Conservation Journal January 1997 BLANK · work on the Heal’s Archive, one of the most requested...

Conservation Journal January 1997

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Royal College of Art Victoria & Albert Museum Joint Course Conservation

SummerPlacement at theCanadianConservationInstituteAndrew LambMusical Instruments MA (WithHorniman Museum)The Canadian ConservationInstitute (CCI), located in Ottawa,Ontario, is a part of the Department ofCanadian Heritage. Its mandate is to“Promote the proper care andpreservation of Canada’s moveablecultural heritage, and to advance thepractice, science and technology ofconservation”.

My internship at CCI was for 10 weeks,from June to August 1996, where Iworked in the Ethnology Studio underthe direction of Senior Conservator,Bob Barclay. The purpose of thisplacement was to learn something ofprofessional working practices at CCI,to undertake challenging project workand to visit other conservation facilitiesin Ottawa.

My introduction to CCI consisted of aninformal tour of the facilities andstudios where I met members of staffand other interns. This afforded anopportunity to see some of theconservation work being undertakenso I was better able to appreciatesubsequent, lengthier departmentalvisits. I shared the Ethnology Lab withfive conservators and one other internfrom the MA programme at QueensUniversity, Ontario. I was allowed fulluse of very extensive facilities andassistance from other departments wasoffered when needed.

My main project work concerned thetreatment of a church organ. This wasan early 19th century instrument andwas kept in the Sharon Temple, formerhome of the Children of Light sect and

now a historic house. The first task wasto travel to the temple and load theorgan for transport to CCI. Theinstrument had been previouslypartially disassembled so I could see,even at that early stage, that thisproject might not be entirelystraightforward.

Conservation treatment began with aninspection of the various parts of theinstrument followed by a detailedreport. The curator at Sharon grantedpermission and interventive treatmentbegan. The early inspection revealedthat the instrument had been heavilyinfested with mice. This could havecaused problems as certain types ofmouse droppings are highly poisonous.Analysis of samples by the Environment& Deterioration Research Departmentat CCI revealed that the droppingswere no longer infectious so treatmentcould continue. However, the damagecaused by the mice was so extensivethat there was no possibility of theinstrument ever being put into playingcondition.

Laboratory work was interspersed witha series of visits to other laboratorieswithin CCI and at other institutions inthe Ottawa area. A visit to the Museum

of Science and Technology raisedquestions about the storage of artefactsof a radioactive nature. The facilities atthe Parks Canada laboratories werecompletely new and incorporatedmany built-in features, including rear ofbench slot fume extraction andplumbed-in vacuum cleaners. I alsohad the chance to visit theconservation facilities at the CanadianMuseum of Civilisation and theCanadian War Museum.

The treatment of the organ took 175hours. The majority of the work wassurface cleaning using a variety ofmechanical and solvent methods. Anumber of repairs were needed tosecure the structure of the instrument.Each replacement part was markeddiscreetly, CCI 1996, so there would beno doubt as to its provenance in thefuture and all parts were labelled soreassembly appeared to be slicklyefficient. The instrument was returnedto Sharon Temple the day prior to mydeparture.

Working at CCI proved to be asfulfilling as I had hoped. I wasconstantly challenged on levels andmethods of treatment and interventionand am grateful for the unconditionalsupport I received from all members ofthe CCI staff. I would particularly liketo thank: Tom Stone, Bob Barclay, JanetMason, George Prytulak, CaroleDignard and Deborah Stewart.

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Editorial Board

Jonathan Ashley-SmithHead of Conservation Department

Alan CummingsCourse Director, RCA /V&A Conservation Course

Graham MartinHead of Conservation Research,Conservation Department

Helen Shenton Assistant Head of Conservation,Conservation Department

Managing & Production EditorPaula Mills, Conservation Scientist,Conservation Department

Designed by V&A Print Unit

Photographs are credited individually

© 1997, Copyright The Trustees of the Victoria & Albert Museum. ISSN 0967-2273

All enquires to:Conservation Department,Victoria & Albert Museum,London SW7 2RL, UKTelephone +44 (0)171-938 8569Fax +44 (0)171-938 8661Email [email protected]

The cover shows Spanish Marble Inkwell(Museum No. M 162-1951)Photography by V&A Photographic Studio.

ContentsV&A Conservation Journal No 22

3 EditorialJonathan Ashley-Smith, Head of Conservation Department

4 Weighing Up Silver Objects: Evaluating Past and Future Conservation Methods.

Simon Metcalf, Metalwork Conservator, Metalwork Conservation

6 Reflections on SilverSophia Strang Steel, Metalwork Conservation Student, RCA/V&A Conservation Course

9 Investigations into the Use of Laponite as a Poulticing Material inCeramics Conservation

Lai-Mei Lee, Phillip Rogers, Department of Materials, Imperial College,LondonVictoria Oakley, Head of Ceramics and Glass, Ceramics and GlassConservationJuanita Navarro, Ceramics Conservator, Ceramics and GlassConservation

12 Nappies at the National Museum of ChildhoodMarion Kite, Senior Textiles Conservator, Textiles Conservation

14 Mounts for the Display of BooksHelen Shenton, Assistant Head of ConservationDanny Norman, Conservation Mounter, Paper ConservationSimon Fleury, Conservation Mounter, Paper Conservation

17 The Archive of Heal & Son LimitedHelen Lindsay, Contract Book Conservator, Book Conservation

19 Slides and Frisbees - Determining Dust Deposition RatesDavid Ford, Conservation Scientist, Science Group

22 Summer PlacementsAndrew Lamb, Hannah Eastwood, RCA/V&A Conservation Course

24 Conservation Department Staff Chart

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EditorialJonathan Ashley-SmithHead of Conservation Department

To stimulate and maintain publicinterest, and to encourage newvisitors, the Museum organises asuccession of spectacular eventsat regular intervals. Typical eventsare the launch of a home-grownexhibition, such as last summer’stribute to William Morris, or theopening of an imported exhibitionsuch as “American Photography”.Newly refurbished galleries arere-opened with great ceremonyand publicity. Two such triumphswere the Raphael Gallery and theSilver Gallery, which opened inquick succession at the end oflast year.

The regular spacing of publiclydeclared deadlines is notreflected in a uniform successionof projects within theConservation Department.Inevitably a great deal of ourwork is driven by deadlinesassociated with exhibitions,galleries and loans, which are theovert examples of the Museum’smission to improve publicaccess. However, the order of themuch publicised endpoints doesnot reflect the order in which theprojects were started. Plans forthe refurbishment of the RaphaelGallery began ten years ago andthe start of the conservationwork on Raphael’s immensecartoons was reported in thisJournal in 1992. By contrast thework on the Silver Gallery wasmuch more compressed. The

name of the gallery seems toimply that only the MetalsSection would be involved, but infact six different sectionscontributed. Many of these couldnot start the new project untilthey had completed thereinstatement of the WellingtonMuseum in the middle of 1995.

The conservation work does notstop when the gallery is opened:for light sensitive objects theremust be continually changingdisplays and for those that aresensitive to pollutants, in themuseum environment, there willbe a continuing programme ofcleaning (unless suitableprotective measures can betaken). It is hoped that theresearch described in this journalwill lead to successful preventivemethods. The hundreds ofpieces of silver in the new galleryare protected by highspecification showcases whichshould slow down the rate oftarnish. By measuring levels ofpollutants and testing absorbentswe may eventually be able toextricate ourselves from therelentless cycle of silver-cleaning.The project on dustmeasurement is the startingpoint for an environmentalspecification which is based onthe effect dust has on theappearance of the objects, thatis, the degree to which itinterferes with access.

Access to the collections isgained in many more ways thanlarge exhibitions and permanentdisplays. There is a steadyprogress of small temporarydisplays and a cycle ofimprovements to parts of oldergalleries. Conservators helpdesign new methods ofmounting objects which willenhance interpretation butwhich will also minimise risks ofdamage on display. Examples ofthese are the adjustable mountsfor the exhibition of books andthe acrylic mounts used in a newdisplay of nappies at the NationalMuseum of Childhood at BethnalGreen.

Some parts of the collections willnever be on public display, butthere is still a demand for access,and work must be done to makethem accessible. Typical is thework on the Heal’s Archive, oneof the most requested items atthe Archive of Art and Design.The article describes thecollaboration of archivist andconservator in a project notdriven by deadline but by theneed to get it done.

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Royal College of Art Victoria & Albert Museum Joint Course Conservation

SummerPlacement at theCentral ResearchLaboratory forObjects of Artand Science,AmsterdamHannah Eastwood, Conservation Science Student,RCA/V&A Conservation CourseI was given a warm welcome at theCentral Research Laboratory forObjects of Art and Science inAmsterdam by the Director, Dr. AgnesGräfin Ballestrem. It proved to be anideal place for a conservation sciencestudent to spend time.

My placement was supervised by MsKarin Groen who is responsible for theanalysis of paintings. Karin was verygenerous with her knowledge ofpigments and painting techniques, aswere René Huigen and Matthijs deKeijzer who also study pigments. Muchof Karin’s time is taken up by theRembrandt Research Project and I wasgiven first-hand advice on how to spotthe real thing! Another aspect of thework is to answer queries aboutpaintings from curators andconservators. The wide range ofscientific skills at the CentralLaboratories ensures many avenues canbe explored to solve these problems.

I was greatly impressed by theextensive facilities there and was ableto spend time with scientists whospecialise in analytical techniques suchas: X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), HighPerformance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC), Thin Layer Chromatography(TLC) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red(FTIR). The database of art technologicalsources (TINCL) and its aims wereexplained to me by Ap Stijnman. This

unique resource is based at the CentralLaboratory and to date has over threethousand entries of manuscripts,recipes, accounts and many otherexamples of historical literature. WhenI asked why the filing cabinetscontaining copies of these ancientmanuscripts were labelled ‘Acts of theGods’ the reply came - “ Well theyare!”. The ability of the Dutch tomaster foreign languages wasfrequently demonstrated to me andthis skill is utilised here, as translationsof many of the treatises are availablefor even the unilingual English tounderstand.

In the Netherlands there is a strongdrive to develop new analyticalmethods for use in conservation. TheMOLART project, which aims tounderstand art at a molecular level,uses the skills of scientists,conservation scientists, conservatorsand art historians to collaborate to geta valid interpretation of results. Onepart of the project is to develop SLIM -Spatially resolved Laser induced IonMass spectrometry. This will be capableof extracting vast amounts of data fromcross-sections, leading to a morecomplete knowledge of the materialspresent which may influenceconservation treatments.

Whilst in the Netherlands I took theopportunity to visit many conservationstudios including those at theRijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum,the Frans Hals museum, theMauritshaus and the training school atMaastricht. Everybody was very friendlyand willing to discuss their work whichmade these visits extrememlyenjoyable. I also visited ‘De Kat’windmill, built in 1782, and used dailyfor the preparation of pigments. Piet,the miller, showed me the wideselection of traditional pigments andartists’ materials on sale there. TheKröller Muller museum and sculpturepark was another highlight. There is alarge supply of white bikes available forvisitors to cycle around the grounds - athoroughly Dutch experience!

I feel privileged to have had a ‘behindthe scenes’ look at the CentralLaboratory. It was interesting for me tosee how the work is organised as thisdiffers from Conservation Research atthe V&A, where work is focusseddirectly on the museum’s owncollection. I learnt a great deal from myplacement but one recurring thoughtwas how important and productive thearrangement at the V&A is. Havingscientific staff in the same building asconservators, curators and thecollections makes collaboration andintegration between disciplines somuch easier to achieve.


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Over the past three years MetalworkConservation has surveyed and conserved morethan 1500 silver based objects in preparation forthe re-opening of the Victoria & Albert Museum’sSilver Gallery. This work has enabled us to buildup a good practical knowledge of a silver object’sdisplay and storage life. We have identified theshortcomings of the protective lacquer currentlyused and have begun to research and develop abroader range of approaches to conserving silver,including a field trial of pollutant adsorbents.

The main problems for silver and silvergilt are theformation of corrosion (tarnish) and the surfacewear associated with its removal. Corrosion iscaused by reaction of the silver with gases in theatmosphere (a useful synopsis of literature can befound in the review undertaken by Inaba1). Themain causes of corrosion are thought to behydrogen sulphide, carbonyl sulphide and, to alesser extent, chlorides. These gases derivemostly from organic materials and inconcentrations as low as a few parts per trillioncan cause corrosion2.

Corrosion is removed bycleaning, followed by theapplication of a cellulose nitratelacquer3 FrigileneTM (W CanningLtd). This forms a barrierbetween the atmosphere andthe surface of the silver. Thereare many advantages to thisbarrier approach - not leastbeing the considerableexperience in the utilisation ofthe technique. The treatmenthas the following limitations:

1. Pieces with a complicatedconstruction of silver andorganic/mixed media aresometimes not suitable forlacquering;

2. The successful application oflacquer requires a high level ofskill and training and can take upto 50% of the treatment time;

3. Loss of lacquer from handling or unevenlacquer application can cause exposed areas ofsilver to corrode. The corrosion leads to damagewhich shows as disfiguring, matted or etchedareas on normally brightly polished surfaces(Figure 1);

4. Over time cellulose nitrate lacquerdeteriorates in the presence of uv-light, leadingto discolouration and reduced protection;

5. During application, lacquer coatings evolvesolvents harmful to health (mainly xylene and n-butyl alcohol in the case of Frigilene). A Conservation Department health and safetyreview in 1995 highlighted the need to minimisestaff exposure to these solvents. All work hasbeen restricted to the three fume extractioncupboards in Metalwork Conservation’s studio.This has reduced the number of staff able towork on lacquering and incurred extratransportation and handling costs for silver fromoff-site storage.

So why are we still using cellulose nitratelacquers? The conclusion drawnfrom evaluating the collection’scondition is that the abovedisadvantages are outweighed bythe benefits of this type of coating:

1. Unlacquered objects havebeen found to corrode in three totwelve months, compared tobetween five and ten years forlacquered objects. Surface wearfrom frequent removal of corrosionis therefore drastically reduced;

2. Frigilene has been used forover 26 years at the V&A, so itsproperties are well known;

3. Trials comparing Frigilene withother products such as ParaloidTM

B72 (Rhom and Haas) andCovolacTM (W Canning Ltd) havenot found any major differences.They have either proved harder toapply or have failed materials

Weighing up silver objects: evaluating pastand future conservation methods

Simon MetcalfMetalwork Conservator, Metalwork Conservation

Figure 1. Detail of a Sheffield plate candlestick(Museum No. M 11-1912, H29cm but only 8cm shown).Worn and degraded lacquer has caused characteristicpreferential corrosion.

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AcknowledgementsInstallation, Gloss Reduction Readings and SEMof slides:Stuart AdamsEnvironmental Science UnitDepartment of GeographyQueen Mary & Westfield CollegeMile End RoadLondonE1 4NS

Frisbee manufactured by:Ian Hanby Chartered Engineer4, Elston HallElstonNewarkNG23 5NP

1. Brooks, K., and Schwar, M.J.R.,Dust Deposition and the Soilingof Glossy Surfaces,Environmental Pollution 43,1987, pp.129-141.

2. Moorcroft, J.S., and Laxen,D.P.H., Assessment of DustNuisance, Environmental Health,August 1990, pp.215-216.

3. Adams, S., The Assessment ofDust Nuisance, at the TheatreMuseum, Covent Garden,London, Queen Mary andWestfield College, Interim andFinal Report, Commissioned bythe Victoria and Albert Museum,March 1996.

4. BS1747:Part1:1969, Dust Gauges.

5. Vallack, H.W., Protocol for Using the Dry Frisbee DustDeposit Gauge, Stockholm Environment Institute, BiologyDepartment, University of York, PO Box 373, York, YO1 5YW,July 1995.

Dust Slide Results% Reduction in Gloss

Week End Outside Inside Access Painted

Main Main Ramp to room -

Entrance Entrance lower floor Cloakroom

Before 5 Feb 96 15.5 1 1.3 2.2

12 Feb 96 11.9 0.6 2 0.6

19 Feb 96 13.8 3.3 5 3.3

26 Feb 96 16.3 2.6 4.7 3.5

4 Mar 96 10 1.4 1.6 3

After 29 Mar 96 12.2 7.4 5.6 1.1

6 May 96 18.1 3.1 4.2 0.3

13 May 96 16.6 1.4 4.2 0.1

20 May 96 14.8 5.3 3 3.5

27 May 96 15.3 5.6 7.2 1.3

Figure 3. Comparison of dust levels in other locations; data courtesy of Ian Hanby.

Table 1. Reduction in Gloss Levels; data recorded by Stuart Adams.


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Glass Slide Deposit GaugeGlass Slide Deposit Gauges (GSDG) compare the‘gloss’ on a glass microscope slide before andafter exposure. ‘Gloss’ or surface reflectance ismeasured using a calibrated gloss meter1.Slides are normally in location for sevendays before readings are taken; this is the time itusually takes for a representative sample to beformed, after this period scouring or stackingmay affect the results. Moorcroft and Laxen foundthat a soiling rate of 10% reduction in gloss overone week was acceptable to a number ofobservers2. However, this figure does not relateto museum objects and may be higher than thelevels acceptable to the museum professional andgeneral public. A figure of 5% has been suggestedfor museums3. Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) can be used to identify the constituents ofthe dust deposited on the slide. Since the V&Adoes not have the necessary equipment orexpertise, this work was carried out by QueenMary and Westfield College.

Dry Frisbee Deposit GaugeStandard methods for the measurement of drydeposition are set out in British Standard 17474.The work at the Theatre Museum used a cheaperand more efficient adaptation of this standard5. AFrisbee shaped dish, placed on a stand 1.7mabove the ground, was to act as a collectionsurface (Figure 2). In the field, the DFDG wouldrely on rain to wash the particulate matter into acollection bottle. Since rain was unlikely in theTheatre Museum, deionised water was sprayedgently over the gauge every few days using aplant watering bottle. After one month the waterin the bottle was filtered through a pre-weighedequilibrated filter paper; the paper was thenre-equilibrated and weighed to measure thequantity of dust deposited. A simpleequation gives the rate of deposition persquare metre per day.

ResultsIn a survey of this nature andduration the data sets are limited.This prevents the use of normalstatistical procedures due toincreased and uncertainvariability. Therefore,results, thoughinteresting, need to beexamined withcaution. Furtherstudy is required beforeconclusions can be expanded and verified. Threenotable events occurred during the monitoring

periods: a bomb exploded in Aldwych, gascylinders exploded in The Strand, and anexhibition was dismantled in the main exhibition

area of the Theatre Museum. Bysubtracting the data relevant to these

events it is possible to offer a differentinterpretation to those set out in this paper.

However, due to the size of the data set anduncertainty in the influence of these events, thedata is presented unaltered.

Overall, no link was found between external dataand that collected inside the Museum. Acorrelation existed between the external monitorand the door monitor during demolition.Standard correlation techniques also revealedsome relationships among the three internalslides during both monitoring periods.

Perhaps the most important point was that theinternal and external environments act asseparate entities. Therefore, the point sources fordust have varying significance depending on theenvironment involved. Identifying significantpoint sources in and around a central Londonbuilding is problematic, so any relationshipsfound are circumstantial and have varyingdegrees of significance for internal and externalenvironments.

Only two sets of readings were obtained using theFrisbee Dust Deposit Gauge during the monitoringphase; results were below 3mg m-2 day -1 for theentire monitoring period. To put this into somecontext this figure has been plotted against datafrom other sites (Figure 3).

ConclusionIn this study the external environment was not asignificant factor in determining dust levelswithin the Theatre Museum. Visitor numberswere not influential in increasing dust levels.The only significant increase in the internaldust levels was during the dismantling of anexhibition, in the second monitoring phase.The proportions of deposited, residual andnewly created dust from this disturbancewere not determined. An arbitraryaesthetic standard of 5% reduction ingloss (or 5 soiling units) has beensuggested and may be implemented.Further work needs to be carried outon the effects of dust on museumobjects.

Both monitoring techniquesproved useful in this work andfor future application withinthe Museum.

Figure 2. The Frisbee Dust Deposit Gauge.

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testing4 and still contain solvents harmful tohealth;

4. Though less stable than acrylic coatingsFrigilene is easier to apply, and if done carefullydoes not interfere with an object’s appearance.

Access and handling of objects will always be partof a museum’s function. Conservation does nothave the resources to monitor and control theaffects of access to an object’s unprotectedsurface or the case environment. The Metalwork,Silver and Jewellery Department collection alonecomprises of over 12,000 silver objects so thatmany objects are not attended to for longperiods. A protective coating supported by arange of complementary techniques is thereforea necessary overall strategy.

In the future, we hope to further develop andresearch practical methods to broaden ouroptions. A number of measures, such asinforming staff of the vulnerability of lacquer andto use clean gloves, can help minimisedegradation. Techniques such as separatingpieces made completely of silver from silverobjects with organic elements can also lowerlocal pollutant emissions, as can theimprovement of display and storage materials. Amonitoring and maintenance regime, whichincludes the trial of pollutant adsorbents, will alsohelp to prolong the life of treatments.

Zinc oxide (ICI Katalco) and charcoal cloth(Charcoal Cloth International Ltd) have beenidentified in laboratory tests by the BritishMuseum as being useful in trapping pollutantswhich are present in the case environment5. Tocomplement this work we have begun acollaborative experiment with Dr S. Watts ofOxford Brookes University and Dr N. Blades,University of East Anglia (formerly of V&AScience Group). The aim, over one year, is toassess what causes corrosion and to see howadsorbents perform in a practical situation.

Six storage cases used to house silver objectshave been selected; three old mahogany casesand three modern stove enamelled steel cases.Each set of three has a control case, a casetesting zinc oxide and a case testing charcoalcloth. Diffusion tubes6 (Figure 2) supplied byOxford Brookes University are being used tomeasure levels of hydrogen sulphide, organicacids (principally ascetic and formic acids) andozone. Additionally, levels of sulphur dioxide,nitrogen dioxide, and chlorides are beingmeasured using a multi-purpose tube suppliedby Gradco International Ltd. Four accurately

weighed silver coupons (J. Blundell & Sons), two99.99% pure, and two 92.5% sterling have beenplaced in each case. At any point during theexperiment, the coupons indicate the amount ofcorrosion formed. At the end of the experiment,they will be analysed to identify the types ofcorrosion present. This is essential since wecannot be sure we are monitoring all thepollutants that cause corrosion and, for some(e.g. carbonyl sulphide), there is as yet nodiffusion tube method available7.

The use of adsorbents may prove useful inprotecting silver objects from pollutants, thoughat present it is unlikely to replace lacquercoatings in such a large collection. The last threeyear’s work has highlighted the successes andlimitations of a long established treatment regimeas well as generating new approaches to silverconservation. For the future, Metals Sectionneeds to continue to develop and research anever broader spectrum of techniques forprotecting the V&A’s silver collection.

References1. Inaba, M., Tarnishing of silver: a short review, V&AConservation Journal 18, 1996, pp 9-10.

2. Blades, N.W., Investigation of the use of absorbents toprevent the tarnish of silver in display and storage cases,V&A Science Group Internal Report 96/31/NB, 1996.

3. Heath, D., The Conservation of the PortugueseCentrepiece, V&A Conservation Journal 17, 1995, pp 4-7.

4. Pretzel, B., Corrosiveness test results, V&A ScienceGroup Internal Report, 1991.

5. Lee, L., (Senior Scientific Officer, British MuseumConservation Department), Personal Communication.

6. Blades, N.W., Measuring pollution in the museumenvironment, V&A Conservation Journal 14, 1995, pp 9-11.

7. Blades, N.W., (Senior Research Associate, School ofEnviromental Science, University of East Anglia) PersonalCommunication, 1996.


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Figure 2. N Blades (formerly V&A Science Group) placing pollutant monitoring tubes in ametalwork storage case.

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Earlier this year the Royal Opera House receivedfunding to redevelop their site on the north sideof Russell Street, London, WC2. This projectinvolved the demolition of buildings immediatelyopposite the V&A’s Theatre Museum at CoventGarden (Figure 1). Concerns were raised that thisbuilding work could pose a risk to the collectionat the Theatre Museum by creating high levels ofdust in the immediate area. It was decided that itwas necessary to start a monitoring programmeto measure dust levels before and during themain demolition work. Primarily, the aim of thisproject was to determine whether dust levels hadincreased within the Theatre Museum due to theredevelopment nearby. This article outlines thereasons for selecting the methods, the basicprinciples behind the chosen methods and asummary of the initial findings.

Many techniques are available for the assessmentof dust in air, these include:

• High volume air sampling that uses a pumpto draw a sample of air through a pre-weighed filter;

• Light scattering techniques that measurechanges in radiation when a beam isinterrupted by dust particles;

• Passive samplers that measure dust that fallsonto a surface by techniques described later.

The majority of these techniques find use in theoccupational hygiene and pollution measurementfields. Two passive techniques were found to beof particular interest and these are describedbelow.

The challenge in this instance, was to findtechniques that could be interpreted with directrelevance to the collections i.e. object centred.The technique chosen should give a clearindication of the dust levels that may beaccumulating on the object. Techniques weresought that had minimum aural and visualimpact, low power requirements and data easilycomparable to the objects. Budgetary restraintswere significant in selecting the appropriatemonitoring method.

Passive methods were initially chosen becausethey are readily comparable to Museum objects.Two types of passive systems were chosen, a DryFrisbee Dust Deposit Gauge (DFDG) and a GlassSlide Deposit Gauge (GSDG), each havingparticular advantages. Obviously, differences inelectrostatic properties, surface morphology andmicrometeorology between the samplers and theobjects did not allow direct comparisons.Monitoring passively had the advantage that itmet the criteria for reduced maintenance andcost requirements while minimising noise andpower problems. One draw back to thetechniques chosen was their comparatively longsampling times.


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Slides and Frisbees - Determining DustDeposition RatesDavid Ford, Conservation Scientist, Science Group

Figure 1. Buildings opposite the Theatre Museum.

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6

The Oxford English Dictionary definition of astudent reads: “Person studying in order toqualify himself for some occupation or devotinghimself to some branch of learning...” (I am alsotaken by a further, rather assumptive, definition -“Person of studious habits” - but that is anothermatter). I read that the verb study involves“making a study of, taking pains to investigate oracquire knowledge of [subject], or assuring[result sought], scrutinising or earnestlycontemplating [visible object]”. In my firstyear of study I came to readily associatesuch a definition with the treatment ofobjects, but it was the treatment ofobjects for the Silver Gallery whichhelped me to begin to defineconservation as a “subject/branch oflearning/occupation”.

My appreciation of the extent ofinvolvement of a conservator in a majorexhibition project began with the objectsthemselves. By considering them in the lightof their new display I became aware of thewider issues surrounding the intensivepreparation of a gallery refit on a grand scale. Thefirst phase of the gallery will house some 1000objects selected from about 12,000 objects in theMetalwork, Silver and Jewellery collection. Theobjects have been selected by thecurators either as fine examples ofdesign or craftsmanship or to convey ahistorical or educational message as inthe discovery galleries (Figure 1).

One role of the conservator in thisprocess is to survey the selectedobjects to assess their currentstate. This will, of course, affect adecision on how much time isrequired to treat each object. Ibegan to appreciate theimportance of accurateassessments of treatmenttimes and just how difficultit is to be precise whensome objects are too heavyto lift to inspect internallyfor corrosion, or when, oncleaning, hitherto disguised damage

came to light (Figure 2). I discovered how crucialthe role of ‘conservator as actuary’ was for timemanagement in the conservation studio giventhat there are always other projects and loans towork on. These surveys also relate to othersupport teams, including scientists,photographers, object handlers and joiners, whohave their timetables to maintain. Now I couldsee why planning for the gallery had begun in1993.

I realised the need to allow time forresearch and analysis of individualobjects. A tap into the curators’knowledge of an object is useful to helphighlight historical features, such asuse, which must be taken into

consideration in selecting thetreatments. We also need to ascertain

which materials or techniques were usedin construction of the object. An example

of this is the cup shown in Figure 1. It hadthe raised relief heightened at the time of

construction, by “oxidation” of the silver giving acontrasting blue gray surface. This deliberatecolouring of the surface had to be preservedwhile silver sulphide tarnish needed to beremoved. The engraved areas showed remains of

an infill used to highlight the letters - also tobe retained - yet there was also aconsiderable build-up of previous cleaningresidues which was obscuring some of thedetails.

Several of the other objects I worked onwere of mixed media. Thishighlighted for me the need to beaware of the different approachesto conservation that diversedisciplines have, but most of all the

need for communicationbetween fellow conservators.

Some of the other media Iencountered were: fishskin, velvet, wood, stone,vegetable matter (agourd), gems and

enamels. I found thewillingness of individuals to

give their time very gratifying, for it

Reflections on Silver

Sophia Strang SteelMetalwork Conservation Student, RCA/V&A Conservation Course

Figure 1. The Nagpur Hunt Cup, M184-1976, approx. 40cm high.

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is the people that count; books did not provideall the answers in a profession where so manyexceptional objects exist and experience is oftenthe key to the answer.

The ability to communicate well was also valid inany consultation with curators. These usuallyrelated to questions about what finish wasdeemed to be appropriate either for thecondition or age of an object. For the display of aseries of objects there might also be a discussionabout the validity of certain repairs (old andnew). Thought was also given to the suitability ofmounting structures, in consultation with thejoiners. One always had to balance the timeavailable against the potential benefit thetreatment might afford to the object.

In broader terms of communication I came tovalue highly the role of documentation, be itwritten or photographic. I would have dearlyloved to know whether the corrosion of thegilded brass mounts on the inkwell in Figure 3,was a result of long term corrosion, or a reactionto previous cleaning processes. Time andcircumstance ruled out further analysis, but arecord of any prior conservation could have shedinvaluable light onto our mystery.

Whilst working on the objects I was madeincreasingly aware of longer term considerationssuch as the environmental conditions or futurehandling of the objects. As we, the conservators,are the people most intimately acquainted withthe objects I began to see that we haveresponsibility for maximising their chances of

‘survival’ by highlighting their specific needs inthese areas. Time and time again I receivedobjects which showed tarnish in the form offingerprints, some severe enough to have etchedthe surface. Spreading the word about relativelyminor preventive conservation issues became asimportant, in a way, as the large scale indoorenvironmental pollution monitoring programmesand research, which are vital considerations inany long term display plan (see the article bySimon Metcalf in this journal).

Repeatedly, it seemed to me that communicationwas the key: informing individuals as to thebenefits of wearing gloves to prolong lacquers onthe silver, discussing with the curators about thegroupings of objects in cases to ensure that noincompatible objects were placed together, ortalking with architects and the designers of thedisplay cases to ensure that the most appropriatematerials are used.

In a world increasingly dominated by balancesheets, I realised how controversial somedecisions may be when budgets are restrictive. Icould see how it is crucial to have a knowledge ofas many options as possible in order to argue acase for a certain course of action. In the light offinancial constraints I sense that it is easy for theconservator to feel thwarted. From what I haveseen in the setting up of the Silver Gallery andlistening to other conservators and museum staffat the recent ICOM-CC conference in Edinburgh,it seems more likely that the conservator needsto don yet another hat - that of an ambassador.


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Figure 2. The Jerningham wine cooler, M1884-122, 1.2m high.

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having something done to them. Thus theconstraint of time was coupled with a workprogramme consisting of numerous small tasks,most of which were relatively straightforward inthemselves but which required a tight hold on theuse of time, facilities and materials.

Jenny had already put much of the collection intocommercial folders, boxes and polyester sleevesduring the listing process which meant that I wasable to concentrate on areas which requiredgreater specialist input. Even so, much of the workrevolved around rehousing items, either byreplacing old deteriorating storage containers orproviding appropriate storage where there wasnone. Other main areas of work consisted ofrefurbishing the books, securing loose elements,cleaning and flattening items.

As Jenny and I were working on the collectionconcurrently we were able to discuss issues offormat and order as they arose. The flattening ofthe rolled plans is a simple example of this. As Iflattened the tightly rolled tracings and plans beforethey had been listed, Jenny was able to consultthem after they had been put into polyestersleeves, thus reducing the potential for damage.

What looked like a commercial gum adhesive hadbeen used extensively throughout the collectionto stick photographs into albums and cuttingsonto support sheets. Commonly this adhesive haddiscoloured and hardened. This had led to manyphotographs coming away from their supportsheets as the leaf was turned and flexed. To stopthem becoming completely detached some timewas spent reattaching photographs to supportsheets. Those albums whose bindings were weakor broken had phase boxes made for them. Phaseboxes were also made for many of the stationerybooks and the textile sample books.

There was one box of glass plate negatives whichhad been exposed to damp or wet conditions andthey were put into Silversafe four-flap folders.

Other items which were difficult to consult were abox of curled photos which were eased flat andput into polyester folders and bundles of photosin PVC sleeves.

Much of the archive was clean but items that hadloose dirt deposits, such as the diplomas andmounted photographs, were cleaned and put intoappropriate boxes and folders. Large single sheetitems were put into polyester sleeves andnegatives taken out of old strawboard boxes andput into archival boxes. The scrapbooks madewith postbindings were cleaned and repaired withnew brass posts and screws.

The disbound scrapbook sheets which had beensitting loose on shelves were put into purposemade drop-spine boxes with a MicroChamber®

(Conservation Resources UK Ltd) paper liner. Theearliest sheets from the 1930s were in very poorcondition and they were inserted into close fittingpolyester sleeves prior to putting in the boxes.

Two categories of material were identified as beingparticularly vulnerable. The textile sample booksin which the samples had been stuck down withpressure sensitive tape (Figure 2) and some friableposter artwork painted with gouache. These werethe only items out of the whole archive for whichrestricted access was recommended.

The project was completed with a final reportincluding details of all work done, materials usedand materials purchased. It highlighted the itemsneeding interventive conservation work whichcould not be carried out within the objectives ofthe present contract and listed items, such as thephotographs detaching from the albums anddiscolouration of the scrapbook cuttings, whichwill continue to be at risk and which archive staffcan monitor as they are used.

Figure 2. Heal’s textile sample book: the samples were stuck down withpressure sensitive tape and are now detached from the support sheet.

Category Planned Actual Estimated Actualdays days Materials Cost Materials Cost

Heal’s catalogue 3 2 -- -Textile sample books 4 2.5 - -Scrapbooks 3.5 2 - £29.96Disbound scrapbooks 2 1 £1200 £991.28Rolls 6 5.5 - £60.18Posters - 0.5 - -Artwork 1.5 2.5 £200 -Stationery books 5 5 - £100Photographic prints 1 1 - -Photo albums 3 5 - -Single sheet material - - - -Negatives 1 0.5 - -Glass plate negatives 1 1 - -Photographic, large 1.5 3 £100 -Stereographs - 0.12 - -Cassettes - - - -Artefacts - - - -

Table 1. Comparison of the estimated work programme with the completed work programme.

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In 1994 the second and final part of the archive ofHeal & Son Limited arrived at the Archive of Artand Design at Blythe House. It joined an earlierbatch of material which had been donated to theV&A in 1978. It came with enough money toemploy an archivist for 14 months and aconservator for three months.

Subsequently, Jennifer Cooknell was appointed tocatalogue and develop a listing structure and I wasappointed to survey the archive, carry out apreservation programme and complete a reporton the collection. As I was also working part-timeat the Bodleian Library it was arranged that Iwould carry out the work two days a week overseven months, therefore my time was organised interms of days rather than weeks. My overall workprogramme fell into three areas; the conditionsurvey which took 10 days,the analysis of the surveyinformation and reportwhich took 12 days, leavingthe remaining two thirds, or38 days, for the actual workon the collection.

The archive of a firm such asHeal’s, whose existencespans the 19th and 20thcenturies, inevitably includesdiverse materials reflectingthe history and wide rangingactivities of the company(Figure 1). Although Heal’swas started by two brothersin 1810 solely as a beddingmanufacturer, by the 1950sit carried out contractbuilding, textile design,restoration work and eventhe design of fittings andfurnishings for sites such asbanks, council offices, linersand restaurants. The archivedetails these activities in itsscrapbooks, photographicalbums and administrationrecords. A significantproportion of the collectionconsists of photographs and

negatives which record the individual furnitureand artefacts sold in the store.

The formulation of a practical work plan aftercarrying out the survey was a crucial part of theproject. The survey was based on the 1 to 4condition ratings (where 1 is stable and 4 the mostunstable) and categories of types of damage butalso included information on storage and type ofitem. By enabling me to identify and quantify thecollection it provided the basic informationneeded to organise a programme of work.

As mentioned earlier, the archive contains a lot ofphotographic material, including: 2500 glass platenegatives, 8000 large format negatives, 39photograph albums, almost 12000 photographicprints some of which are mixed in with singlesheet material, some lantern plates and slides.

There are bound itemsvarying from textile samplebooks and almost 100scrapbooks, to stationerybooks and catalogues.Single sheet materialconsisted of approximately300 posters, 5000disbound sheets ofnewspaper and magazinecuttings, numerous boxesof single sheet material, 15diplomas and 240 rolledplans and tracings.

The information from thesurvey was organised intocategories of material andthe options for action wereidentified. After thecategories had beenordered in terms ofconservation and curatorialpriority it was possible todevelop a work plan (Table1). Since the primary aimof the project was to makeas much of the archive asaccessible as possible, thework on the collection wasspread fairly evenly, withmost of the categories


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The Archive of Heal & Son Limited

Helen Lindsay, Contract Book Conservator, Conservation Department

Figure 1. Heals poster, original artwork (Photography by Helen Lindsay).


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More people need to know about the multi-faceted job of the conservator - how else arepotential sponsors going to learn about the vitalrole of conservation in the display of our nation’sheritage? At the ICOM-CC conference onespeaker’s answer to that question was ‘with thehelp of museums’1. The example of the displaygallery in the Conservation Centre of the NationalMuseums and Galleries of Merseyside is anexciting step in the right direction.

I have learned much through attending lectures,but just as invaluable has been the knowledgeacquired through talking to people. It can oftenbe a mutual learning process. There is a need tospread the word internally as well as externally.The cliché of ‘educating the public’ is simplistic:it implies teaching, instruction and training,which is all a bit too much to stomach for thosenot initially inspired by the notion ofconservation. Nevertheless, taking a leaf frommodern educational literature the aim could beto inspire or “to make people become aware byinformation or from observation” (anotherOxford English Dictionary definition - of the verbto learn).

We never stop learning and I am fortunate to beable to immerse myself in it presently. I am surethere will be thousands of visitors to the SilverGallery who will be likewise absorbed. My onlyregret is that they

will not receive quite as much information on theconservation concerns of the collection as wasoriginally envisaged. However, we are gettingthere, with a debrief on the whole operation andthe lessons learned, maybe other projects willgive conservation the platform it deserves - andneeds.

1. Tim Ambrose spoke at the initial plenarysession in Edinburgh on the need for a higherprofile for the conservation profession.Encouragingly, the Scottish Museums Councilmeeting (which coincided with ICOM-CC) alsofocused on the need for increasedcommunication with conservators in all stages ofplanning.

Figure 3. Spanish Inkwell, M162-1951, 9.2cm high.Phot

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Laponites™ (Laporte Absorbents) are a range ofsynthetic silicates manufactured from purechemicals. Fundamentally they are closely relatedto the natural clay mineral hectorite[Si8Mg5.34Li0.66(Ca, Na)0.66], a tri-octahedral sheetsilicate1. Industrially, Laponites are used in themanufacturing of a number of products such aspaints, inks, household cleaning materials,cosmetics and shampoos. Commercially, variousLaponite grades are available2. In recent yearsLaponite RD, the standard grade of Laponite, hasbeen widely used in ceramic conservation as asimple but effective poulticing material forthe removal of stains in preference to thetraditional materials such as sepiolite(hydrated magnesium trisilicate), attapulgite(hydrated magnesium aluminium silicate)and paper pulp3. This material is available inthe form of a fine white powder whichreadily disperses in water to produce a clear,colourless gel. The gel can be applieddirectly onto the surface of a stained ceramicbody which has been pre-soaked in water. As theLaponite RD gel dries, soluble staining materialfrom within the ceramic will be drawn from theobject into the gel. The effectiveness of this stainleaching process is dependent on many factorswhich include the drying rate of the surface gelas well as its concentration, the porosity of theceramic body and the nature of the stainingsubstance.

Any damage due to the use of Laponite RD instain removal techniques has not been visuallyevident. However, possible harmful effectscaused by Laponite RD gel on the surfaces ofceramic objects are a growing concern amongconservators at the V&A who have reported thatin comparison with non-treated objects, surfaceswhich have undergone the poulticing treatmentare smoother to the touch and appear to bemore slippery when wet. Thus, a recent researchproject investigating possible adverse effects ofthe gel on ceramic bodies has been conducted at

Imperial College4 and have been continued at theMuseum during the summer of 19965. Thesestudies, mainly concerned with potential damagecaused by residues on treated ceramic surfaces,have confirmed the presence of residual gel onceramics after the poulticing treatment and haveshown that the amount of residual gel presentdepends not only on the gel concentration, thenumber of applications of gel onto a particulararea on the object, but also on the nature of theceramic substrate, i.e. whether the surface isglazed or porous.


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Investigations into the Use of Laponite as aPoulticing Material in Ceramics Conservation

Lai-Mei Lee, Philip Rogers Department of Materials, Imperial College, London.

Victoria Oakley Head of Ceramics and Glass Conservation

Juanita Navarro Ceramics Conservator, Ceramics and Glass Conservation.

(a) (b)

Micrographs of cleaned porous earthenware tilesafter the application of Laponite RD gel, shownin Figure 1, confirmed the existence of gelaccumulation in and around surface pores in theceramic substrates. This build up of residualLaponite RD resulted in a drop in the originalroughness of the ceramic surface.

Fragments of lead-glazed bone china tablewareand earthenware plates were treated withLaponite RD6, cleaned and analysed. The surfaceglaze on the bone china plate is much harderthan that on the earthenware sample. Themicrographs in Figure 2 show the surface of theceramic samples after treatment with LaponiteRD gel of concentrations 5% by weight and 9.4%by weight and reveal that the highest amount ofresidues were found on the earthenware ceramicsubstrates treated with the lower concentrationgel.

Figure 1. Surface of earthenware tile (a) before, (b) after the application of Laponite RD gel.


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I started building very basic models using slottedpieces of scrap card. Looking like skeletons of theboard and cloth cradle these models took verylittle time to construct, they were quite sturdybut only offered minimal support to the book.The models and ideas were presented at thefollowing cradle meeting and together withsuggestions generated, it was decided tocontinue developing these prototypes.

It was apparent that the slotted base supportscould be made from Perspex and be reused bymatching them to the required length of thebook to be displayed. The combs were fabricatedfrom lengths of 10mm Perspex, with the slotsmilled at 5mm gaps and each slot 2mm wide totake museum board.

By experimenting with various ways of scoringand bending pieces of mount board to thedimensions of the books boards, it was possibleto construct wedges that offered the correctsupport to the open book. The wedges areconstructed by making two scored bends in thecard, one at the spine edge and the other at thefore-edge of each of the boards of the book,taking into account the angles and dimensionsfor the required opening. The two board

supports can then be slotted into the Perspexcombs, leaving space for the spine. The supportscan also be made from Perspex (Figure 4).

It was agreed to try this method on a National ArtLibrary display. In practice, the method provedsuccessful. The scoring and bending of thesupports took minimal time and the cost ofmaterials was low. Reservations were raised aboutthe look of the board supports (Figure 5). It wasfelt that for some display situations the boardcould be distracting. With this in mind Iapproached the manufacturers of the Perspexcombs to see if it was possible to make thewedge supports in Perspex. They were able toprovide prototypes that slotted into the combs,supporting the book in the same way as theboard models. Another possibility would be touse coloured mount board to match the interiorcase covering.

As an inexpensive and quick method of displaythis cradle works well. Using either the mountboard supports or Perspex, the cradle can beadapted to varying display requirements. Themain limitation on this design is in its blending-inwith the overall look of the intended exhibitionor display situation. With a collection of differentlengths of the Perspex combs it should bepossible to reuse them by matching them to thedimensions of the book.

Simon Fleury

Figure 4. Prototype book cradle with slotted Perspex combs and Perspexwedges.

Figure 5 A book displayed on the slotted Perspex support, with museumboard wedges.

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Many concepts had excellent individual qualities,but most could not reach all the above criteria.For instance, a vacuum cushion used in CeramicsConservation to hold objects whilst being workedon had unique moulding qualities that couldhave worked well for supporting an open book.Unfortunately, this, like many ideas, could not beworked up into a finished design. From this pointI worked systematically through each designfeature that was needed to meet the aboveprerequisites. To make the cradle adjustable inheight, I opted for telescopic tubular legs (Figure3). These were made from steel tube and rod ofdiffering lengths sprayed black. These legs, likeall the cradle parts, would be interchangeablebetween cradles, ensuring a flexible system ofcomponents to meet the needs of most books.To support the book boards, I decided on 6mmpolished-edge Perspex sheet with a 10mm lip onthe front edge to stop the book sliding forward.This element was decided upon as it was the onlypart that could not be adjustable in size and hadto be the exact size of the book’s boards formaximum support (these components will be cutdown and reused for smaller books in thefuture). For continuity, Perspex plates were alsoused for the bases of the cradle, these too were6mm polished-edge, drilled and the legs werebolted on. To make the book cradle adjustable toany angle I decided on a ball and socket fittingbetween the leg and the Perspex plate. For this Iused a modified camera tripod fitting; again thiswas removable so the parts could beinterchanged depending on the size and weightof book being displayed. Because of the accuracyneeded to support the book and protect thespine, the cradle was made in two parts, thesecould then be positioned on either side of thebook’s spine.

To set the cradle up to the correct height andangle, four card templates were cut. Thesetemplates were placed on the inside and outsideedges of the cradle and the two tightening nutsadjusted. The cradle was then ready to supportthe book.

During installation at the Royal College of Art’sCentenary Exhibition some design problems wereexposed and amendments made accordingly.Firstly, because of the weight and nature of anopen book, the two parts of the cradle had atendency to slip apart. To rectify this problem inthe show, two small pins were placed on theoutside edges of the cradle into the base of thecase. Obviously this was not ideal, so two smallholes have now been drilled in the corners of thebase plates and a pin secures the two cradlehalves together. In addition, although the cardtemplates used to set the cradle worked well,they took a while to use so a new, faster methodfor setting up is being devised at present.

Danny NormanThe present method of cradle construction usingboard and cloth is fairly costly. Each cradle ismade-to-measure, taking considerable time and isthen discarded after use. It does however offervery good support for the book and apart fromthe cost of the cloth, the materials used arerelatively inexpensive. When on display it is oflittle distraction, combining well with the clothinteriors of the display cases. Many of theavailable alternatives are made solely for aspecific book, usually in Perspex and cannot bereused, or else they are over engineered and stillnot fully reusable.

I began by looking at the existing cradle and thebasic requirements needed to safely support anopened book, with a view to adapting orsimplifying the old method and possibly finding aless time-consuming, low-tech alternative. Thetask of finding a universal, fully reusable cradleseemed unrealistic.


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Figure 3. Prototype book cradle with telescopic legs

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Defects present in glazes, such as scratches andabrasions, can easily become filled with debris.Thus, on applying Laponite RD, residues arelikely to be present at regions near surfacedefects where cleaning could be more difficult.Figure 2 shows that a larger amount of residualLaponite RD is found on surfaces treated with thelower concentration, 5% by weight gel. It isbelieved that as the 5% by weight gel has a lowerviscosity than that of the 9.4% by weight gel it canmore readily flow into surface cracks and defectsand would therefore be more difficult to remove.

The cleaning of deeply stained ceramics maysometimes involve several applications ofLaponite RD gel onto the object before the stainis removed. Conservators at the V&A speculatedthat repeated applications of Laponite RD gelonto the same surface may increase the amountof residual Laponite RD. Figure 3, micrographsshowing the condition of glazed earthenwaresubstrates after the application of two, three andfour coats of 5% by weight Laponite RD gelconfirm this hypothesis. Secondary Ion MassSpectroscopy (SIMS) depth profile analysisthrough samples of ceramic body after theremoval of Laponite RD gel coatings showevidence of low level ion exchange at theinterface between the Laponite RD gel coat andsubstrate. These depth profile plots suggest thatwhile drawing stains from within the ceramicbody, Laponite RD gel may encourage the

exchange of small cations throughcontacting regions of gel/glazeinterface. As illustrated in Figure 4,results show an unusually high levelof lithium at the ceramicglaze/Laponite RD gel interface. Thisobservation may be explained by thediffusion of lithium ions from withinthe gel into the surface of the glaze.As the distance, through the glaze,from the surface becomes greater, theconcentration of lithium dropssharply to a depth of 0.5µm. Hence,as the thickness of the glaze on thebone china and earthenware samplesare 109.5µm and 186.7µmrespectively, these results reveal thatthe migration of small ions isrestricted to within the glaze layer. Aslithium migrates from the gel into theglaze, it is possible that electricalneutrality is maintained by thetransportation of sodium cations inthe opposite direction. This is alsoillustrated in Figure 4. In contrast to

the high lithium content at the outer surface ofthe glaze, the level of sodium is unusually lowand gradually increases with distance from theouter surface of the glaze.

This transportation of ions between the LaponiteRD gel and glaze appears to have no significantadverse effect on the ceramic body due to thelow concentrations of ions involved. However,these results do confirm that the use of LaponiteRD can not only alter the physical state ofceramic bodies, by the presence of residual gel,but also the chemical composition of theirsurface. At present, the impact of ion diffusionand the presence of gel residues on treatedceramic surfaces appear negligible. However, itshould be noted that, as with many otherconservation techniques, any potential long termdamage may not be apparent until sometime,maybe even years, after the treatment.

This short study provides an insight into theadverse effects of Laponite RD gel on surfaces ofceramic objects, in particular potential damagecaused by the presence of residual gel on treatedsurfaces and possible diffusion of ions between agel coating and ceramic body during treatment.The results obtained emphasise the need forcontinual awareness of possible long termharmful effects on ceramics when Laponite RD isused in conservation.

(a) (b)

(c)(d)

Figure 2: Surface of bone china sample after treatment with 5% by weight Laponite RD gel; Surface of bonechina sample after treatment with 9.4% by weight Laponite RD gel; Surface of earthenware sample aftertreatment with 5% by weight Laponite RD gel; Surface of earthenware sample after treatment with 9.4% byweight Laponite RD gel.

AcknowledgementsWe are grateful to the Victoria & Albert Museumand Imperial College for providing theopportunity for this work, and to the worshipfulcompany of Armourers and Braziers for financialsupport by the provision of a summer vacationbursary.

References1. Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., and Zussman, J., An Introductionto the Rock Forming Minerals, Longmans Group Ltd, 1983.

2. Laporte Absorbents, P.O. Box 2,Moorfield Rd, Widnes,Cheshire WA1 OJU, UK., Laponite Technical BulletinL/RD/10/90, L/RDS/10/90, L106/93/B [PJ06], L/ED/1/94,L/DS/1/94, L/201/95j.

3. Buys, S., and Oakley, V., The Conservation andRestoration of Ceramics, Butterworth-Heineman, Oxford,1996.

4. Lee, L-M., Laponite, its Characteristics and Its Use inConservation Science, Final Year Project Report,Department of Materials, Imperial College, London, 1996.

5. Lee, L-M., The Use of Laponite in Ceramic Conservation,Summer Vacation Project Report, Victoria and AlbertMuseum, 1996.

6. Ling, D., Laponite used as a poulticing material onceramic eathenwares at the British Museum, ConservationNews 46, 1991.


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(a) (b) (c)

Figure 3. (a), (b), (c) Surface of earthenware sample after treatment with two, three and four coats of 5% by weight Laponite RD gel respectively.

Figure 4. SIMS depth profile plot through surface of bone china sample after removal of Laponite RD gel (Relationship between time and sample depth:1 minute = 0.04µm). SIMS depth profile plot through surface of earthenware sample after removal of Laponite RD gel (Relationship between time andsample depth: 1 minute = 0.06µm).


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Mounts for the Display of Books

Helen Shenton Assistant Head of Conservation

Danny Norman Conservation Mounter, Paper Conservation

Simon Fleury Conservation Mounter, Paper Conservation

Until last year, there were basically two types ofsupports used to display books in the V&A. Theyhad been developed, over a number of years, inorder to prevent damage being caused to bookswhilst open on exhibition. The first is made ofmuseum board covered with the cloth used onthe inside of a showcase (Figure 1). Althoughbulky, it blends in with the case. It takes aboutone and a half hours to make. The other type ismade of PerspexTM(ICI) , taking between four andeight hours to make depending on thecomplexity of design (Figure 2).

Both types of cradle are made to fit a particularbook open at a particular page. Both give fullsupport to the boards and joints of a volume.Both have advantages and disadvantages, interms of time, materials and aesthetics. Neithercan be reused. Experience has shown that reusefor another volume with different dimensionsand different opening characteristics can causedamage to the book, negating the very purposeof making supports.

A year ago there was a ‘brainstorming’ session totry and design the elusive universal cradle, whichwould fit any book and could be reused.Conservation mounters, paper and bookconservators, curators and joiners came withvarious designs and materials. The ideal qualitieswere summarised as non-damaging and inert,cheap and reusable, easy and quick to use andaesthetically acceptable.

Many ideas were suggested, based on someintriguing concepts ranging from deckchairs andthe Rahl (the Islamic Koran stand), to a cribbageboard, to using the pliable material used in“Flexicurves”. The idea of some sort of kitemerged, with interchangeable componentswhich could be reused. Designs were developedbetween each of the next three sessions,discussed and finally discarded in favour of twoideas. Danny Norman and Simon Fleurydeveloped the two concepts and made enoughprototypes to try them out at two differentdisplays earlier this year. The following articlespresent the thinking behind the designs and giveaccounts of progress to date.

Helen ShentonI worked through the various concepts followingthe list of criteria that the cradle should meet.The criteria included:

1. The cradle must support all parts of the bookand ensure safe display;

2. Both sides must be independently adjustablein height and the angle from the horizontal atwhich the book can be displayed;

3. The overall design and choice of materialsmust be as inert and unobtrusive as possible to fitinto any style of display in the future;

4. The cradle must be reusable and durable;

5. It must be easy to use, with the minimumamount of tools necessary, to set a book up;

Figure 1. Book support made of museum board covered in the samecloth as the case lining, during installation.

Figure 2. Perspex book support, with fore-edge lip and textblock support .

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Nappies at the National Museum of Childhood

Marion KiteSenior Textiles Conservator, Textiles Conservation

It is not generally realised the National Museumof Childhood at Bethnal Green (NMC) holds oneof the most important and comprehensivecollections of children’s dress in the world,numbering over 4000 items. The collection datesfrom the 16th century to the present day andincludes general dress, accessories, fancy dressand baby clothes. The baby clothes are animportant part of this collection and NMC holdsthe only swaddling bands from the 16th centurythat are known to have survived.

During the past three years over 150 objects fromthis collection, including 26 mounted figures,have been displayed in the top floor galleries atNMC and a programme of rotation has beeninstigated in order to keep these displays up todate and to “rest” the objects that should only beon display for a limited time. Nappies are auniversally necessary item for the care of smallbabies, so it is not surprising that a small displayof nappies was included in the latest rotation ofthe Birth and Infancy Gallery. The nappieschosen included a 17th century linen tailclout,two 1925 American cotton diapers, a cottonEarthwiseTM (Earthwise Baby Ltd.) reusable nappywith VelcroTM(Selectus) fastening, and acontemporary, disposable girl’s PampersTM

(Procter & Gamble) nappy.

It was necessary that the display methods chosenwould show the nappies safely and effectively.They would also have to be in keeping with thegeneral style of the galleries which had beenestablished previously, and which, with an eye toeconomy, was based on mounts that could beproduced cheaply in-house. The nappies were tobe displayed in a glazed wall-case and fixed to abackboard which had been prepared, sealed andcovered with Conservation approved fabric in theworkshop at NMC.

The Pampers and Earthwise nappies had notbeen used and were in good condition. Thetailclout and diapers needed only minimalconservation which included washing, some stainremoval and darning. The diapers showedevidence of much use and wear; they were greyin colour and had a number of holes. It isinteresting to note that the diapers would havebeen fastened with a nappy pin, but the areas ofdamage did not all correspond to pin holes andthis damage was more likely to have been causedby repeated laundering. It was decided that oneof the diapers would be fastened with a steelnappy pin for display, so the pin was lacqueredwith FrigileneTM (Wm. Canning Ltd.), a cellulosenitrate based lacquer, in order to seal it andisolate it from the textile.

Figure 1. Tailclout (Museum No. T239-1917)late 17th century nappy, Spain or Portugal.

Figure 2. Stork Diapers (Misc. 680-1984 andMisc. 643-1991) 1925, USA.

Figure 3. Girl’s Pampers (1996). Shown withprepared Perspex hanging mount andpolyester wadding shape.

Figure 4. Earthwise nappy (B175-1993).

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The tailclout would have been secured in placeby swaddling bands and may have been worn bythe unfortunate child for many hours as it was acomplex process to unwrap the infant once it wasbound up. It was decided to display the tailcloutsimply, by stitching it to the backboard, folded asworn, and the fold was padded with a smallpolyester wadding cushion covered in cottonlawn.

One diaper was displayed by stitching it flat ontothe board in order to show the specially shapedterry-towelling absorbent panel while the otherdiaper and the two nappies were prepared fordisplay on padded PerspexTM(ICI) hangingmounts.

Patterns were taken and Perspex shapes withsloping shoulders were cut from 6mm Perspexsheet. These Perspex shapes fitted the nappiesexactly when they were fastened but still alloweda little room for shaped padding. The edges ofthe Perspex were smoothed and two 10mm holeswere drilled in the top of the shapes to allow forfitting onto Perspex rods which would be fixedprojecting from the backboard at a 900 angle. Aline of small holes large enough for a needle to

pass through were drilled lower down thePerspex shape. These were to allow the paddedsection of the mount to be stitched on. For eachof the stands, the padded section was anindividually styled shape cut from layers ofpolyester wadding to fit the nappy. These werethen covered with lawn cotton and the wholewas stitched through onto the Perspex mount.Each nappy was put onto its completed mountand fastened. Care was taken with the insertionof the nappy pin to the diaper making sure that itpassed between the threads of the weave of thenappy and at no time split a thread to avoidcausing further weakness. The supported nappieson their hanging mounts were then fixed ontothe rods projecting from the backboard.


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Figure 5. Complete display board showing nappies and girls’ and boys’ 19th century drawers.

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Conservation Journal January 1997 BLANK · work on the Heal’s Archive, one of the most requested...

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Transcript of Conservation Journal January 1997 BLANK · work on the Heal’s Archive, one of the most requested...