothis, in 2009 all staff members of OCC undertook training atthe Oxford University Computer Service on the capture ofdigital images and a JISC course on ‘Building a DepartmentalImage Library’. The information thus gained helped us toformulate a plan of action.

Once we had decided what was required, it was immediatelyapparent that the project budget exceeded the scope of our

annual materials/equipment budget and that before we coulddo anything, a fundraising campaign was needed. A largenumber of charitable trusts and grant-giving organisationswere approached and whilst many were unable to help, wereceived very generous contributions from all the bodieslisted below. We are extremely grateful to them all. In Januaryof this year we reached our goal of £34,000.

The equipment we purchased included a Nikon D800 camerawith two lenses, a new fixed lighting system, a moveablemicroscope stand with a digital camera for photomicroscopy,Manfred Meyer’s ‘Traveller’s Copystand’, a flexible light sheetand fibre-optic light source, and a new laptop for bothcapturing and storing the images. We have also acquired ascissor lift trolley with lockable wheels on which to supportsmaller objects for photography. We have had four days ofphotographic training with conservation photographer MikeHalliwell, which has refreshed skills acquired many years agoand introduced new ones. Already we are finding it mucheasier to light and photograph objects, and the imagesproduced are infinitely better.

There is still some way to go in the project and we have yet tofinalise the management system for the images but a start hasbeen made and the studio is keen in due course to share theknowledge that has been acquired with other conservators.

We are extremely grateful to AMARC, the Aurelius Trust, theCromarty Trust, the d’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, the LecheTrust, the Mercer’s Company, the National Archive, the PilgrimTrust, the Radcliffe Trust, and all our members for their generoussupport and help in enabling this project to come to fruition.

Celia Withycombe ACR and Katerina Powell ACRSenior Conservators, OCC

The Oxford Conservation Consortium’s new equipment in action

© O

CC



news from the groupsARCHAEOLOGY GROUP

Christmas event: Conservation MysteriesBook now for the Archaeology Group Christmas Meeting andParty at The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre,Chippenham on Friday 14 December. This is an informalmeeting discussing mysterious objects and conservationprojects. There will be talks, a pub quiz style activity and toursof the Wiltshire Council Conservation and Museums AdvisoryService facilities. A Christmas celebration will follow withnibbles and good cheer! Further information and bookingdetails are on the Group web pages or contact Beth Werrett:[email protected]

BOOK AND PAPER GROUP

CTR: Courses and ConferenceThe latest Co-operative Training Register (CTR) course,Environment for Objects, presented by Dr Tim Padfield, tookplace in Oxford on 29 and 30 October. Developed inresponse to a member’s request via the online CTR forms onthe Book and Paper Group website pages, this event was ourfastest selling course to date and we were very fortunate tohave been able to add a second day so members weren’tdisappointed. Our thanks go to Tim and our host institutions,Conservation and Collections Care at the Bodleian Library,Oxford Conservation Consortium and Magdalen College. Areview of the course will be available in the next edition ofIcon News as well as the course bibliography being availablevia the Chantry Library.

The future is positive for the Book and Paper GroupAnother focus of the CTR committee’s activities has beenpreparation for the Book and Paper Group’s sessions atPositive Futures 2013. The Book and Paper Group has againjoined forces with the Photographic Materials Group toprovide a broad based forum for the benefit and enjoymentof both Groups’ members. We had a very strong response toour call for papers with excellent and varied submissions frommembers and students alike on our theme of CurrentSolutions for Mutual Issues. The committee would like tothank everyone who submitted an abstract for considerationand we will announce the final programme via an Iconnectshortly. As well as combining our efforts with the PhotographicMaterials Group, and in line with our group theme, thecommittee is working to organise a cross-disciplinary sessionon adhesives as part of our conference programme, and iscurrently in contact with Textiles, Science, Ethnography andFurniture and Wood Groups to see if this can be arranged.

Broad horizons: to 2013 and beyond!Finally, the committee has also been working on a packed2013 CTR programme which will include courses on StationeryBindings in Stafford on 4 February, Print Identification inReading in April and hopefully a repeat of the very popularMedieval Palette course in the latter part of spring. As thepiece de resistance of our efforts so far, the CTR committeehas already begun to develop the programme for aspecifically Book and Paper Group conference on eastern

print, papermaking and conservation techniques, scheduledfor the first half of 2014, so watch this space for further news.

Victoria Stevens ACR

GILDING AND DECORATIVE SURFACESGROUP

Conference Announcement. The Group’s Committee is pleased to announce our firstConference since 2009. It will be held at the WallaceCollection in London on 14 March 2013 on the subject ofConserving Context: relating object treatment to collections &settings.

The Conference will explore the complex issues involved inmaking decisions that correspond between objects,collections and settings. It will focus on how treatmentsconserve or change the whole context of their collection andsetting; whether inside or outside a house, museum, gallery orother location such as an industrial context. In both museumand private contexts it is often difficult to rationalise thenecessarily nuanced approaches which are taken with theseissues. However, in seeking to maintain whole contexts, anintegrated approach is required to be applied right down toindividual objects as elements within.


24

on, amongst others, wall paintings from Westminster Palaceand Gloucester Cathedral, and Scottish stone projects.

2013 EventsThe Committee is busy preparing forthcoming events for2013. If you have any suggestions for conference topics,training or continuing professional development, then pleaselet us know.

You!Our Group currently has one hundred and sixty members,which makes us a community. But what are you working on atthe moment? An interesting object or building? A challengingproject? Share it with your Group and Icon by sending usdetails and we can publish it in Icon News or on the website.Please don’t be shy, this is your professional and friendlycommunity and you make it so!

Just drop a line to Clara at [email protected].

TEXTILE GROUPWith regard to the Icon Conference 2013 ‘Positive Futures inan Uncertain World’ in Glasgow, a very exciting opportunityhas arisen for us to take part in interdisciplinary sessionsinvolving the Book and Paper, Science, and Paintings Groupsand perhaps more. The sessions will cover Adhesives andConsolidants: Research and Practice. It will provide anopportunity to listen to and possibly watch demonstrationsfrom various groups. The sessions will cover all aspects ofadhesives from what they are and how to use them through tocurrent projects using them.

In an Iconnect last month we asked for submissions on thesubject, which will combine a poster with a ten-minute talk.This idea is similar to a system used at the Adhesives andConsolidants Conference organised by the CanadianConservation Institute (CCI), in Ottawa, Canada last year. Seethe Icon website for more details about the conference

Because of the exciting change to our plans for Glasgow, wehave decided to carry the Ethics theme over to our SpringForum 2014, so please keep this in mind over the next twelvemonths and be prepared early for 2014! We are also lookingat other suggestions from the feedback forms such ascollaborating with groups such as Historic Interiors orPreventive Conservation for future forums.

I understand that the V&A Ballgowns event in early Novemberwas fully booked but we also have a visit to the new V&ATextile Study centre lined up for next year and hopefully a tripto the Leather Conservation Centre. Dates for these are yet tobe confirmed. Details will be posted on the Textile Grouppages of the Icon website and also on the Icon facebookpage.

Deborah Phipps, Chair of the Textile Group.

The Conference wishes to highlight commonality andcollaboration between disciplines and to include a variety ofperiods, materials and approaches, with each paperconcentrating on a specific case study. We are planning theConference’s sessions to be focussed thematically:

To book a place: please contact Claire Daly [email protected]. Early-bird ticket pricesare available until 14 February 2013 (members £90 andstudent members £50), with fees increasing by 10% thereafter.

HISTORIC INTERIORS GROUPThis year’s annual Historic Interiors Cambridge ConferenceThe Country House in the Eighteenth Century held on 13April was a great success. (See review on page 31.) This wasthe Group’s fourth conference and followed the format of theprevious ones: the papers were presented either side of along lunch-break which included an extended visit to variouseighteenth century interiors of various Cambridge Colleges.At the end of the day the delegates enjoyed a punt ride to alocal Italian restaurant. Rooms were available in the CorpusChristi College and so the day extended to breakfast in theCollege Hall the following morning. Each year the conferenceattracts a growing group of regular attendees, historicinteriors experts who would not miss the event. It has beenhailed as ‘the best conference’.

Cambridge Conference 2013Next year’s conference will consider Church Interiors in theEighteenth Century and will be held on Friday 22 March 2013.For further details contact Mette de Hamel 40 LansdowneGardens, London SW8 2EF ([email protected]) Tel.0207 622 1620

Historic Interiors Christmas Party On Thursday November 29 2012, the Historic Interiors Groupis celebrating Christmas early with an special evening at thehistoric George Inn in Southwark. Owned by the NationalTrust but leased to Greene King Breweries, it is the onlysurviving galleried London coaching inn. The evening will startwith a short walking tour of the area followed by a talk onhistoric sites in Southwark. Wine, cheese and nibbles. Bookingessential. Meet at the George Inn promptly at 6.30. Members£10, non members £15.

Helen Hughes

STONE AND WALL PAINTINGS GROUP

BursariesWe’re delighted to announce that in 2013 the Stone and WallPaintings Group will be offering several bursaries to helpstudent or trainee conservators attend conferences organisedby the Group. The aim is for each bursary to cover conferencefees and reasonable travel expenses. Watch this space forfurther information.

SWP at PF13For the Icon PF13 conference the Stone and Wall Paintingsgroup will be holding a session that will include project talks



The increased interest in exhibiting ephemeral objects such asposters and magazines by cultural institutions is evidenced byrecent exhibitions such as The Vorticists: Manifesto for aModern World (Tate Britain, 2011); Modernism: Designing aNew World 1914–1939 (V&A, 2006) and Beatles to Bowie: The60s Exposed (National Portrait Gallery, 2009). Popular cultureis often used to contextualise the art, design or time periodbeing exhibited. For this reason, we can expect this type ofmaterial to feature more prominently in the future.

As a book conservation student at West Dean College Istudied some issues surrounding the use of infills on coatedpaper materials. The relatively small amount of conservationresearch into the material, compared to the prevalence ofcoated paper materials in modern collections, was both achallenging and interesting part of this project. In order toidentify key conservation issues associated with this type ofpaper, a survey was conducted in the Victoria and AlbertMuseum’s National Art Library. A collection of three hundredof their coated paper periodicals dating from the first half ofthe 20th century was assessed from these periodical titles: TheIllustrated London News, Vogue, The Sphere, LIFE, The NewYorker, The Sketch, The Graphic and Country Life.

COATED PAPER CONSERVATION PROJECT

Looking at glossy paper and ways to repair it by Holly Smith

IntroductionCoated paper has a long history, and evidence of papercoating practice can be traced back as early as ancient China,where it was used to add density and a luxurious whiteness topaper. Since the industrial revolution, when coated papersbegan to be mass-produced, these papers have becomesynonymous with high-quality printing and clear glossyimages which can be found in expensive hard-backs as well asthe more ephemeral magazines. The sheer volume of materialprinted on coated paper throughout the 20th century isconsiderable and continues to increase. Conservation issuesspecific to this type of material are becoming apparent withincollections, as the papers start to deteriorate. Solutions needto be implemented soon in order to preserve them andbefore their accessibility is compromised.

The issues arise mainly in treating coated papers, when thecoatings themselves can inhibit the use of traditionaladhesives and repair techniques. Another consideration is theaesthetic value of the paper and problems associated withsurface replication for infills or repairs.

The author burnishing one of the made samples by hand.

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Surveying the problemThe aim of the survey was to identify specific conservationissues associated with this type of material and its generalcondition. The surfaces were also examined to note thechanges in the appearance of the coatings between 1900 and1960 – the time period covered by the survey. The amount ofgloss on the surface of all the objects documented in thesurvey was quantified by using a control scale of nine gradedpaper samples. A survey spreadsheet was created whichinitially identified the object itself, its age, dimensions andpublication information, followed by a series of tick boxes,which categorized the types of damage found on the objectwhen being surveyed. These types of damage were dividedinto two parts: damage through use, and damage as a resultof the environment and each of these were further subdividedinto specific types of damage within those parameters. Theresults from the survey are shown in Table 1 above.

The survey identified that 6.6% of the total collectionsexamined either had significant losses which would requireinfilling or contained previously repaired losses which couldbe improved with a more aesthetically sympatheticreplacement. Although this percentage is small in terms ofother types of damage sustained by the surveyed items, it is

most relevant for its effect on accessibility, safe handling andexhibiting. Areas of loss in periodicals compromise thestructural strength of the object, as a torn edge is usuallyweakened and at risk of further damage. Previous repairs tothis type of paper, whether due to historical treatmentconventions or due to the fact that periodicals are consideredan ephemeral material, did not always attempt to match thesurface appearance.

A practical project was therefore designed to create a suitablerepair paper sample and to evaluate to what extent the glosscreated matched up visually with that of existing coatedpaper surfaces.

Methodology for repair samplesAlthough communications with practising conservatorssuggested that both Western and Japanese papers werecurrently being used for this type of conservation repair, aJapanese paper was chosen as the most appropriate paperfor the practical testing for this project. The paper, Gifu ShojiBuff, was used as the base for all of the samples of the repairpapers. The samples were to be coated and then burnished.Fifty six samples were created: one sample had neither acryliccolourant nor adhesive coating and was used as the control

Type of Damage% of surveyedcollection with damage type

Use Damage

None 3.6%

Tape 12.9%

Notations 53.5%

Loose or torn pages 57.4%

Missing pages 7.9%

Food stains 3.0%

Dirt, Fingerprints 57.8%

False Folds 22.4%

Inserted Objects 0.7%

Other 5.9%

Environmental Damage

None 82.2%

Light Damage 0.7%

Pest Damage 0.7%

Mould Damage 3.0%

Water Damage 12.2%

Fire Damage 0%

Other 7.9%

Sample Key:GSB: Gifu Shoji Buff (Paper)SCMC: sodiumcarboxymethyl celluloseEVA: ethylene vinyl acetateWSP: wheat starch pasteG: GelatineKG: Klucel G

PB72(2): Paraloid B-72, 2 layersPB72(4): Paraloid B-72, 4 layersAcrylBl: Ivory Black AcrylicAcrylGr: Emerald Green AcrylicSD: Standard Deviation

Table 2. The results of the glossmeter readings from the made samples

Table 1. Condition survey findings

Made SamplesSamples

unburnished(GU)

SD

Samplesburnishedwith agate

(GU)

SD

Samplespress-

dried onMelinex

SD

GSB Plain 4.8Ï 0

GSB AcrylBl 1 0 2.9 0.2

GSB AcrylGr 1.6 0 5.4 0

GSB SCMC 5.1 0 13.8 0.1 10.6 0.1

GSB AcrylBl SCMC 1.2 0 3.3 0 5.4 0.1

GSB AcrylGr SCMC 1.7 0 4 0.1 5.3 0.1

GSB EVA 10.2 0.1 5 0.1 69.9 0.4

GSB AcrylBl EVA 17.3 0.1 9.3 0.2 86.8 0.2

GSB AcrylGr EVA 9.2 0.1 5.3 0.1 85.4 0.2

GSB WSP 5.1 0 6.5 0 48.3 1.2

GSB AcrylBl WSP 2.1 0.1 5.8 0.1 63.9 1.0

GSB AcrylGr WSP 2.5 0 9.7 0.7 47.3 0.8

GSB G 4.6 0 11.4 0 11.1 0

GSB AcrylBl G 1.5 0.1 4.7 0 8.1 0

GSB AcrylGr G 2 0 7 0.1 11.3 0.1

GSB KG 5.2 0 9 0 10.1 0.1

GSB AcrylBl KG 1.3 0 3.3 0.1 19.1 0

GSB AcrylGr KG 2 0 4.8 0 11.7 0.3

GSB PB72 5.7 0 6.6 0.2

GSB AcrylBl PB72 7.1 0.3 10.9 1.0

GSB AcrylGr PB72 7.1 0.2 17 3.5



but all of the other samples were then coated with either anacrylic colourant, an adhesive coating or both. Two thirds ofthe samples were given an acrylic base to examine the way inwhich the colourant affected the appearance of the glosswhile the other third of the samples were left uncoloured. Inorder to achieve a smooth coating of pigment the acryliccolourant was applied through a silk screen. Two differentpaints were used on the samples, Liquitex Ivory Black andLiquitex Emerald Green. Black was chosen to see how a verydark tone would affect the appearance of the differentburnished adhesives and green was chosen in order to studythe effect of a bright undertone on the appearance of thesurfaces.

Each plain, green and black acrylic sample was then coatedwith each of the chosen adhesives: SCMC (1% w/v sodiumcarboxymethyl cellulose dissolved in warm water), EVA (100%),cooked-wheat starch paste (12.5% w/v), gelatine (3% v/w inwarm water), Klucel G (2% w/v dissolved in Isopropanol) andParaloid B72 (20% w/v dissolved in xylene). Each of these wasapplied to the samples with a wide soft-haired brush and leftto dry on blotter. Xylene was chosen as the solvent forParaloid B72 because the Paraloid B72 dissolves more fully init than other more commonly used solvents like IMS (industrialmethylated spirits); it also evaporated more slowly, whichallowed the Paraloid to spread and create an evenlydistributed film, reducing the appearance of brush marks.These quantities of adhesive and solvent were chosenbecause they produced a solution with good flow propertiesand similar consistencies. A third of the samples, once coated,was burnished with a dog-toothed agate burnisher. Eachsample was burnished for two minutes and a break was takenevery five samples to ensure equal pressure was appliedthroughout. One third was press-dried on Melinex, byapplying the coating and then placing the sample on Melinexbefore the coating had dried and leaving it overnight in anipping press. Once dried the samples were peeled carefullyfrom the Melinex.

Assessing the glossGloss is measured in gloss units (GU), which is an attributionof a number between 1 and 100. This number represents thespecular reflection of a beam of light shone onto a surface. Agloss unit reading of 100 means that all of the light is reflectedfrom the surface back to the glossmeter without any scatteringor diffusion. For each sample, ten readings were taken withthe glossmeter and the gloss unit for that surface wascalculated as an average of those readings.

The results – see Table 2 – show that a wide variety of surfacequalities can be achieved using different adhesives andburnishing methods. The EVA coating was found to mostsignificantly increase the gloss units for a sample both withand without burnishing but especially when press-dried onMelinex. Paraloid B72 was also found to achieve a very highgloss when burnished with an agate burnisher. These createdsurfaces similar to what would be used on the cover of acontemporary magazine. SCMC was the coating which leastsignificantly altered the glossiness of the sample’s surface andcreated an irregular shimmering pattern when burnished. It isalso important to note that some of the adhesive coatingsaltered or distorted the sample. This occurred particularly withthe water-based adhesives such as wheat starch paste andSCMC. The effect of this distortion was reduced on sampleswhich were also coated with an acrylic colourant as this actedas a barrier between the adhesive and the paper fibres.

The significant finding from this study has been the ability tocreate many different surfaces using adhesives found in mostconservation studios; a greater variety means the likelihood ofbeing able to create an aesthetically sympathetic infill isincreased. The subject is definitely in need of further researchbut this is a promising initial result for a project looking todevelop our approach to coated paper conservation.

Acknowledgements:I would like to thank Anne Bancroft, Jane Rutherston, BhaveshShah and everyone at the V&A for their help; Isabelle Eganfrom the British Library for her valuable input; and DavidDorning and Lorna Calcutt of West Dean College for theirsupport and guidance throughout my research.

Holly Smith has just started an internship – read about her onpage 13

The discrepancy in surface reflectance between the original coatedpaper and the infill can be seen clearly. The image is of Vogue (July1941) back cover

Samples being coated with SCMC (sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose),one of the chosen adhesives.

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reviews• Chapter 5 ‘Storage and Backup of

Electronic Records’ has been rewritten toprovide a more detailed overview of thesubject and again updating details toreflect developments in this area. There is,for example, the inclusion of a smallsection on cloud computing;

• Chapter 6 ‘Photographic Techniques forConservation’ has been expanded,particularly the coverage of IR and UVphotography.

This is a constantly developing area, andsuch a comprehensive revision is reassuring:there is a strong impression that currentthinking and developments are reflectedthroughout. However, it would be wrong toassume that this means that the content willdate quickly. Inevitably some aspects,particularly the step-by-step guides to usingspecific equipment and software, will dateand as more advanced technologiescurrently outside the budget of mostconservation studios become morecommonplace, the chapter on equipmentmay demand a new edition. However, one ofthe great strengths of the book is that mostof the information within, althoughcontextualised with current trends andstandards, goes beyond specifictechnologies to deal with the bigger picture:more general considerations associated withthe selection of equipment; key standardsand how they are best implemented, anddeveloping a logical workflow that reflectsthe priorities, budget and needs of yourlocal situation.

Where specific technologies are discussed,for example in the section about choosing aprinter, the reader is referred to a free andmore frequently updated website. This, whilegood practice in theory, is one of my onlycriticisms of the book: the most recentupdate to this website (at time of writing)was July 2010. Not so recent at all. However,this is a minor gripe. Current reviews ofequipment are easily found elsewhere, andwhat this book does do is give the readerthe tools to interpret the more technicalinformation found within them and to focusin on the specifications that are important tothe use of photography to documentconservation.

I have recently been involved in the set-up ofa new conservation centre at the Universityof Aberdeen. Our photographic equipmentwas mostly purchased prior to reading thisvolume. Decisions made were based onadvice from other conservators, thecombined experience of the team, andthrough consultation of online reviews. Inmost cases, specifications of equipmentpurchased have tied in withrecommendations in this book. In areaswhere we might have made differentdecisions about equipment, the authorspoint to how to optimise the potential ofwhat we have. This emphasises one of the

key strengths of the book. It has beenwritten with consideration for a variety ofaudiences working in a variety of contexts.

For those who are happy with the decisionsthey have made about equipment and whoalready adhere to recommended standardsand protocols for documenting conservationwork the book offers more beyond thebasics. For example, the newly expandedchapter on photographic techniques forconservation provides exhaustive guidelinesfor the use of visible light photography tonot only document, but also to informtreatment decisions in conservation practice.The more experienced digital photographeris also likely to find much of interest in thedetailed sections on IR and UV photography.

For the conservator who is looking to set upa new studio, or those looking to build ontheir existing set-up, the book provides astep-by-step guide that covers everythingfrom selecting equipment, to using a rangeof manual settings to achieve higher picturequality, to setting up a system for storageand back-up of electronic records that willmeet digital preservation standards.

Similarly, the authors have considered thevariety of needs and resources of readers,ensuring that the content of this bookapplies equally to those in smaller private orinstitutional studios as it does to thosebased in larger studios. Appropriate routesthrough the text are clearly signpostedensuring easy navigation.

In all, I feel that this well pitched book is aninvaluable addition to any conservationstudio. It will allow readers to make moreinformed decisions, and will hopefullyencourage more of us to consider long termdigital preservation issues as related to ourown documentation practice.

Louisa Coles Paper ConservatorGlucksman Conservation Centre,University of Aberdeen

COURSES

ADVANCED JAPANNING & LACQUERINGIcon Gilding and Decorative Surfaces GroupLondon April 2012

This three day course, which was taught byAlex Schouvaloff, was attended byprofessional conservators from privatepractice and two students of furniturerestoration. Unlike the introductory courserun by Icon last year, where attendees learnthow to use modern and traditional materialsto produce a japanned recipe box, theadvanced course focused on theconservation and restoration of japannedand lacquered objects.

Each attendee brought a lacquered orjapanned object to work on. Although this,coupled with the fact that participants wererequired to have completed the introductory

BOOK

THE AIC GUIDE TO DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY AND CONSERVATIONDOCUMENTATION (2ND EDITION)Jeffrey Warda, ed., et al. American Institute for Conservation ofHistoric and Artistic Works 2011ISBN: 978-0-9760501-3-1 223pp

I approached this book not as an expert inthe use of digital photography forconservation documentation nor as anexpert in digital photography moregenerally. I suspect my experience in thisarea is similar to many other conservators. Iam an enthusiastic amateur, I make use of apoint and click camera to document lifemore generally, and at work, when in doubt,I tend to rely on the automatic settings of aDSLR camera. What I do know about the useof digital photography for conservationdocumentation has mostly been learnt onthe job, from colleagues who share adviceand experience of best practice, and fromfollowing the protocols set down byinstitutions where I have worked.

Coming to the subject from this perspective,I believe this book is invaluable fordeveloping a more informed approach, and Ifully expect to see the benefit in my imagesas I instigate some adjustments to mypractice. However, this doesn’t mean thatthis publication should be seen merely as a‘Digital Photography for ConservationDocumentation for Dummies’. The book iswell structured, and principal facts areexplained clearly so those of us with lessexperience of the more technical elementsof equipment selection, image capture andpreservation can grasp them quickly andeasily. The language used is technical wherenecessary, but not inaccessibly so, and thecomprehensiveness of the subject coveragewill ensure that those with a more developedknowledge will find information to advancethat knowledge further.

This is the second edition of this publicationwhich was first published in 2008. The aimsremain the same: to providerecommendations for the use of digitalphotographic equipment for conservationdocumentation and to address concernsassociated with maintaining the long termaccess and preservation of those records.However, the contents have been expandedconsiderably. In fact, at 223 pages, thesecond edition is double the size of the first.Whilst the book echoes the format of theoriginal, following a logical progressionthrough the photographic documentationprocess, a number of key areas have beenexpanded, updated, or completely revised:

• Chapter 2 ‘Equipment’ has been updatedto reflect advances in technology in theintervening years, introducing newequipment and tools, and providing agreater degree of guidance overall;



course, may have deterred some lessorganised prospective attendees, it was,from my perspective, wonderful, keeping theclass to a friendly five and ensuring thatthere was ample time for Alex to give eachof us his individual attention when needed.

Alex began by presenting an ‘antiqueshunter’s guide’ to lacquered and japannedobjects, using examples from a selection ofobjects he had brought with him. We lookedat key British makers, and learnt how todistinguish japanning from lacquer, how tospot Chinese lacquer made for export andhow to date an object through anexamination of shape, fittings andiconography.

The course comprised a series ofdemonstrations and discussions on themethods and issues surrounding theconservation of japanning and lacquer work,from cleaning and consolidation toflattening, filling and retouching. In eachcase, Alex carefully weighed up theadvantages and disadvantages of thetreatments available, imparting the sort ofuseful tips for each product – fromapplication to preferred brands – whichcould only otherwise be learnt throughcareful testing over many years. He evenshared his adaptation of a Victoria andAlbert Museum recipe used in theconservation of the Mazarin Chest, withsubstitutes for some of the ingredients thatare difficult to procure.

We discussed the reversibility of restorationprocedures, looking at common unethicalpractices used by restorers past and present.It was refreshing to hear about the quickfixes (accompanied by the carefullyenunciated caveat that such procedures arehighly unethical!) such as using nail varnishto mimic mother of pearl and superglue toreplicate the high gloss of lacquer andjapanning. We also looked at the differentattitude to reversibility held by Japanese andChinese restorers and the resulting use ofurushi gatame and suri urushi treatments.

During these presentations, participantswere able to work on the objects they hadbrought with them, putting their newlyacquired knowledge into practice, with Alexat hand to guide us towards the mostappropriate treatment. The varied nature ofobjects being worked on in the studio at anyone time – from japanned desk tidies, tobeautifully intricate Chinese export lacquertea caddies – also enabled us to learn fromthe challenges encountered and surmountedby our classmates.

The course was absolutely invaluable forthose wishing to learn about the restorationof japanning and lacquer, especially giventhe absence of an up-to-date ‘how to’ guide.Having previously relied upon MarianneWebb’s excellent though somewhatoutdated book and found some of themethods to be at odds with current practice,I was delighted to leave the course with anextremely thorough set of notes includingstep-by-step instructions as well as acomprehensive list of suppliers andproducts.

Alex’s relaxed teaching style and clearexplanations struck the perfect balancebetween informal and informative. I left atthe end of the three days equipped with thetools and confidence to restore japannedand lacquered objects in the future.

Many thanks to The Icon Gilding andDecorative Surfaces Group for organisingthe workshop, to Alex Schouvaloff forleading the course, to Suzanne Sacorafou forletting us use her fantastic workshop and tothe people at the café at Netil House forproviding delicious lunches and superiorcake.

Catherine Silverman

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND THE STUDY OFPAPER Centre for the Study of the Book,University of Oxford Oxford 9–13 July 2012

It is hard to believe that this was the first yearthat the Bodleian Library’s Centre for theStudy of the Book has hosted a specialistsummer school focusing on the fields ofbibliography and papermaking during thehand-press era. The stunning medievalsetting and access to one of the world’sfinest book collections makes Oxford anobvious choice for a summer school; and thisyear’s week-long course really lived up toOxford’s amazing reputation as a centre forexcellence in book and manuscript studies.The course drew participants from sevendifferent nations whose backgroundsextended through a range of specialismsincluding librarians, antiquarian book sellers,print and manuscript researchers, curatorialstudents and book conservators.

Each day started in Merton College withmorning lectures organised by our excellentcourse convenors: Dr Alexandra Franklin –CSB Coordinator, Andrew Honey – BookConservator and Dr Mark Bland –Bibliographer. The lectures covered differentaspects of paper history and manufacture,the economics of the trade andbibliographical methods, followed bypractical sessions in which historic mouldsand papers were examined and discussed.The classes were supplemented with visits toseveral of Oxford University’s finest librariesincluding the college libraries of All Souls,Magdalen and Merton, and Duke Humfrey’sLibrary at the Bodleian. Participation in thecourse also bestowed readership access tothe OULS libraries, so that additional studywas possible in the evenings.

The afternoons were divided up into avariety of master classes given by leadingacademics and conservators. We werefortunate to explore topics such as the typesof papers used in 18th century musicmanuscripts, Jane Austen’s notebooks, 15thcentury blockbooks and paper boardmanufacture in the 18th century. Manyparticipants commented on the enthusiasmthat each presenter brought to their classes.This made for a relaxed and informal settingfor each workshop which allowed for plentyof Q&A and hands-on examination ofrelevant examples from Oxford’s wonderfulcollections.

Of particular interest to me was the masterclass with Professor Kathryn Sutherlandwho gave us the wonderful opportunity tosee two of Jane Austen’s literary notebooksfrom the Bodleian. Recent examination ofthese manuscripts by Andrew Honey andProfessor Sutherland confirms that Austenconstructed her own notebooks in her lateryears. Evidence from the sheet size indicatesthat she folded the paper and cut it with

A 19th century Chinese lacquered sewing box made for export – the object worked on byCatherine Silverman at the Advanced Japanning and Lacquering Course


30

scissors to achieve notebooks of a particularsize and format which she appeared tofavour for writing her later literary works.

A further highlight was a trip to the OxfordConservation Consortium to hear about aproject that head conservator Jane Eagan iscarrying out to translate Lalande’s account ofboard manufacture in the 18th century, asdescribed in ‘Art du Cartonnier’. Paperboards are often misunderstood orcompletely overlooked in analyses of boundvolumes and clearly warrant further study tounderstand the separate paper-makingtradition from which they are derived.

From a conservation point of view, I foundthe CSB course most beneficial for theconfidence it can bestow when you arerecording details of paper in flat and boundforms. This course takes you well beyondhow to spot physical features andwatermarks, as it helps you to understandwhy these features are important, what theycan tell you about the historic setting thatthe document has come from, and how torecord these characteristics in a manner thatis systematic and accurate. As ProfessorNicholas Pickwoad demonstrated in hismaster class on early bindings, having abetter understanding of the features andmarks in paper can help you to evaluatewhether something is important, unusual orrare; and thus can inform conservators aboutappropriate levels of treatment for earlyprinted and manuscript material.

The study of paper and bibliography is anextremely complex field and can deceive theunwary observer. So, if you have everwondered what a traunchfille is, whywatermarks are ‘twins’, how to identify mouldtypes, or if you simply wish to improve yourpaper recording skills and terminology, thenthe next CSB course will have something foryou.

Rachel SawickiBook Conservator, Chester Beatty Library

CONFERENCES THE DECORATIVE: Conservation and theApplied Arts IIC 2012 CongressVienna 10–14 September 2012

As a fledgling conservator in the early 1980sI had little awareness of the InternationalInstitute for the Conservation of Historic andArtistic Works (IIC) other than that it was theorganisation which produced Studies inConservation – a prestigious but extremelyintimidating journal. It published theoccasional articles which were of somerelevance to me then, a paintingsconservator with very limited access to anyform of material analysis. But years passedand I eventually joined IIC. Now I really valuetheir web-site which is a fount of informationabout forthcoming events and produces thebimonthly electronic newspaper News inConservation which provides up to dateinformation and comment on current issues.IIC also organises innovative Dialogues forthe New Century round table discussionsand has an active social media network.

I did not attend an IIC Congress until the2008 London Congress (Conservation andAccess) and I was pleasantly surprised by thevariety of the papers presented and theintimacy of the event. As the membership ofIIC is not sub-divided into specialist groups,the Congress does not run break-out parallelsessions. For the four days of the conferencethe delegates from a wide range ofspecialisms sit together in one auditoriumlistening to all of the papers. Thistogetherness contributes to the success ofthe IIC conferences – making it a much morecross-disciplinary event.

The planning and delivery of the ViennaCongress was meticulous. The organisingand technical committees and JoyceTownsend and her band of pre-print editorsdeserve huge praise. Conferences are somuch more than the papers presented andIIC provides lots of opportunities for behindthe scenes discussions. The four days of

papers and poster presentations werebroken by a day of site visits, with delegatesoffered a choice of sixteen ‘Backstage Tours’providing an opportunity to talk to Vienneseconservators in a variety of museums andhistoric buildings. One imaginative event,Not my Grandmother’s Chair chaired byJerry Podany, was streamed on-line andprovoked interesting discussion and furtherthought. Throughout the conferenceimportant business was conducted: the IICFellows considered what IIC should beoffering to the conservation community;student delegates developed internationallinks and the IIC Editorial Board wooed newmembers.

Jerry Podany, IIC’s President, opened theproceedings tackling the pejorativeunderstanding of the term ‘the decorativearts’. Dr Manfred Koller then presented theForbes Prize Lecture, an illuminating guideto the development and decoration ofVienna – an excellent introduction to manyof the objects and sites discussed during thecourse of the week. I must admit to being alittle disappointed by the rather limitedrange of the papers delivered. The call forpapers had been very broad, asking forconsideration of tangible and intangibleheritage in the decorative arts, but thepapers actually delivered had a decidedlyWestern European bias and many dealt withthe high end of the decorative arts spectrumand, in the main (about 75%), focussed onmaterial analysis. I had expected a moreglobal discussion of the use and significanceof the decorative, particularly in third worldnations. The lack of this variety may havebeen due to several factors. The cost ofattending the conference may have inhibitedthe participation of conservators from morefar-flung or poor countries.

Many conservators who had submittedabstracts, like myself, felt that IIC, despite itsoutgoing engagement with currentconservation issues in News in Conservation,as the publisher of Studies In Conservationwould expect some scientific content. Soalthough I had thought of submitting apaper on the role of the conservator asnegotiator when communities dislike the‘authentic’ decorations favoured by theprofessionals, instead I sent an abstract for amore routine case-study paper thatcontained a technical element of rathersimplistic pigment analysis. Others I spoke toadmitted that they too had submitted moretechnical papers for exactly the same reason.So maybe the conference selection paneldid not have a great variety of choice?Perhaps IIC suffers from a split personality:while admirably fulfilling its mission as aforum for international communication, thehistoric bias of Studies In Conservationnevertheless casts a weighty shadow overthe Congress.

The standard of technical analysis discussedin the journal is incredibly high but it focuses

Examining books with paper boards from Magdalen College library with Jane Eagan



IIC Congress welcome reception at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

on the work carried out by conservationscientists with access to well equippedmuseum laboratories – hardly representativeof the majority of the members and potentialmembers of IIC. Understanding the materialnature of the objects we work with is vital butthere is a vast body of extremely relevantwork carried out by conservators who do notengage in material analysis. If Studies inConservation is to fulfill its claim to be ‘thepremier international peer-reviewed journalfor the conservation of historic and artisticworks’ it must embrace and reflect theactivities and concerns of all its members.The Editorial Board is well aware of thisproblem and is seeking submission of abroader range of papers. Indeed there hasbeen an inclusion of non-scientific papers inmore recent editions, such as IrisKapelouzou’s excellent paper ‘The inherentsharing of conservation decisions’ (SIC Vol.57. No.3, pp 172–182). But it may be

necessary to reword the invitation to authorsif they want to attract non-technical papers.The very assurance that ‘scientific content isnot necessary’ does, I think, ‘protest toomuch’ and is not re-assuring on that point. Isuspect that the sixty year old tradition ofthe journal still adheres to a ratheroutmoded idea of objectivism at odds withthe current celebration of subjectivity andmultiple values.

The many technical papers I listened to inVienna did provide me with a usefulreminder of analytical techniques but therewere just too many and some of the papersfailed to convince me of the significance ofthe research or provided justification of theexpense they involved. At a time when thediscipline is undergoing so many financialcut-backs I think this is a valid point to make.An exception was Joanna Whalley’sfascinating analysis of the gem-stones in thejewellery collection of The Victoria andAlbert Museum which revealed the tricks ofthe trade in gem fakery and enhancementand a surprising reappraisal of the ‘value’ ofthe V&A collection (Faded glory: gemstonestimulants and enhancements). Anothermemorable paper was the discussion of theconservation of textiles in Iraq delivered byDinah Eastop on behalf of the authors Anne-Marie Deisser and Lolan Sipan. Decorativeart or art practice? outlined the continuoustradition of textile production and role ofconservators as ‘translators’ of culturalheritage.

Renee Riedler’s work on the conservation offeathers in California addressed the culturalsignificance of feathers and their use byAmerican Indian tribes. Showing appropriaterespect for an object’s significance and‘power’, an image of one of the items underdiscussion could not be displayed becauseof its special status and was simply signifiedby a blank slide (Featherwork: beyonddecorative). There were several talks aboutmaking objects, collections, sites and evenreports more accessible to the public. DinahEastop explained her own researchinvestigating methods of making a vastdesign archive accessible through the use of‘smart thumbnails’ to aid intuitive imagebrowsing.(Design, digitization, discovery:enhancing collection quality). Katy Lithgowpresented an evaluation of the ‘conservationin action events’ where the conservators’ role

is to engage with the public rather thansimply ‘getting the work done’. She arguedthat the massive enhancement of the visitorexperience justified the additional costs tothe project. Katy observed that conservatorshad to learn to be less passive and ‘becomepart of the show’. (A ‘once in a lifetime’experience).

Half a morning of the conference wasdevoted to sessions viewing the Posters andStudent Posters. This was a very successful,informal, interactive event which possiblyprovoked more animated discussion thanthe paper question sessions.

Conference papers clearly provide animportant focus to the proceedings andshould reflect current trends and attitudes inconservation and should provoke discussion.But, as we all know, conferences are morethan the sum of their parts and the IIC eventwas a great success. The conferenceconcluded with the announcement that thenext 2014 Congress will be held in HongKong. I would certainly urge you to considermaking plans to be there.

Helen Hughes FIIC ACR

THE COUNTRY HOUSE IN THEEIGHTEENTH CENTURYIcon Historic Interiors GroupCorpus Christi College Cambridge13 April 2012

Enthusiasts of 18th century interiors areadvised to search out Arthur Young’s ‘A sixweeks tour through the southern counties ofEngland and Wales’ published in 1768. Hisaccount provides fascinating descriptions ofthe houses he visited and other observationson life during the 18th century. The FourthAnnual conference of the Historic InteriorsGroup was not unlike Young’s book in termsof scope and diversity. Professor DavidWatkin’s paper, The Development of theEighteenth Century Country House, beganthe day with his consideration of the role ofpatrons and their collaboration withcraftsmen, and how their design oftenrelated to the architectural prototypes ofclassical antiquity.

John Hardy’s paper on Kedleston Hall: LordScarsdale and World Wide Trade openedour eyes to the connection with water thatflows through almost all the imagery there:the sculpture outside, the marble within andthe carving on the furniture. Emile de Bruijndiscussed the changing tastes for chinoiseriesince the seventeenth century, and its linkswith the Jesuits, traders and oppositionpolitics. Richard Ireland outlined hisexamination of Adam’s decorative scheme atHeadfort, a stately home located forty milesnorth of Dublin. It is the only surviving Adamhouse in Ireland, and represents whatRichard calls Adam’s 2nd class ofcommissions. Peter Thuring provided anexcellent account of his restoration of LinnellSofas at Kedleston and demonstrated howhe made full use of the ‘bit box’ to

‘The decoration of Vienna’


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reconstruct the cascading wooden carvingsand feet. His eight-minute video, shot at hisPetworth workshop, gave an insight into hisworking methods and just how much timeneeds to be spent sharpening his tools tocarve tough Scots pine. Carpet conservatorHeather Tetley explained the work she hadcarried out at Dumfries House for PrinceCharles and introduced delegates to theconcept of an Imat drugget – a druggetimprinted with a digital image of theprotected carpet below. The use of imatsgreatly enhances the visitor’s experiencewithout protective ropes.

Richard Lithgow’s account of his work onThornhill’s wall paintings at Hanbury Halloutlined the use of stainless steel mesh toallow the plaster substrate to move,minimising further damage to the paintedsurface. A viewing platform had beenspecially created so that members of thepublic could witness the work in progress.The newly opened Kitchens of George III atKew Palace were introduced by MarcMeltonville. The doors of these buildingswere effectively locked for nearly 190 years,until someone rooting around in what theythought was an old store room found abread oven. The discovery of a complete setof service rooms – last used in 1818 – hasallowed Historic Royal Palaces to continue itspractical experimentation of historic cookingtechnology.

The annual Cambridge one day conferencehas established a winning formula and nowhas a band of regular attendees. It is a verysociable event. Many delegates book roomsin college and assemble the followingmorning to enjoy breakfast together in theGreat Hall of Corpus Christi College. As oneregular explained ‘It is simply the bestconference!’

Magdalen Evans & Helen Hughes

TALKSA WOVEN ALLIANCE: Tapestry Yesterday,Today and for TomorrowIcon Textile GroupEdinburgh September 2012

The Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh arecurrently marking their centenary year with awonderful exhibition looking back at onehundred years of tapestry weaving. On agloriously sunny September day this settingprovided the perfect backdrop to the IconTextile Group symposium entitled ‘A WovenAlliance: Tapestry Yesterday, Today and forTomorrow’ where delegates, both with andwithout a conservation background,gathered to hear a range of presentations onthe subject.

Michael Bath’s paper was presented byKsynia Marko, who relayed his investigationsinto sources of the many emblems found inthe Four Seasons tapestries at HatfieldHouse. This was then followed by a

fascinating insight from Susana Hunter intothe re-display of a number of tapestries atthe Victoria and Albert Museum.

Philippa Duffus, who is currently completingher PhD in Conservation Strategies forHistoric Tapestries, then took us through herfindings into the mechanical properties oftapestries. Philippa comes from a sciencebackground and was kind enough to explainher complicated graphs and fascinatingresults. We are all familiar with the fact thathistoric tapestries are often faded afterdecades of display, but Maria Jordan fromHistoric Royal Palaces showed how much thisfading can effect interpretation of the imagein the case of the History of Alexander theGreat tapestries at Hampton Court.

Julie Bon and Sophie Younger presented ajoint paper on a project they had headed,caring for and improving the display of a setof 17th century Verdure tapestries atFalkland Palace. This project utilised theavailable volunteer workforce and involvedincredibly innovative use of Velcro to allowstaff and volunteers access to both the frontand back of the tapestries as they hung insitu. This was followed by another jointpresentation from Elaine Owers and KsyniaMarko, who described the collaborativework between the National Trust andstudents at Lincoln University and BishopGrosseteste College to treat eight pieces oftapestry at Doddington Hall. Helen Hughesand Louise Treble then reported on thevibrant and successful public programmewhich accompanied the Burrell TapestryProject.

Mieke Albers and Dr Elsje Janssendescribed an innovative technique they havedevised to improve the appearance of fadedprevious tapestry repairs using a pointillisttechnique. The day was then rounded offwith a presentation from Dr Jane Fenlonand Isabel Fernández López, who workedon a joint project to treat the Decius Mus

tapestries at Kilkenny Castle.

Many thanks to the organising committee forco-ordinating such a fascinating day.

Zoë LanceleyStudent, Centre for Textile ConservationUniversity of Glasgow.

Postscript: On Saturday 22 September manyof the delegates visited Stirling Castle. Aftera rousing introduction to the history of thecastle we visited the tapestry weaving studio,where many of the specially commissionedset of Unicorn tapestries are woven. Thetapestries are closely based on a set ofseven held by the Metropolitan Museum ofNew York. Here we were able to view thecurrent tapestry on the loom and the specialdisplay about the weaving, introduced byone of the Historic Scotland stewards. Wethen went through the Castle with RobThomson (preventive conservator) and wereable to see five of the seven Unicorntapestries on display in the Queen’s InnerHall.

Following the symposium and Stirling visit, asmall group took the opportunity to visit theCentre for Textile Conservation andTechnical Art History at the University ofGlasgow on Sunday morning. The newacademic year had just begun so the visitorsweren‘t able to see conservation workunderway but some of the staff and secondyear students gave a tour of the facilities anddiscussed the MPhil Textile Conservationprogramme and the work undertaken bystudents. Textiles from the Centre’s extensivereference collection were being used forinitial documentation exercises, but theCentre’s close relationship with theUniversity’s Hunterian Museum and GlasgowMuseums, among others, allows students theopportunity to work on ‘real’ objects as theyprogress through the programme and tolearn about the place of conservation in thecultural heritage sector.

FL & LM

Weaver Jonathan Cleaver introducing delegates to the weaving floor at the DovecotStudios



EAST ANGLIAN CONSERVATORS FORUMNorwich June 2012

The June East Anglian Conservators Forum(EACF) meeting was held at Norwich Castle,one of the city’s iconic heritage buildingsnow home to the museum and art gallery.The meeting took on a textile theme,offering a number of papers on textileconservation projects along with the chanceto view some of the museum’s collection.

The day started with a presentation from theNational Trust Textile Conservation Studio onthe treatment of the King James II Bed fromthe Trust’s Knole property. Ksynia Markoopened the talk with an overview of theproject, detailing previous restoration workand repairs while raising the issues of timeand funding. Rosamund Weatheralldiscussed the process of wet cleaning thecurtains and explained the adhesivetreatment used for the project so far. ClaireGolbourn concluded with the proposedconservation of the head cloth, which iscurrently undergoing treatment.

Poppy Singer‘s paper focused on theanalysis and symmetry of the HardwickDaybed cushion and how these factorsassisted in the interpretation of theembroidered design. From researching andexamining the materials and imagery, Poppyand colleague Annabel Wylie were able todiscover more of the cushion’s provenance,which helped during the conservation of theobject.

The recently conserved Egyptian shroud wasrevealed by Man-Yee Liu, Head ofConservation at Norfolk Museum andArchaeology Services. The treatment,completed in partnership with the BritishMuseum, was extremely effective and thediscussion was aided by the examination ofthe mounted object and before treatmentimages.

The viewing was then followed by a tour ofthe Decorative Arts gallery where TextileConservator Debbie Phipps discussed herrole in the conservation treatment anddisplay of specific objects exhibited withinthe museum gallery.

The afternoon session commenced with anintroduction to Norfolk Museum’s costumeand textile collection. Ruth Battersby Tooke(Curator) reflected on the planning andpreparation required for moving this entirecollection and the positive and negativeaspects raised during the process. We werethen treated to a tour of the new storerooms where the impressive shoe collectionwas admired by all…

Due to the absence of one speaker, KsyniaMarko kindly stepped up to present thecurrent treatment of ‘Penelope’; the 16thCentury appliqued wall hanging fromHardwick Hall. The talk outlined theimportance of the specialist stitching tablecreated for this object which was toodelicate to roll. The addition of a time lapse

film to enhance publicinteraction was alsoexplained.

The day combined a mixof talks and presentationswith viewings anddiscussions, offering anopportunity for all to beinvolved. It was anenjoyable and informativeday attended byestablished and newconservators andmuseum professionalswithin the East Angliaregion.

Stella GardnerMPhil TextileConservation Student,University of Glasgow

REVEALING THEESSENCE OF BEAUTY:500 YEARS OF ITALIANARTIcon Scotland GroupGlasgow July 2012

Glasgow Museums hasone of the finest civiccollections of Italian art inthe UK. This summer fortysix paintings dating fromthe late 14th century tothe 19th century weredisplayed in theexhibition Revealing the Essence of Beauty:500 Years of Italian Art at Kelvingrove ArtGallery and Museum. On 24 July a group ofconservators came together to see theexhibition and to hear talks from three of theconservation team who had worked on thepaintings and frames at an event organisedby Glasgow Museums for the Icon ScotlandGroup. Pat Collins, Curator of Medieval andRenaissance Art, introduced the exhibitionand showed the catalogue GlasgowMuseums: the Italian Paintings by ProfessorPeter Humfrey.

Polly Smith, Senior Conservator (Art Group),explained what a major project this hadbeen for the conservators, who had beenworking on the paintings since 2008.Funding from Museums Galleries Scotlandpaid for a contractor to work for one yearspecifically on the exhibition but otherwisethe major conservation treatments carriedout had to be fitted into all the other workfor exhibitions across Glasgow Museums’ tenvenues. As well as the conservationtreatment, the conservators contributed tothe catalogue, making use of their closeobservation of one hundred and fiftypaintings to prepare technical notes. Theconservation also had to take future plansinto account: after the exhibition atKelvingrove the paintings are going on toCompton Verney and then will tour severalUS museums.

Polly also talked about the work undertakenon the Adoration of the Magi, a large panelby an unknown Neapolitan artist, known asthe Master of the Glasgow Adoration. Thepainting had been so dirty that much of thedetail was obscured and it was in such poorcondition that it had not been on publicdisplay for over twenty five years. The majortreatment involved the removal of agedvarnish and discoloured retouching. Theflaking paint was consolidated and lossesfilled and the three-dimensional pastiligiaused for the decorative details was restored;finally the painting received extensiveretouching. A time lapse film of theconservation work was displayed next to thepainting in the exhibition, a clever touchwhich drew visitors’ attention to the manystages of work involved in the conservationtreatment and demonstrated its successfuloutcome.

Suzanne Ross, Painting Conservator,summarised the technical examinationtechniques employed throughout the projectand explained how historical records hadbeen used to help with conservationdecisions. She described several treatmentsthat she had undertaken which had involved

The Adoration of the Magi by Master of theGlasgow Adoration, painted c.1503–10.Painting and frame after conservation

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structural work to the canvas supports,consolidation, varnish removal, filling andretouching. It is easy for non-specialists tooverlook the importance of the frames whenpaintings are displayed, but major work onaround forty frames carried out by SophieKostin, Frame Conservator, demonstratedhow this had helped to create an authenticand harmonious display. Treatments includedthe replacement of missing ornament,cleaning, regilding and toning. All the framesare fitted with specialist glazing andbackboards to protect the paintings on tour.New reproduction late 15th centurytabernacle frames were commissioned fortwo major Renaissance paintings, Botticelli’sAnnunication and Bellini’s Madonna andChild. While the original frames are kept instorage as part of the paintings’ history, thenew frames had clearly improved thepaintings’ overall presentation enormously.

The three conservators explained their workwith impressive clarity and enthusiasm andtalked about the ethical and philosophicalprinciples which guide their conservationdecision making processes. Polly highlightedthe need to balance both curatorial andconservation priorities and the need forpragmatism while applying the highestconservation standards so as to work withinavailable resources. Following this previewand armed with a better understanding ofthe work carried out, the visitors greatlyenjoyed their tour of the exhibition.

Frances Lennard Senior LecturerCentre for Textile Conservation andTechnical Art HistoryGlasgow

VISIT

ABBOTSFORD Icon Scotland Group7 September 2012

The latest visit of the Icon Scotland Groupwas to Abbotsford, the Scottish Bordershome of the writer Sir Walter Scott. In 1811Scott bought a modest farm then used theincome from his highly successful writing to

build Abbotsford itself and to develop thegrounds and gardens. After Sir Walter diedin 1832, the house remained the home of hisdescendants until the death of Dame Jean,one of his last direct descendants, in 2004.Now in the care of the Abbotsford Trust, amajor project is under way which will ensurethe physical survival of the house,collections, gardens and estate, enablingAbbotsford to become a viable 21st centuryvisitor attraction.

Our visit was led by the Abbotsford ProjectConservator Joanna Cook who told usabout the conservation work that began atAbbotsford early last year. Scott was a greatcollector; indeed he created a home hecalled ‘a museum for living in’ so the decantof the contents prior to the structural workwas a considerable undertaking. Thisuncovered a few surprises such as theoriginal carpet from Scott’s study beingfound rolled up in a ball and forgotten in thebasement! All the contents are now beingconserved as appropriate and necessary by arange of specialist conservators. In additionto Sir Walter’s collections, his descendants’possessions also filled the house. E.g. DameJean was lady in waiting to Princess Aliceand among the contents are around sixtysuitcases from the 1940s–60s when shetravelled extensively as part of her officialduties.

Clad in our hard hats and other PPE, ourgroup was allowed to enter Abbotsforditself. We were shown the Chinese DrawingRoom, so-named because of its hand-painted Chinese wallpaper. This was a gift toSir Walter from his cousin, Captain HughScott who served as a naval officer in theEast India Company, and it is now beingconserved in situ. The house is surroundedby scaffolding so we were able to ascendthis to look closely at the external work. Wecould examine the stone, slate and leadwork from the scaffolding and SurveyorGrant Davidson was on hand to answer ourmany questions. From the heights of thescaffolding we could also admire the viewout over the lovely gardens and landscapedgrounds with the River Tweed flowing past.

A wing was added to the house by Scott’s

granddaughter Charlotte and her husbandJames Hope in the mid-19thC. Afterinheriting the house, they adopted thesurname ‘Scott Hope’ hence this is known asthe Hope Scott Wing. The plan is to presentthe original part of the house as it had beenin Sir Walter’s time with the Hope Scott Wingbeing refurbished to offer luxury self-catering accommodation. This will provideincome to support the historic rooms andsustain the Abbotsford Trust.

The adjacent newly built Visitor Centre hadonly just been opened so we were able toenjoy all the impressive facilities there: SirWalter Scott exhibition, shop and café. Allaspects of Sir Walter and his work arecovered in the exhibition, featuring objectsfrom the collections to illustrate them. DrSandra McNeil, Learning and EngagementOfficer for the Trust, showed us round andhighlighted many items of interest such asthe Abbotsford visitor book. Scott’s homehas long been visited by his admirers as aplace of pilgrimage and, among manyothers, there are signatures of CharlesDickens in 1841, Charlotte Bronte in 1850and Oscar Wilde in 1883 in the book. Wewere all shamed by her telling us that thevisitors who arrive best-informed about Scotttoday tend to be not the British ones! Shealso made us aware of how significant Scott’sinternational reputation was in his lifetimeand how his financial success allowed him tobuild Abbotsford. Joanna Cook showed us adisplay containing Sir Walter’s clothing andexplained the details of how she carried outits installation. The visit was rounded offmost satisfactorily with tea in the new caféand much discussion. This visit was perfectfor our multi-disciplinary group as all wererepresented in the conservation of thebuilding and its contents.

The collections will be returned toAbbotsford in spring 2013 and it will be re-opened to the public in July. Icon ScotlandGroup will then have the perfect reason tomake a return visit to this wonderfulproperty.

Gill Keay Icon Trustee

Icon’s Scotland Group advance on Abbotsford Looking closely at the external work



Figure 1. Horn flask before treatment

CONSERVATION OF A 9TH CENTURY CEARCHAEOLOGICAL HORN FLASK by Emilia Kingham

Emilia Kingham is currently working as the JuniorClothworkers Fellow* at the British Museum in theDepartment of Conservation and Scientific Research, organicartefacts section. She is focusing on the conservation ofprotein-based materials for her fellowship.

For a recent project, an archaeological object made of hornwas assigned to be treated. After performing a literaturesearch, it was found that there was not much practicalinformation on specific treatments for deteriorated horn.However, literature on the properties of horn and on thehistory of horn processing was available (McGregor 1985;Greep 1984; O’Connor, 1984).

The object is a small flask from the 8th-9th century CE madeof horn with a wooden stopper. It was excavated fromXinjiang, China, during Sir Marc Aurel Stein’s Second CentralAsian Expedition, 1906–1908. The horn itself was badlydeteriorated; much of the surface was delaminating and therewere areas of loss (see figure 1). Beneath this the horn wasalso very friable. It had been previously consolidated and theadhesive had pooled in areas that contained fragmented andloose chips of horn. In addition, there was an excess ofadhesive on much of the surface of the lifting horn fragments(see figure 2). The adhesive had been applied some time agoand there were signs that it was aging. It had yellowed andhad possibly shrunk, which could be contributing to thesurface delamination.

After considering treatment options, the decision was madeto remove the old yellowed adhesive, consolidate thecrumbling horn substrate and stabilize those lifting fragmentsthat would not relax back into place.

The old adhesive proved soluble in acetone and was removedby lightly swabbing with cotton-wool buds. The areas ofadhesive that were holding loose, unattached chips of horntogether were reduced but left with enough adhesive to holdthe horn together so that there would be no loss of material.

As the horn had a crumbly, laminar substrate with lifting layerson the surface, it was important to choose a consolidant thatwould penetrate far enough to consolidate all the friableareas effectively. A 1% solution of Paraloid B72 (Ethylmethacrylate copolymer) in xylene was chosen and applied bya fine tipped sable brush that had been shaped to a thinpoint. The treated object was allowed to dry in a fumecupboard overnight before a second application. Xylene waschosen as the solvent as it evaporates more slowly than IMS(industrial methylated spirits) or acetone and would therefore

in practiceallow for a deeper penetration of the consolidant.

The next stage of treatment involved supporting andstabilizing the lifting pieces of horn. In some areas, there wasas much as a 3mm gap between the lifting piece and theunderlying horn. These pieces either would not relax down orwere not supported by any material underneath them and anoverhang had been created. In these instances, the liftingsections were supported by inserting a tiny ball of tengujo 11g.m² Japanese paper tinted with acrylic paint, using LascauxMedium for Consolidation (aqueous dispersion of acrylateester, styrene and methacrylate ester). Flakes that were onlyslightly lifting and could be relaxed down to the surface wereconsolidated, also with Lascaux Medium for Consolidation. Apre-treatment application of white spirits was applied so thatthe Lascaux did not penetrate too far into the material and

* See the advert on page 10 inviting applications for the latestround of the Clothworkers’ Foundation Fellowship scheme.The Senior Clothworkers’ Fellow in this case is Barbara Wills,who is working on naturally preserved Sudanese mummies


36

stayed relatively near the surface. The water content in theLascaux significantly helped to relax the flakes down to thesurface. Both white spirits and Lascaux were applied by brush.

The choice of adhesive proved to be the most challenging asthere were many options that could potentially have worked.For example, when enquiring with colleagues in anotherinstitution, methylcellulose had been used to consolidatedeteriorating horn. This was considered but eventuallydeemed not strong enough to consolidate the lifting flakeseffectively. A certain degree of flexibility was required for thetreatment of the lifting flakes on the surface and this,combined with previous experience with Lascaux Medium forConsolidation, decided the choice of adhesive.

This multi-staged approach for treatment proved to besuccessful and resulted in the horn flask being suitable forhandling (see figure 3) Moreover, the Paraloid B72 in xylenedid not leave the surface shiny, while the Lascaux Medium forConsolidation remained slightly flexible and sympathetic tothe horn material. The technique of supporting lifting flakeswith Japanese tissue provided added strength to the objectand prevented large pieces from breaking off duringhandling. Moreover, the tinted tissue balls blended easily withthe horn and were not readily visible. In total the treatmenttook twenty four hours to complete with additional hours forresearching past treatments and materials. The conservationof this horn object was a challenging project that requiredcontinual consideration and re-assessment during its manystages.

I would like to thank Arianna Bernucci and Clare Ward fortheir advice and input into this project.

References

Greep, S.J., Use of bone, antler and ivory in the Roman and medieval periods.In Archaeological Bone, Antler and Ivory, Occasional Papers Number 5,proceedings of a conference held by UKIC Archaeology Section, The UnitedKingdom Institute for Conservation: London, 1987. Held in the Chantry Library: Conf/UKIC – 1984

McGregor, A., Bone, Antler, Ivory and Horn: the technology of skeletalmaterials since the Roman period. Croom Helm: London, 1985. Copy held at the Bodleian Library – available via the Chantry Library

O’Connor, S., The Identification of osseous and keratinaceous materials atYork. In Archaeological Bone, Antler and Ivory, Occasional Papers Number 5,proceedings of a conference held by UKIC Archaeology Section, The UnitedKingdom Institute for Conservation: London, 1987. Held in the Chantry Library: Conf/UKIC – 1984

Figure 2. Detail showing excess adhesive on lifting horn fragments

Figure 3. The horn flask after treatment


ICON NEWS • NOVEMBER 2005 • 3.co.uk

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