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THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION • NOVEMBER 2010 • ISSUE 31

Replicating aTompion clockfor Greenwich

Also in this issue

Internships on offer

Moving a Parochial Library

Lessons from a fire

Conservation for GCSE?

insideNOVEMBER 2010Issue 31

2NEWSA party, two awards and a royalvisit

6PROFESSIONAL UPDATEIntern opportunities; thinkingabout CPD; CSCS cards

14PEOPLE

16A PAROCHIAL LIBRARYMoving a donation to the JohnRylands Library

19SCHOOL STUDENTS at theV&AHow conservation fits in to theGCSE curriculum

20DEALING WITH A FIRELessons learned from YorkMinster

22GROUP NEWS& Graduate Voice on makingan important replica clock

26REVIEWSSharpening knives,Renaissance frames, cleaningpaintings, volunteering

32IN PRACTICEIs Tyvek suitable forconservation use?

35LISTINGS

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Institute of Conservation1st floorDownstream Building1 London BridgeLondon SE1 9BG, UK

T +44(0)20 7785 3805F +44(0)20 7785 3806

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

Chief ExecutiveAlison [email protected]

Conservation Registerinfo@conservationregister.comwww.conservationregister.com

ISSN 1749-8988

Icon NewsEditorLynette [email protected]

Listings editorMike [email protected]

Production designerMalcolm [email protected]

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

DesignRufus [email protected]

AdvertisingSociety Media Sales LtdT 0117 923 2951F 0117 923 [email protected]

Cover photo: Replica of the year-going clock made by ThomasTompion in 1676 for the GreenwichRoyal Observatory. The clock has adeadbeat escapement according toJohn Flamsteed’s drawing and themovement measures 27cm (h) x 21cm(w) x 11.5cm (d)

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 2011 issue

Editorial: 26 November

Event listings: 26 November

Adverts: 9 December

Our Chief Executive’s message this time around is a rathersobering summary of the spending cuts announced so far.These are particularly directed at English culturalinstitutions but the other home nations will be lucky toescape unscathed either.

For the rest of the issue, you might say that it is an evenmore eclectic mix than usual but with Christmas aroundthe corner I would prefer to compare it to Little JackHorner’s pie: it contains lots of nice plums.

Look out for Allyson Rae’s experience of advocacy at alocal level; the interesting account of a Europeanconference on voluntary organisations in the heritage fieldby Dinah Eastop and Anne-Marie Deisser; importantinformation about CSCS cards; the review of an esotericbut very welcome book on picture frames from the ItalianRenaissance; Sharon Penton’s immensely practical andhelpful investigation into a fabric all conservators use,whatever their discipline … the list could go on but whynot put in your thumb and see what you pull out!

Lynette Gill, Editor

ICON NEWS • NOVEMBER 2010 • 1

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

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Leicester Archaeological Service published a book whichrevealed the significance of the three successive bridges calledHemington Bridges: The excavation of three medieval bridgesat Hemington Quarry, near Castle Donington, Leicestershire.

Watch this space to find out what happens next!

Volunteers on displaySince the Museum of London’s archaeological archive opened in2002, the Museum has had a number of volunteer programmesto help bring excavated archives from past sites up to currentstandards. These programmes have been described in pastissues (Icon News, March 2007; Conservation News, May 2003).The latest initiative, known as the Volunteer Inclusion Programmeor VIP, has been running since 2008 funded by RenaissanceLondon and is described in detail in a recent publication byRenaissance (Volunteer Inclusion Programme 2010).

For all the volunteer programmes one aim was to improveaccess to the archive by updating storage and checkingdocumentation. Most of the work has been on collectionsfrom the 1970s which can be dealt with faster with the help ofvolunteers. An overriding aim throughout has been to offervolunteers the opportunity to handle archaeological material,take part in the museum’s work and attain transferable skills. Ithas also offered an opportunity to show the potential thatcollection care work has to engage the public and tointroduce conservation work to a new generation.

For the final months of this programme, the ‘V’ for ‘Volunteer’switches to ‘V’ for ‘Visitor’ as the work moves from thearchaeological archive to the Museum galleries. FromOctober to December 2010 former VIP volunteers (known asVIP graduates) are doing the repacking work in view of thepublic in a new archaeology gallery. The VIP graduatesinteract with visitors in the gallery explaining the work neededto repack collections. The feedback from the many schoolchildren fascinated by the project is extremely positive.

The sweet smell of – success!Leicestershire County Council’s Museum Service has won twoprestigious awards for an innovative conservation projectinvolving ancient bridge timbers undertaken in partnershipwith British Sugar UK and Ireland.

Leicestershire beat off stiff competition at the Arts and BusinessAwards sponsored by Jaguar Landrover. The partnership wontwo awards: the award for the best business partnership in themuseums, libraries and archives sector in the East and WestMidlands and the Jaguar Champion of Champions award 2010for the most outstanding partnership of the year, which isawarded to the best of the seven category winners.

At the centre of this project are ancient bridge timbers thatonce spanned the River Trent, which were found during rescueexcavations at Hemington Quarry in North West Leicestershirebetween 1993 and 1998. Rare remnants of the crossing over theRiver Trent, which formed part of a major national route, theHemington timbers formed The King’s Highway, linking Londonand the south to Derby and the north.

As previously reported in Icon News in July 2009, following theirextraction and rescue, the timbers (weighing several tonnes)were immersed in a sucrose solution. The timbers have sincebeen removed from the sucrose and are now drying out beforethey can be viewed by the public in the future.

Over the past fourteen years, British Sugar facilitated theproject by donating over seventy tonnes of liquid sugar andhas supported the preservation further by offering theirscientific expertise along the way to measure and evaluate theeffects of the solution on the timbers. The use of sugar toconserve timbers in this way was innovative at the time andunheard of on this scale.

The Hemington timbers project has also been significantlysupported by the University of Leicester, English Heritage andthe York Archaeological Trust. In January 2010, the University of

around&about

Grace Deeks (3rd from l.), Conservation Manager for LeicestershireCounty Council, receives the first of the two awards. LAARC Volunteers


If you would like to join in, the archaeological collectionsofficers supervise hour long sessions in the Clore LearningCentre in addition to the gallery demonstrations. Bothactivities take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays until10 December. More about this event or about any of theprevious VIP projects can be found at:www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/ , www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/category/laarc/laarc-vip/

Royal visit for VindonOur faithful advertisers Vindon Scientific Limited received aroyal visitation in October when the Duke of Gloucesterofficially opened Vindon’s new headquarters in the newlyredeveloped Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale. Vindon’sdirectors gave the Duke a tour of the 29,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facilities, showing him the specialist products and servicesthe company provides, including their heritage storage facilitydesigned for the safe storage of acetate film and care ofcollections. His Royal Highness said of his visit: ‘it was good tosee that companies such as Vindon were investing in futuretechnologies’.

Boyes will be BoyesFlamboyant might be the word that comes to mind about aconservator who rides a motorbike; races his vintage mini inhis spare time and throws a Cuban themed bash in hisEdinburgh workshop to celebrate the tenth anniversary of hiscompany Nicolas Boyes Conservation Ltd. But Nic Boyes was

Nic Boyes’ ‘skillful and dedicated’ staff

The Duke of Gloucester opens Vindon Scientific’s UK HQ Icon’s Gillian Joyce (l) with architect Lisa Young

all serious professionalism in the recent BBC4 programme TheRosslyn Chapel, where he talked about the painstaking workundertaken by his team on the building’s astonishing stonework.

Most readers will probably know that the chapel was hailed asthe resting place of the Holy Grail in the blockbuster novel TheDa Vinci Code. Although Nic and team did not find the HolyGrail, they did discover a mysterious six hundred year oldbeehive carved into the stonework of the chapel roof. Equallyremarkable is that they managed to undertake the work overthe course of the summer whilst the BBC crew filmed progressaround them and 75,000 visitors trouped through the chapeldoors. Look out for a repeat of the BBC 4 programme on BBC2.

Nic’s company has had a decade of interesting projects. Arecent highlight was theconservation of La PasionariaMonument in Glasgow,commemorating those wholost their lives in the SpanishCivil war and in May they hadthe honour of giving HRHPrincess Anne a tour of theirwork carried out on theBuccleuch Monument on theRoyal Mile. Then there was thecontract for the Installation ofthe lifesize statues of Faith,Hope and Charity in Inverness,a recent contract to restore andconserve the artefacts withinthe Argyll Mausoleum atKilmun and an invitation fromHistoric Royal Palaces to inspect, survey and carry out lasercleaning trials to the 16th Century Da Maiano TerracottaRoundels at Hampton Court Palace.

Echoing Nic’s party toast, ‘here’s to their next ten years’ but asto that party, let the last word be with guest Gillian Joyce ofIcon’s Edinburgh office: ’too many mojitos….’

Exploring conservation atBoston’s MFAConservators at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (USA) arebenefiting from the opening this month of a new wingdesigned by London architects Norman Foster and Partnersand complementing the original 1909 Beaux Arts building.The new wing is the central component of the Museum’stransformation and renovation, which also incorporates a

Nic Boyes celebrating hiscompany’s first ten years

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soaring glass-enclosed courtyard, a new space for specialexhibitions, an auditorium, classrooms, a visitor centre,conservation labs, and other enhancements.

The new space allows for over five thousand works from theMuseum’s Art of the Americas collections to be on view, morethan doubling the number previously displayed. One of thenew galleries is devoted to John Singer Sargent, whoseexhibition Sargent and the Sea was a hit at London’s RoyalAcademy this summer. Boston displays his better-knownglamorous society portraits, a number of which have beenrevitalized by conservation treatment.

Among four new ‘Behind the Scenes’ galleries, one offers aninsider’s glimpse into the work of the conservator, posingquestions such as what factors determine how a conservatormight treat a work of art? Should a missing area be replaced?How might the answers vary for different works of art, andwho decides? Conservation principles and processes areexplored by looking at the condition of various works of art,such as two portraits where one has been cleaned, the othernot. The comparison of the two paintings highlights the issuesunder consideration, and an interactive table guides visitorsthrough the process of examination and discussion thatprecedes decisions about treatment. A beautifully carved18th-century chair, badly charred in a fire, raises a different setof conservation issues, and interactive touch screens allowvisitors to explore the questions posed by missing areas in aneedlework sampler, or understand how scientific analysis canexpand our knowledge of Mayan ceramics.

Kent’s care of windmillsIn October The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildingsrecognised the exemplary work done by Kent County Councilto protect its windmills. Presenting the award, SPAB’sspokesperson Geraldine Mathieson commented that itrecords ‘the Society’s appreciation of zeal in maintenance ofthese beautiful structures’. The County Council first tookwindmills into its care in the 1950s when, with the millersgone, there was no one else to protect these landmarkbuildings. By 1984 they owned eight, ranging from the postmills of Chillenden to the magnificent smock mill atCranbrook – the tallest in England.

Windmills are active structures; part building, part machine.No two are quite the same and the jobs that need doing tokeep them in good condition and working are many andvaried. The care of the mills on a daily basis relies on thecommitment and expertise of the 250 members of volunteergroups. Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant in 2004, KentCounty Council was able to carry out substantial repairs toseven of the mills. Supervised conservation and maintenancework by the volunteers helps reduce costs so the budget issaved for the bigger conservation projects such as weather-proofing several windmills cost effectively at the same time.

There is a complete list of all the windmills in Kent (not justthe KCC-owned ones) on www.kentwindmills.homestead.comor find KCC’s leaflet about its mills on the websitewww.kent.gov.uk and type in windmills.

Lydia Vagts, Associate Conservator for the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston, Working on John Singer Sargent’s Mrs. Edward Darley Boit(Mary Louisa Cushing) 1887.Oil on canvas. Gift of Miss Julia Overing Boit. April 26, 2010

Winning recognition for Kent’s windmills at Cranbrook Mill – SPAB’sGeraldine Mathieson (left), KCC’s Heritage Conservation ManagerLis Dyson and KCC’s David Brazier

Photograph©MuseumofFineArts,Boston

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FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVEAs I write this column, the reactions of the UK’s heritage andcultural organisations to the Chancellor’s ComprehensiveSpending Review are filling the airwaves. English Heritage,which will have a 32% reduction in its grant from government,said in a statement on 20 October, ‘We will do all we can toprotect those front-line services… [but] it will be exceptionallychallenging to manage after years of funding decline’. Andthe 27% cuts to Local Government spending seem certain tohave a devastating impact on local authority supportedmuseums, as Sir Nicholas Serota of Tate noted in his responseto the news that national museums and galleries would loseonly 15% of their Grant-in-Aid. The cultural heritage sector willalso be shaken by the news that the Museums, Libraries andArchives Council will be abolished – a casualty of the ‘bonfireof the quangos’ – although it is said that many of its functionswill be taken up by other organisations and that theRenaissance Programme for regional museums will continuewith significant funding.

It is too early to say exactly what the effect of all these changeswill be on the ground but it is certain that they will have animpact on how well we can look after our cultural heritage andmake it accessible to the public over the next few years. It is verylikely that there will be job losses in our profession; thatconservation departments will be downsized and that there maybe fewer contracts for those who work for publicly fundedinstitutions. The severity of cuts to the higher education budget,likely to affect arts and humanities the most, and the permissionfor universities to charge higher tuition fees will no doubtundermine conservation education where enrolment is poisedon the knife edge of students’ ability to pay.

What can we do in the face of this gloomy forecast?• Be bullish about the value of conservation: Anticipating

the social hardship that will accompany the cuts may makeit difficult for us to promote conservation. However, it isexactly in such times of hardship that people turn to cultureand heritage for reassurance and hope. Conservation isessential to maintaining and revealing the values thatpeople are looking for. There are economic benefits too.The most recent research has shown what a goodinvestment cultural heritage is: every £1 invested in thehistoric environment generates an additional £1.70 overten years for the local economy.*

• Be active locally: If the days of big government are over,who will be listening? It will be more important than everfor all of us to be demonstrating the value of conservationto the Big Society at a local level. Getting people involvedin conservation is one of the best ways of engaging theirinterest. This, in turn, will generate more appreciation ofwhat conservation and conservators offer.

• Promote professionalism: At a time when the publicsector is being downsized, and many may be entering theprivate sector for the first time, how will people who arebuying in services know what they are getting? This iswhere professional accreditation comes into its own,providing the industry standard for a proficient conservator.

• Share information: Let me know what is happening in yourorganisation or in your business, and I will share it throughour website so that we can all lobby more effectively.

In the last issue, I mentioned that Icon is a Nominating Bodyfor the Research Excellence Framework. This is the newsystem for assessing the quality of research in UK highereducation institutions. It replaces the Research AssessmentExercise and will be completed in 2014. From the manyexpressions of interest I received from Icon members, wewere able to put forward three excellent candidates forconsideration as members of the Panel for Geography,Environmental Studies and Archaeology and of the Panel forArt and Design: History, Practice and Theory. I would like tothank everyone who contributed to this process. In addition,Icon supported the nomination by the Centre for SustainableHeritage, UCL, of Alan Penn, Dean of the Bartlett School ofArchitecture, for Chair of the Built Environment sub-panel.

The Conservation Awards and AGM are fast approaching. Ifyou would like to attend the former, please let us know byemailing [email protected] as spaces are limited. Theceremony will be immediately preceded by the AGM. Pleaselet us know if you are intending to come by emailing [email protected]. I look forward to seeing you on 1 December!

Alison Richmond [email protected]

* English Heritage, Heritage Counts 2010 http://hc.english-heritage.org.uk

TRAINING NEWS

New Internships advertised!Icon is very pleased to be announcing eight more internshipsin this issue, offered in a variety of disciplines and locationsacross the UK. This brings the total up to seventy placementsrun over the last five years as part of Icon’s HLF-supportedtraining bursaries scheme. As of October this year, fifty fourout of fifty six interns leaving the scheme are now activelyworking or training in conservation – a marvellous result.Adding to this success, the scheme has fostered an additional

professional update

2009 Interns Lizzie Hippisley-Cox and Leanne Tonkin compareposter formats at the MA Conference


fifteen placements of 6–24 months in length which have beengenerously funded by charitable trusts and employersthemselves. This means that when the HLF scheme ends inMarch 2012, eighty three people will have completed IconInternships and eighty five benefited overall. In line with HLF’saims, Icon’s objectives of increasing the fund of skills inconservation in the UK and providing new entry routes to theprofession for those without access to formal academictraining have been well and truly met.

New Internship in Penzance...Icon has also been working with PZ Conservation CIC over thelast few months to help offer a series of overlapping 18 monthtraineeships in conservation of Books and Binding Materials,working in Elizabeth Neville’s studio in Penzance. Part of HLF’sSkills for the Future programme, these opportunities will beoffered over the next three to four years. You will have seenthat the closing date for the first placement was early inNovember, but do look out for others in due course.

Technician Qualification UpdateThe qualification’s second Pilot is coming to an end, with thefinal candidates coming up to assessment just before the end

The busy stand at the MA Conference

Saya Honda Miles with her poster at the MA Conference

Heritage Lottery Fund –supported training bursariesprogramme 2006–2012Conservation internships 2011–12Educational stipend of £15,500 p.a.Icon is offering a further 8 Internships of 12 months’duration as part of its innovative HLF-fundedconservation training bursaries scheme for March2011. To date, 51 individuals have successfully goneon from Icon Internships to employment or furthertraining in the field. 17 other Icon interns are currentlyin place. Icon is delighted that HLF have grantedadditional support for this vital programme. Someplacements (*) are open to new entrants toconservation from arts, crafts, science or heritagebackgrounds. Others are specifically for those whohave recently graduated from a conservation course.

Plowden & Smith, London – Exhibitionand Technical support Ref 11/01*

Preston – Natural History Conservationand Collection Care Ref 11/02*

National Museums Liverpool – Ship andOther Historic models Ref 11/03*

The British Museum, London –Conservation Science Ref 11/04*

University of Glasgow – ConservationScience Projects Ref 11/05*

Bristol, Textile Conservation Ltd –Conservation of Textiles Ref 11/06

The National Archives, Kew – Bookand Paper Conservation Ref 11/07

V&A, London – Preventive Conservation Ref 11/08

Information on all placements and details ofeligibility can be found on the Icon website atwww.icon.org.uk. Interviews for short-listed applicantswill be held in January 2011. All internships will start inmid-March 2011.

Apply using the forms available from the Icon website

www.icon.org.ukForms may also be obtained by [email protected]. We request you use electronicformat for all enquiries and applications.

Icon, the Glasite Meeting House, 33 Barony Street,Edinburgh EH3 6NX

Closing date for applications13th December 2010

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doing more with less.

The Preservation Advisory Centre is building on this work with itsnext conference, in February 2011, focusing on methods ofmeasuring what difference collection care makes.

Roadshow presentations are available online at:www.bl.uk/blpac/aes.html

Caroline PeachHead of Preservation Advisory Centre

PUBLIC INTEREST : PUBLIC APATHY

Conservation at a local level. Allyson Rae reports:How much do the general public know about conservation?I’m sure we have all asked this question in an environmentwhich is now always encouraging us to reach out and engage.Conservators have been doing so in many ways at many levelsover many years. We’ve read of some recent examples inissues of Icon News. An opportunity to bring conservation tothe attention of local people occurred in May 2010 when thevillage I moved to four years ago staged its first Valuation Day– a local version of the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ – with twovaluers from Keys Auctioneers, Aylsham, doing the honours. Itseemed a great chance to discuss the care of artefacts as wellas their value. Graham and May Prior, organising the event inaid of St Mary’s Church, Forncett St Mary’s, liked mysuggestion and so it was that two valuers and twoconservators joined forces.

St Mary’s Church is now redundant and was derelict for manyyears – Graham, May and the Friends have worked wonders ingradually making it usable for the community again. TheValuation Day was one of a number of events which havebeen held there. Belinda Sanderson, a private paperconservator and I, a private organic artefacts conservator, setup a small display in the church, introducing conservation andproviding materials and equipment for people to handle.

The day was wonderfully well attended with patient queuesforming early and lasting until closing time, keeping thevaluers constantly busy. It was fascinating to promote

of this year. New CTQ recipients include Peter Clarke, AlanRees and Cabe Rice from Eura Conservation, HollyRutherford,Michelle Leake, Helen Clark and Fern Ryanfrom the National Trust, Dylan Read at Norfolk Record Officeand Hampshire Museum’s Tim Wood. Congratulations to all!

Interns at the MA ConferenceIcon held its annual display of Interns posters on our tradeexhibition stand at the Museums Association annualConference in central Manchester this October. We followedthe Labour Party conference into the venue in fact, in a veryvibrant and upbeat Manchester city centre. The recently-opened Peoples History Museum and its expansive newtextile conservation studios were a real focus for delegatestoo; a reception in the Museum on the first night providedmany visitors keen to see how the PHM’s flags and bannerswere cared for. Our 2009 interns got the chance to chat tovisitors, potential clients and employers and to talk about thework they had done over the year. Copies of the 2010 posterswill be posted onto the Icon website under Interns/Gallery inNovember – do go and see.

OUT & ABOUTIcon was also represented at the Antiques Roadshow held atthe British Museum at the beginning of September. DubravkaVukcevic, who manages the Conservation Register at Icon’soffice, reports that the event was a huge success thanks to thesupportive efforts of Rachel Swift and her colleagues from theBritish Museum. Rachel, who is the Chair of the Ceramics &Glass Group, helped promote the Conservation Register andhanded out the invaluable ‘Care of….’ leaflets to the public.Dubravka also met Eric Knowles, one of the experts from thelong-running BBC series; he was apparently very encouragingand happy to see the Icon and Conservation Register stand atthe Roadshow!

ADVOCACY, EVIDENCE, SUPPORTThe Preservation Advisory Centre’s roadshow on the theme‘Advocacy, Evidence and Support’ was held between 7 Juneand 21 July. Hosted by the National Archives of Scotland, theJohn Rylands Library, National Library of Wales/CyMAL,National Library of Ireland and the British Library, the eventsaddressed the challenge of making the case for investment inlong-term preservation activities during difficult economic times.

152 people took part to consider new ways of talking aboutcollection care activities in libraries and archives, the importanceof having good evidence to support resource prioritisation andthe use and development of the Preservation Advisory Centre’soverview of preservation needs in libraries and archives,‘Knowing the Need’. The afternoon sessions at each venueprovided welcome opportunities to share information andknowledge of networks. These popular group discussionsproved to be a great success in strengthening local links as wellas generating enthusiasm for working together, something thatis going to be increasingly important as we all seek ways of

Rachel Swift (l) and Dubravka Vukcevic at the Antiques Roadshow


Allyson Rae (r) advises a member of the public

CSCS CARDS

IntroductionThe Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) was setup by the Construction Skills sector skills council to ‘help theconstruction industry to improve quality and reduceaccidents’. According to Construction Skills ‘CSCS cards areincreasingly demanded as proof of occupational competenceby contractors, public and private clients and others’. It islikely that access to construction sites will require presentationof an up-to-date CSCS card. Icon therefore proposes to offerconservators and conservation technicians/craftspeople theopportunity to gain a CSCS card for access to building siteswhere their conservation skills are used.

To be issued with a card all applicants will have to pass aHealth & Safety Test and re-take it every five years. (For detailssee: www.cscs.uk.com/health-and-safety-test.) They must alsogive evidence of relevant skills and Icon’s own qualificationshave been confirmed as meeting the CSCS criteria. There arealso ‘Trainee’ and ‘Graduate’ cards. The option to apply for aHeritage Skills card has been discussed with CSCS and it isnot an option for conservators. Icon will facilitate access tocards under the arrangements broadly outlined below.

The Conservator CardThe Icon Conservator Card will be provided under Icon’sexisting approval routes as follows:

a. Application under The Conservation Register – currentlythe Register recognises the accreditation of six conservationprofessional bodies (Icon PACR, BHI PACR, ARA PACR,BAFRA, BAPCRA and ICHAWI). The lead conservator of aRegistered practice will apply for a Conservator Card on thebasis of his/her Accreditation as the recognised qualification.Non-accredited employees can also apply for ‘Graduate’Conservator Cards if they are enrolled with PACR, and traineeconservators, interns and students on placements can applyfor a ‘Trainee’ card if enrolled on a further or higher educationcourse or on an Icon managed internship.

b. Application under Icon’s PACR Accreditation – similar to a.above specifically for ACR accredited members of Icon andthe other PACR participating bodies BHI and ARA.

The Conservation Technician/Craftsperson CardTechnicians who have achieved the Icon CT Qualification willbe eligible to apply for a Conservation Technician Card.Applicants for a ‘Trainee’ CT card will need to have enrolledformally to work towards being assessed for the CTQ or witha college and will normally need to achieve it within threeyears, although a further three years can be applied for. If andwhen Icon expands CTQ-style qualifications to coverconservation crafts, similar arrangements will apply.

Managed Industry Accreditation (MIA)In addition, and available only for a year, starting from a dateyet to be agreed, there will be a special opportunity forpeople who cannot use the routes outlined above. This will

conservation at such a local level. Many people were not surewhat conservation is, some were not interested whilst othersdidn’t want to miss their slot with the valuers. People werecurious as to how conservation could enhance the value oftheir objects – an attractive watercolour, which had alreadybeen through the wars, was being held back by the pooracidic mounting and cramped framing. We had opportunitiesto encourage one couple to think again about their very largeand heavy patchwork bedspread. Would it be worth morewith the best embroidered pieces cut out and mountedseparately? This is a challenging question with a piece whichis unusable in its current condition and whose monetary valuewouldn’t justify treatment, in a modern home with limitedstorage space. He was convinced but she had her doubtsabout keeping it in one piece.

Other people brought objects along purely for advice on theircare – a regimental embroidery worked by one visitor’sgrandfather during World War I was invaluable to her, andquite straightforward conservation could both improve itsappearance and its safety. Some wanted to discuss artefactsor small collections they hadn’t been able to bring – a featherfan, a collection of African beadwork… Safe storage, displayand pest control were recurring themes. Icon’s very accessible‘Caring for…’ leaflets were a real hit, giving people somethingto refer back to once they got home – and making themaware that Icon exists. The Preservation Advisory Centre’sleaflets were also useful as were those for the ConservationRegister.

The most disturbing experience of the day was in recognisingthe proportion of people with no awareness of or interest inconservation. The most satisfying, the enthusiasm of a motherand her young son in discussing how her husband’s Red Arrowflying jackets could be preserved as future family heirlooms.

It was a very enjoyable day, interesting, challenging,intriguing. It made me even more aware of the continuingimportance of advocacy at all levels – we need people tospeak up for us, particularly in the current financial climate.Individually and on a very small scale we can createopportunities to raise awareness. So many of our events arefor conservators by conservators. How can we ring thechanges? Valuation Days / Roadshows are a very nice venuefor bringing conservation and its relevance to the attention ofa diverse public, many of whom would not think of going to amuseum. The BBC’s recent ‘Restoration Roadshow’ series,whatever its short-comings, is bringing conservators to publicattention and there is always room for more.

Allyson Rae

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enable unaccredited conservators to have their applicationssigned off by another accredited conservator, leadconservators of Registered practices to apply on behalf ofemployed workers providing testimonials of their relevantexpertise, or for Icon members only who do not work with anyaccredited conservators, signed off by another professionalsuch as an architect or engineer.

Application mechanismApplicants will apply directly to CSCS for cards, providinginformation or evidence of eligibility as required. CSCS will beable to check up on accredited Conservators applying via theRegister criterion by simply going to the ConservationRegister online and searching for the individual. ForConservation Technicians it should be sufficient to provide acopy of the relevant certificate. If in doubt CSCS will be ableto contact Icon to doublecheck a person’s CTQ qualificationor the accreditation of someone not on the Register. We areaiming to have the scheme up and running by March 2011.

ACCREDITATION – NEXT ROUNDHave you missed the 4 November deadline for submittingyour Register of Intention and would like to submit a PACRapplication by 13 January 2011?

It is always worth checking with Susan Bradshaw, AccreditationManager (email [email protected] or tel 01626 824510),to find out if it is still possible to be included in the nextapplication round.

You must register in order to apply for a specific round buthaving registered you may find that you are unable to meetthe application deadline. If this happens you will be able todefer to the next round. Only if you defer again will yourRegister of Intention (RoI) fee be forfeited and you will needto send a new RoI form and pay the fee again.

At present the RoI fee is £80 and application fee is £460 butthere is likely to be increase of £15 making the total PACRapplication and assessment fee £555 (£85 & £470) from April2011.

Check out the Icon website for more specific details aboutaccreditation and the PACR timetable– go to theAccreditation/CPD tab and follow the links within that section.Any specific enquiries please contact Susan Bradshaw.

THINKING POSITIVELY ABOUTDEVELOPMENTI was called to do my obligatory CPD review three years ago.At that time I approached CPD as if I was trying to impresssomeone else, worrying that I should have followed throughwith the points I noted on my PACR application. CPD has nowbecome an intrinsic and positive part of my career; it gives mea sense of reward and focus. A demonstration to theCeramics and Glass Group at our last conference in Lincoln

gave me confidence. I stepped back from the bench andrecalled how I learnt to colour fill with epoxy resins, noted allthe points I wish I had been told, and presented as muchinformation as possible in forty five minutes. Hopefully notonly did the attendees appreciate the presentation, I alsolearnt from the questions asked and comments made.

I take the time to reflect on what I have achieved; considerwhere I want to go not only in my career, but also managingmy work/life balance. For example I now leave work to collectthe children ten minutes earlier; a small adjustment hasbrought about a feeling of control by not rushing. CPD hascontributed to me gaining a sense of ownership over myprofessional and personal path through life and I now realisethat a CPD review is for me, not someone else.

Sarah Peek

Sarah is a freelance ceramics conservator based in Brighton.She trained at West Dean College and has now run her ownbusiness for fourteen years. More information about Sarahand her business can be found at www.sarahpeek.co.uk

THE CLOTHWORKERS’ FOUNDATION

Help for CPD activitiesInspired by Sarah’s words ofencouragement, you might liketo benefit from theConservation Bursary Schemeoffered by the Clothworkers’Foundation. Their bursaries helpqualified conservators attendconferences, seminars andevents which will benefit their

current work and future careers. The scheme started in 2009when fourteen bursaries were awarded. This year the awardstotal thirty six so far and the Foundation is keen that 2011proves just as successful.

Thanks to the Foundation applicants have attended therecent IIC Congress in Istanbul and an ICOM-CCPhotographic Materials meeting in Greece along withconferences on a wide range of topics in Vienna, Leiden,Copenhagen, Los Angeles and Quebec. Closer to home,beneficiaries have attended courses at West Dean College onconservation methodology, the conservation of wax objectsand a building conservation master class in concrete.

Sarah Peek


Applications are welcome for bursaries of up to £1,000towards travel, registration and fees, and reasonableaccommodation and subsistence costs. Applicants’employers, or applicants themselves (if self-employed), mustcontribute at least 50% of the cost. For further detailsincluding eligibility criteria and guidance on completing theapplication, and to download the application form, visit thewebsite at www.clothworkers.co.uk.

COURSES TO NOTE� The return of the Conservation Methodology course whichoffers a rare chance to step back from the day to day andthink about our role and values. Last year’s event was veryfavourably reviewed (see Icon News issue 26). This year thecourse takes place at the amazing Sir John Soane Museum inLondon – a case study in itself – from 6 to 8 December.Contact Helen Hughes on [email protected]

� A welcome new course at West Dean: Conservation forHorologists 15–19 May 2011. Led by ACRs Trevor Waddingtonand Elliott Nixon, the course aims to bring the conservationapproach to the experience and skills in repair and restorationof the professional horologist. Visiting lecturers will includethe senior horological curator at the British Museum and onthe final day Susan Bradshaw, Accreditation Manager, will givethe main session on the PACR process. Contact Liz Campbellon [email protected]

BODLEIAN CONSERVATION ON THE MOVEThe Conservation & Collections Care Department (C&CC), ofOxford University’s Bodleian Libraries, has moved from theNew Bodleian Library building to temporary premises inOsney Mead, Oxford.

The change of location is part of the £78 million development

of the New Bodleian Library building, to be reopened as theWeston Library in 2014/2015. This long-awaited project willinclude the design of a state-of-the-art new conservationcentre, a collections processing facility to support ourpreservation programmes, and larger exhibitions preparationareas. The renovation will also comprise the creation of high-quality storage for the Libraries’ valuable special collections,the development of several spaces to support advancedresearch, and the expansion of public access to the greattreasures through new and expanded exhibition galleries.

The C&CC, consisting of the sections Book & PaperConservation, Preventive Conservation, Exhibitions, andPackaging and Display Services, will continue with theirregular activities in support of the libraries’ collections andscholarly research. In addition to our Osney facilities, we willalso maintain a smaller conservation workshop andExhibitions offices on the central Bodleian site, as well as ourbox-making facility in Abingdon.

This is an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for ourconservation team, which, for the first time, will be sharingone open-plan workshop. We very much look forward toshowing you around once we have settled in.

Virginia M. Lladó-Buisán, ACRHead of Book & Paper Conservation, Bodleian LibrariesOsney One Building, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EW

NEWS FROM THE LIBRARYThe start of the academic year here in Oxford has heralded anupsurge of extremely interesting research enquiries to theChantry Library. Requests for information about topics asvaried as the history of nailmaking, Pre-Raphaelite frames andpigments, paper marbling techniques, art transportation,preventive conservation and pest identification have all keptme firmly on my toes!

As the days grow colder and the nights draw in as weapproach Christmas, the thought of starting a researchproject, or exploring, and learning more about a new subjectseems very appealing. The collection at the library isexpanding all the time – and if help is needed with sourcinginformation to help support you with your studies, or maybeconduct a literature search, please let me know. Mostenquiries can be answered by email, but you are also verywelcome to make an appointment and visit the library too –for research...and a chance to browse the shelves !

You can email me, Ros Buck, at [email protected] orcall 01865 251303

Photocopies of journal articlesA quick reminder that we supply photocopies of chaptersfrom books or journal articles and conference papers, whichare held in the library collection. Icon members are entitled toclaim ten free articles each year, so please quote yourmembership number with your requests.

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Clare HampsonScholarship FundPublication GrantClare Hampson was a founding member and Secretary of theInstitute of Paper Conservation for over twenty years beforeher untimely death in . She was deeply committed topromoting professional development opportunities asdemonstrated by her generous legacy ‘to provide for an annualscholarship for the study of paper conservation’.

To support this aim, an innovative programme encouragesindividuals engaged in the field of book or paper

conservation, or in related activities to enable them tocomplete an article or a chapter of a book to peer reviewedpublication standard.

Applications are invited by authors with advanced draftsbased on completed research. Funding can be sought tosupport time away from work, travel, subsistence, translationand/or illustration costs. The award panel is keen to supportindividuals who have not yet published and to facilitate this,editorial support and mentoring may be provided tosuccessful candidates. Grants can be sought up to £3,000.

Further information and application forms can bedownloaded from www.icon.org.uk and returnedelectronically to [email protected] by31 December 2010.

Successful applicant(s) will be informed by 1 March 2011.

If you have any questions please contact Sonja [email protected].

Books: recent additions include:Trade in Artists Materials: Markets and Commerce inEurope to 1700 edited by Jo Kirby, Susie Nash and JoannaCannon, Archetype Publications, London, 2010, Hardbackpp489 ISBN: 978-1-904982-25-8 £85This volume, is based on the papers for the internationalconference ‘European Trade in Painters’ Materials to 1700’,held at the Courtauld Institute and the National Gallery,London, with additional contributions.

Issues in the Conservation of Photographs (Readings inConservation) edited by Debra Hess Norris and Jennifer JaeGutierrez, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 2010ISBN: 978-1-60606-000-1 £48In seventy-two essential texts from the nineteenth century tothe present day, this anthology collects key writings that haveinfluenced both the philosophical and the practical aspects ofconserving photographs.

Environmental Management: Guidelines for Museums andGalleries, by May Cassar, Routledge, Abingdon, 1995, £85ISBN: 0-415-10559-5Emphasises the need for planning and places environmentalneeds of museum collections at the forefront of theresponsibilities of museum managers.

The Future of the 20th Century: Collecting, Interpretingand Conserving Modern Materials, Postprints from theSecond Annual Conference of the AHRC Research Centre forTextile Conservation and Textile Studies, edited by CordeliaRogerson and Paul Garside, Archetype Publications Ltd.,London, 2006, 143pp. £37.50 ISBN: 1-904982-17-4

Recently published articlesJournals recently received include The Ephemerist, No.150,Autumn 2010; Guild of Book Workers Journal, 2009; Journalof Paper Conservation, Vol.11, No.3, 2010; Studies inConservation, Vol.55, No.3, September 2010; 60 Years of IIC1950–2010. The content of each publication can be found onthe library blog ‘Library News’ athttp://chantrylibrary.wordpress.com/. You will find details of allnew resources here and a full listing of all journal articlesreceived over past two months.

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

Ros Buck (Librarian, Chantry Library)


L&SP R I N T I N G

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Tel: +44 1903 821005Fax: +44 1903 821006www.ls-printing.com

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peopleCONGRATULATIONS PROFESSOR PYE!As from 1 October Elizabeth (Liz)Pye was promoted to Professor ofArchaeological and MuseumConservation at University CollegeLondon’s Institute of Archaeology.During her career she has beeninvolved in the evolution ofconservation from a craft to a widelyrecognised academic discipline witha strong scientific and philosophicalbasis, and an acknowledged socialimpact. Conservation has beentaught at the Institute since the1930s. Over the last thirty or more years Liz has beeninstrumental in steering the teaching from a Diploma to aBSc, and now to a joint MA and MSc programme – whichinvolves one-year internships based in major museums. Thisgives students both academic, practical and ‘real life’conservation experience. She has also been closely associatedwith ICCROM, particularly in their programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and she is team leader for conservation for theimportant Neolithic excavation project at Çatalhöyük inTurkey. Her promotion was based particularly on her teachingof conservation and signals further recognition by UCL of theacademic importance of objects conservation as well as of theskills required for conservation practice. She very much enjoysteaching and has taught students from all over the world,many of whom now occupy senior conservation positionsinternationally. She says ‘I feel that I have learned a hugeamount from them – perhaps as much as they may havelearned from me! They, and my colleagues at the Institute andin the wider profession, have shaped my ideas and made amajor contribution to this promotion.’

BL’S NEW COLLECTION CARE HEADAt the beginning of August Deborah Novotny was appointedto the post of Head of Collection Care at the British Library,where she will play a significant role at a key moment in theLibrary’s history. Her strategic role will steer the provision ofcare of the collection, through the leadership of the Library’sConservation team, the newly created Strategy andCompliance team, the Conservation and PreservationResearch team and the Preservation Advisory Centre.

Deborah has over thirty years of experience working bothprivately and publicly within the conservation and preservationfield. She started her career in 1976 at Camberwell School ofArts & Crafts and was one of the first women to hold a unioncard allowing her to work in the trade as a forwarder. She ranher own business for many years before joining the BritishLibrary in 1989 where she initially managed the Printed BooksConservation studio before becoming the Head ofPreservation in 2002. Deborah has lectured widely onpreservation related topics both nationally and internationallyand brings a wealth of experience to the role.

Deborah has said ‘’The role of Collection Care is fundamentalto the changing needs of the BL and is currently undergoing amajor internal transformation mainly as a consequence of theexpanding digital agenda. I see my role as creating andsteering the new policies needed to maintain and safeguardour ever-growing collections as well as making sure that wedevelop new expertise and have the right mix of skills in placeto be able to address these emerging issues whilst alsoensuring that more traditional skills are not overlooked’.

MORE QEST SUCCESSCongratulations to Icon memberTristram Bainbridge for winning a£12,000 Queen ElizabethScholarship to attend the MAcourse in the Conservation ofFurniture and Related Objects atWest Dean College. Tristrampreviously completed his GraduateDiploma at West Dean and beforethat studied History of Art at theCourtauld Institute of Art. In his firstyear at West Dean he undertook the conservation of animportant medieval oak chest, which has recently gone ondisplay in Chichester Cathedral’s treasury. And in 2008 he wona Society of Architectural Historians’ award for his dissertationon the decorative aspects of Chatsworth House. These arenot the only strings to his bow, as he tells us: ‘I trained as a1:25 scale model maker for the family theatre set designbusiness and am now at a professional standard.’ We wishhim well for the future and look forward to hearing more fromthis diversely talented member of the Institute.

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) offersscholarships of up to £15,000 to men and women of all ages.They are awarded twice a year and the closing date for theSpring Scholarships is 14 January 2011. Application forms forScholarships can be downloaded from the website:www.qest.org.uk.

IN APPRECIATION

Pamela Clabburn MBE 1914–2010Pamela Clabburn, needlewoman, textile specialist, author,curator and conservator died earlier this year, aged 96, in herhome town of Norwich. Pamela was one of the pioneers oftextile conservation. In 1976, following her retirement ascurator at Strangers Hall Museum, Norwich, she was invited toset up and run one of the National Trust’s first textileconservation workrooms at Blickling Hall (Norfolk). Pam hadalready organised a small workroom at the Museum for thecare of costume and textiles and this had inspired JulianGibbs, National Trust Historic Buildings Representative at thetime, to try to establish something similar for the Trust.

The 1970s was a period of transition between restoration and


the emerging discipline of conservation. Other National Trustworkrooms were established at Knole (Kent) and Erddig (Wales),the work being undertaken by supervised volunteers, therebeing few trained professionals or indeed training courses atthat time. Pamela gathered together a group of about thirtyvolunteers, both men and women, who became known asClabburn’s Commandoes. Over a period of ten years,undaunted by limited funds and equipment, her team were ableto undertake a wide variety of textile projects for historicproperties in East Anglia and beyond. A born educator, she wasable to recognise each individual’s potential, employing theirvarious skills to achieve her aims, at the same time makingsure the volunteers felt valued and part of the organisation.

Pamela’s deep knowledge of the history of textiles, combinedwith a devotion to the practices of fine sewing, informed herapproach. A sharp wit and intelligence underpinned herpragmatism, modesty and generosity and, whilst she couldseem formidable when determined to get the result shewanted, there was always a glint of humour in her eye. Pamelawould appreciate the current move towards enabling accessand engagement through conservation, but for her it was parfor the course. The Blickling workroom was open to the publictwo days a week when visitors could see and speak to thevolunteers at work. Apart from being popular it also broughtin much needed funds in the form of donations. This traditionhas lasted to the present day, although organised tours arenow less disruptive than the free flow visits of Pamela’s day.

Pamela published widely on textiles and their history, mostnotably The Needleworker’s Dictionary (1976), The NationalTrust Book of Furnishing Textiles (1989) and the authoritativesourcebook, The Norwich Shawl (1995). In 1989, finally retired,Pam set up the Costume and Textile Association for NorfolkMuseums. Her aim was to develop an organisation to providesupport for the Norfolk Museum Service, raise publicawareness of its textile collection and lobby for its display.Sadly, the current financial climate may threaten the MuseumsTextile Collection and Pamela, if she had been able, wouldhave been the first to champion its survival.

Only by reading for yourself the talk she gave at the NationalTrust’s Centenary Symposium in 1995, printed in the postprints, Textiles in Trust, can you begin to appreciate theunique qualities of her character which inspired enormousrespect and commitment from all who met and worked withher. Pamela remained an interested friend of the BlicklingStudio right up until her death, and to quote: ‘…things moveon, they change, techniques develop.’ Her legacy lives on.Lindsay Blackmore and Ksynia Marko

Jacqueline Christina Bradshaw PriceJacqueline Bradshaw Price was a multi-talented artist whosecareer encompassed conservation, graphic design, and arttherapy. She travelled widely, working and studying abroad,and was fluent in Portuguese and French. She completed herfirst degree in art and design at the Chelsea College of Art in1974, and went on to gain postgraduate qualifications in

architecture at South Bank University, Developmental Studiesat the University of Geneva, Computer Graphics at MiddlesexPolytechnic as well as an HND in Book Arts, Bookbinding andPaper Conservation at the London Institute. In1999 shebecame an accredited member of Icon. Her travels abroadincluded Brazil, where she developed an interest in design,New Zealand, and Japan where she also studied bookbinding.

From 1982 Jacqueline worked as a self-employed designer andupon returning to London in 1991 she set up as an independentbook binder and conservator in her studio at Bow, creating herown trade mark, Forget-me-Knot. Latterly Jacqueline alsotrained and worked as an art therapist. As a conservator,Jacqueline was employed by clients including NationalWestminster Bank, Southwark Local Studies and Archives, andHackney Archives. At Hackney Jacqueline worked as a part-time contract conservator from the mid-1990s until May thisyear, and over the years became a valued member of theteam. She undertook a wide range of tasks from routine foldermaking and book repair, to the reconstitution of photographalbums. Latterly her work at Hackney was informed by theconservation surveys she undertook, which continue to formthe basis of planned work in the service.

A lasting record of her craft is the beautifully restored EdwardianGaviller photograph album. Commissioned by the last ownerof one of Hackney’s Georgian houses, 183 Lower Clapton Road,the album contained whole-plate photographs of Mr Gaviller’shouse and garden. The photographs had held up well, butthe board on which they were mounted had not. Jacquelinepainstakingly separated each photograph from its mount, andmade up new pages. The original boards were retained, sothe restored album resembles its original form as closely aspossible. Copy prints have subsequently appeared in manypublications.

Hackney was also able to draw on Jacqueline’s talents as adesigner. She took on the cover design for the Friends ofHackney Archives annual publication, Hackney History, initiallybuilding on the existing house style, but later developing astriking series of covers embellishing on illustrations for articles.

In addition to her professional life, Jacqueline engaged in awide range of activities. She had a love of Latin Americanmusic and of sailing, recently acquiring her own boat. She wasalso involved in local issues, notably in the Fight the Flightscampaign since 2007. This was united with her love of artwhen she was selected for one of the places on AnthonyGormley’s plinth in Trafalgar Square in August 2009, where shevoiced her opinions on the subject. The record of this isaccessible on the web (www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100223123737/http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/Jacqueline_B)

Jacqueline was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 andfought against it bravely, but sadly she became ill during thespring of this year and died on 21 August.

David Mander, Sally England and Libby Adams

SallyEngland

St Mary’s Church in Nantwich was until recently one of adwindling number of custodians of a parochial library.Recognising the importance of the collection and the need topreserve it, the Diocese of Chester arranged for its donationto The John Rylands University Library, stimulating a review ofthe library’s procedure for accepting donations.

St Mary’s Church was an early leader in establishing acollection of books for the edification of the clergy and thelocal community. One of only thirty one parish churches toindicate that they made any provision for a library in 1704/5 itreceived a grant to provide for a parochial library from theSociety for Promoting Christian Knowledge, some time beforethe Parochial Libraries Act of 1708. Between 1712 and thepresent day the collection has lost books, gained books andhad a large portion donated to and eventually returned (inblack bin bags) from the Nantwich Free Library. Among theitems remaining in the collection is a manuscript cataloguecontaining a significant amount of detail on the books housedthere in 1712, around a hundred of which are still present, anincunabulum and the most significant find, a copy of Wynkynde Worde’s 1502 Hymnal.

The importance of this collection prompted the John Rylandsto review its procedures in accepting donations. Normally, acollection would be couriered to the incoming collectionsroom at the University of Manchester’s main library, where itscondition would be assessed by conservators before passingto the cataloguing department. From a collection care pointof view, assessment of the collection’s condition should be apriority, to inform any decisions on transportation and identify

Parochial Interests

16

Mark Furness, Conservator with The John Rylands Library inManchester, describes the process of accepting a specialdonation to the Library

St Mary’s Church, Nantwich

The parochial library before removalSeveral items in situ showing previous efforts to catalogue andprotect the library

any items that would be harmful to others. This was a viewshared by Ed Potten, Assistant Keeper of Printed Books at theJohn Rylands and Chair of the Historic Libraries Forum whowas in charge of the acquisition. Ed also wanted to includeevery department that would have a hand in the collection. Ajoint task force of cataloguers, conservators and curators wentto reconnoitre the parochial library in early April last year.

The library was housed in a small room above the southporch, accessible by a squat narrow staircase which is theroom’s only source of access and ventilation. The original


shelving was replaced with glass cabinets in 1980. The visitraised some concerns and the plan for removing thecollection came down to addressing three main points:

Timeframe – The church, though undergoing renovations, wasstill in constant use, and all work would need to be carried outin one week in July alongside normal services, andunexpected events like funerals.

Access – The staircase, being the only point of access to thelibrary, was the only route by which the books could leave.The staircase was too treacherous to navigate while holdingmaterial and the only viable solution was a human chainpassing books down.

Dust – the library had a considerable build up of dust thatwould require anyone working with the books to be wearing

protective clothing and masks. Combined with the July date,limited access and poor ventilation the balance of protectionversus human tolerance would have to be gauged.

The Diocese also arranged for the use of the adjacent parishrooms to process the books for transport back to Manchester.The room allocated was on the first floor, requiring books tobe first brought down from the library, then taken upstairs forprocessing, then finally brought down again fortransportation.

Between April and July the planning of the Nantwich projectcontinued. In Collection Care the materials and equipment tobe used were amassed and stored and house services trainedin the correct way to unpack crates and handle books. ThePrinted Books Office organised volunteers from the involveddepartments, provided a refresher course in manual handlingfor everyone and arranged enough crates to house thepredicted three hundred books and the library van fortransportation.

Work began on Tuesday 14 July, arriving early were fourconservators, two members of the Printed Books Office and aspecial collections cataloguer. Since the first visit the Diocesehad arranged a preliminary clean of the library which,combined with the temperate weather, meant we were ableto work without masks or protective clothing save for nitrile

The work area mid-flow

The crated books are passed up the stairs for processing

Ed Potten and Pamela Johson begin handing books down thenarrow staircase

Books being measured for phase-boxing

18

gloves for much of the time. The running order was simple;

• Establish a human chain on the staircase

• Pass each book down individually

• Temporarily crate all the books at the bottom of the stairs

• Move the crates to the workspace in the parish rooms

• Unpack and clean all the books

• Repack the crates

• Load the crates into the van

• Deliver crates to John Rylands library

• Unpack crates into incoming collections space

Before any work began, the collection was photographed in-situ to keep a record of the books’ layout for future reference.

The decanting of the library down the staircase moved alongmore quickly than expected, even with taking regular breaksfrom the claustrophobic stairs and to get water, and bylunchtime the collection was in crates and ready to be movedto the workspace. The books were eventually to be givencustom-made archive boxes, with measurements being takenonce cataloguing had begun. It had been initially suggestedthat we could measure the books while cleaning them andhave the boxes cut in time either for their departure fromNantwich or their arrival at the Rylands, but this had beenconsidered unfeasible in the time available. However, with thefast pace of the project, it was decided that we could measurethe books as part of the cleaning process.

The books were transported in their crates by another humanchain up the staircase to the work area, with each member ofthe chain on the opposite side of the stairs to his neighbour,reducing strain as the crates were passed between each other.

As we worked through the books it was fascinating to see thevariety the library held both in style and content. The idea ofthese libraries was to educate both clergy and parishionersand expand the depth of their religious and practicalunderstanding. Striking were the number of 16th and 17thcentury continental books in a wide variety of languages, suchas Hebrew and Greek, with dictionaries for Ethiopic, Syriacand Persian. The collection provides an insight into the local,national and international book-trade, the contributors to theparish and library and a wealth of other areas of interest.

The setup of the work area consisted of several tables,covered with bubblewrap and plastic sheeting. A productionline began with the books being unpacked, examined byPamela Johnson, Projects & Special Collections Team Leader,acidic book wrapping material removed but any informationretained. The books were then passed to Jim Duff,Conservation Team Leader, to be cleaned with a museumvacuum. Then on to Tim Higson, Preservation Team Leader,who measured the books’ dimensions using a bookmeasuring device. These measurements were recorded by meand the books were finally passed to Steve Mooney,Conservator, to have any loose boards tied on and packedinto crates with bubble wrap. The whole process took until theThursday afternoon, finishing a day ahead of schedule. Thebooks were taken back to Manchester and put on the shelvesof the incoming collection area.

The measurements of the books were used to create archivalboxes on the Collection Care Departments’ Kasemakemachine. The boxes were made from several differentthicknesses of board, determined when the books weremeasured depending on size. There were two hundred andforty three boxes to be made, their measurements were putonto a spreadsheet and arranged by board thickness andheight to aid in spacing the designs for most economic use ofboard on the Kasemake software. After about a week all theboxes had been cut out and transported to The John RylandsLibrary. A further three days was spent folding the boxes,mostly by one member of the Collection Care Department,and another two days were spent replacing a few boxes(about five or 2%) that were the wrong size due to incorrectmeasurement and data entry.

Only one book raised conservation concerns, showingevidence of an inactive mould infestation, but the book wasseparate from the rest of the collection in an archival box, sowas of no risk to the acquisition. Overall, the main action ofthe project took three weeks, the first with eight to nine staffinvolved and the final two weeks with one or two CollectionCare staff. It gained local and national media attentionbringing the importance of parochial libraries to the publicview, raising the profile of The John Rylands University Libraryand was an informative and a useful experience for everyoneworking on the project, becoming a benchmark for futureacquisitions.

Phase-boxing complete, the books await cataloguing


INTRODUCTIONIntegration of Conservation into the national curriculum isrecommended within the Demos Report as a way to ‘teachyoung people the importance of caring for the material worldand educate them about objects’.* The supposition is thatraising awareness of heritage conservation at an early age willincrease public awareness and support for a profession whichis at risk from closure of training courses and the decrease infunding available to the heritage sector. This premise isembraced in Icon’s Draft National Conservation Educationand Skills Strategy (NCESS) Action Plan which proposes to:

Build conservation learning opportunities into school curriculaand within local communities, by working with museums andother heritage organisations

In July 2010, three GCSE students spent a week at the Victoriaand Albert Museum on work experience. They are studyingthe sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) as well as Englishand mathematics and all have already completed theCitizenship CCSEs. In addition they are collectively alsostudying a range of other GCSE courses including art, history,religious studies, resistant materials, design technology andgeography.

The three of them undertook a research project for theConservation Department, managed by Sandra Smith, Headof Conservation, to examine if and how conservation and thework undertaken in the V&A is relevant to their studies. Theywere asked to reflect if they would find our work of interest inillustrating parts of their curriculum and to reflect on whichGCSEs conservation has a contributions to make to. Thefollowing is their report of their findings, which highlight thatthe activities and decisions made within conservation extendwell beyond simply caring for the material world.

THE STUDENTS’ REPORT

by Math Whittaker, Liam Willcocks & Alexandra Causer,students from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School,Faversham, KentThere are many reasons why conservation could be a valuableaddition to the school curriculum. On school trips, forexample, students are regularly the visitors to the manymuseums of London, viewing some of the world’s mostvaluable artefacts and appreciating their rarity and beauty.However, a full appreciation and understanding of the objectis not always achieved, as there is little or no emphasis on theimportance of restoration, preservation and conservation inthe subjects we study in our lessons.

After spending five days walking around the museum, visitingthe exhibitions and talking to members of staff about theirspecialized line of work, we have come up with an idea of thetype of subjects where conservation might be integrated intothe syllabus:

• Chemistry

• Physics

• Biology

In these areas the main focus would be on the chemicaldecomposition of the collections and how to preserve themfor future generations. For example, in the Miniatures Gallerythere are low lighting levels and the objects are stored inglass cabinets with sensors that trigger a light to turn on onlywhen a visitor approaches. This minimises the amount offading to the watercolours. To be able to recognise this, thereneeds to be an understanding of artefacts’ reactivity toenvironmental conditions. Another thing that we have learnt isthat there is a great emphasis on the importance ofcontrolling pests in the museum, such as moths, beetles (e.g.the Woolly Bear) and woodworm. This is an example of wherebiology comes into play. Another day, we were lucky enoughto visit the science labs, where collections are X-rayed andanalysed. This makes the next stage of repairing any damageeasier and the overall result much more thorough. These areexamples of the application of physics.

Moving away from the scientific courses, the obvious areasinto which conservation may be included are the creativesubjects, generally not compulsory subjects to study at GCSElevel, but which can be chosen by those who wish to have agreater understanding of these areas:• Art• Design & Technology• Textiles• Photography

Conservation can be applied to these subjects in a number ofways – for example, in conservation you sometimes have to

Conservation’s relevanceto the school curriculum.Discuss!

From Left to right: Alex Causer, Liam Wilcox and Math Whittaker,students from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Faversham, Kent

©V&A

make frames for paintings and in design & technology (DT)you are taught how to make joints and how to use materialsproperly which could later be used if you were working in theconservation department. Also you have to use brackets tomount objects on the wall so you might need to design a wallbracket for objects, which is also taught in DT. Differentpigments, polymers and paints are very important tounderstand how they will deteriorate and discolour and thiscould be taught in art.

In the conservation of textiles, materials often have to berepaired or prepared for display; this involves a goodknowledge of different types of materials and theirproperties, as well as being able to make the necessaryrepairs. Textiles also have to be cleaned, so a wide range oftextiles-based skills must be present. These skills should betaught at a GCSE-level. Photography is also quite prominentin the field of conservation – photos often have to be takento assess the items on a physical level, at different stages oftheir restoration/preservation. Taking photos is a good way totrack the different stages. This requires a more technicalphotography skill, one that values functionality rather thanbeing aesthetically pleasing. If this was introduced into thesyllabus, then students would have a wider range ofphotographic skills.

As the week has progressed and our understanding of theconcept of conservation in museums has deepened, we haveidentified some other subjects that are studied in school(Religious Studies and Citizenship) where the inclusion ofconservation is less apparent but is just as important. Whentalking to experts, an issue that often posed a challenge forthem is that of ethical correctness. If conservators are workingon an object which holds some religious relevance to aculture, they must show sensitivity in dismantling an object(for example a Christian reliquary) whilst using conservationmaterials derived from animal products in conserving JainManuscripts may cause cultural offence.

At the start of the week, we did not really have a properlyinformed concept of what conservation actually was, or howimportant and vast it is, not just in museums but in manythings in our day to day lives. After our work experience weekat the V&A museum with the Conservation Department, it hasbecome apparent that should this type of thing be integratedinto the school curriculum, young people would probablyhave a greater awareness and enthusiasm about the subject.As students studying at GCSE level, we believe that it wouldbe a very valuable addition to our lessons, and one thatwould be both interesting and worthwhile to study, as itshows you how a lot of the things your teachers are tellingyou can be applied to real life situations, and that some ofthe things we are being taught actually do have somerelevance for later on!

* Jones. S. , Holden. J. ‘It’s a material world: caring for the public realm’.Demos 2008 p.99. Copy available in Chantry Library

20

Fire!Sarah Brown, Director of The YorkGlaziers’ Trust, has some advicegained from first-hand experienceOn the night of 30 December 2009 a fire in the offices of YorkMinster’s stoneyard threatened the Great East Window of1405-8, stored in a room immediately below the source of thefire. The prompt action of the Minster police, the fire service,York Glaziers Trust staff and local residents, includingmembers of the Cathedral Chapter, ensured that the glasswas swiftly removed to safety. No one was hurt andmiraculously little damage was done to the glass, althoughthe firemen had received very little training in handling panelsof stained glass which, in the case of the east window,average 900mm x 86mm in size and 16–17kg in weight.

New Year’s Eve 2009 and the snowy early days of 2010 weredevoted to moving all the glass, hastily stored in spacesthroughout the masons’ rooms on the night of the fire, tosecure and safe storage within the Minster itself. A temporaryhome in St Stephen’s Chapel was equipped with an intruderalarm and its railings were quickly reinforced. A rapidinventory and condition review confirmed that the glass wasall present and correct and that damage was very slight.

What have we learned from this experience? First of all, wediscovered that people are amazingly resourceful and hard-working in a crisis! Lessons learned fall into two broadcategories; rapid response and the ‘morning after’. In future,for example, we will ensure that we have a more carefullyannotated cascade diagram concerning the availability of staffover a holiday period. As the workshop was closed for theChristmas/New Year break, not everyone on the ‘master-plan’was actually in York at the time of the emergency and somereturned from leave to find days’ old messages on voicemailand answer-machine.

Our immediate problems on the morning after involved the

East window panels stacked in the masons’ shop, 31 December


identification of secure alternative storage space largeenough to receive so much stained glass. A subsidiaryproblem was how to rack and support the glass once itarrived in its temporary new home. We were very lucky in thatthe Minster itself offered a safe haven. With the help of theMinster masons we were able to relocate our custom-madesteel racks, having first boarded the chapel floor to protectthe historic ledger stones from damage. This solutionpresented itself very quickly, but the identification ofalternative storage space and the materials necessary to safelysupport a large window is something that every stained glassstudio should include in its disaster recovery plan.Prefabricated A-frames that could be assembled rapidly, asneeded, could be a sound investment.

As our own studio was unaffected by the fire, we had readyaccess to keys, salvage materials and a catalogue of all theglass involved, but it underlined the need to have at hand abox of essentials set aside for an emergency. Another short-term problem was the shortage of packing materials. A lot ofthe plastazote used to cushion the window in storage got wet

and/or dirty during the emergency evacuation. New suppliestook time to arrive, especially in a holiday period, and untilthe loss adjustors had visited the scene any expenditure was‘at risk’. Offers of help were quickly forthcoming from membersof the local Rapid Response Network and we would urgeeveryone to identify their own network of local museums andconservators. Our problems were exacerbated, of course, bythe time of year and the weather (it snowed heavily in the daysthat followed the fire), which made transporting large amountsof glass from one location to another extremely hazardous.

Our most important lesson has been, of course, to guardagainst complacency. In the event our fire-proofed storageroom probably would have withstood the fire, which wasquickly spotted and very quickly extinguished. In our mainstudio the nightly isolation of all electrical appliancessignificantly reduces risk, but we are now investigating betterprovision of fire-proof storage within the studio itself. We arenow reviewing our procedures in the knowledge that disastercan and does strike and that however busy we are we must allfind the time to plan for the unexpected.

York Glaziers’ Trust staff move the glass into temporary store, 2 January 2010

Temporary glass store in St. Stephen’s Chapel The glass in relocated glass racks, 3 January 2010

22

news fromthegroupsPAINTINGS GROUPThe Paintings Group is delighted at the response we havereceived to the first newsletter. We are now in the process oforganising a training day for the Osiris Infra-Red camera.Please let us know what you would like to see in the nextnewsletter and whether you have anything to contribute.

Congratulations to Tracey Graves for winning the MidsummerMadness competition. Some of the other entries will bepublished in the next Paintings Group newsletter.

The next Paintings Group talk given by Viola PembertonPiggott will be at a new venue (see Listing on page 35) andwe hope to see you there. We are looking for a new regularvenue now that Icon Head Office is leaving 1 London Bridgeso please let us know if you have any suggestions.

We are pleased to announce that the next Paintings Groupconference will be held at the National Portrait Gallery onFriday 6 May 2011. The theme is adhesives and consolidants(see call for papers on page 36)[email protected]

The Paintings Group CommitteeChair: Francis DowningSecretary: Rhiannon ClarricoatesTreasurer: Rebecca GreggStudent Liaison Officer: Hellen DowdingGroup Editor: Morwenna BlewettGroup News Officer: Alexandra GentCommittee Members: Ambrose Scott-Moncrief

Chantal Thuer, Angelina Barros d’saCo-opted: Dr. Clare Finn

SCOTLAND GROUPISG has an interesting and active events programme that runsthroughout the year combining CPD with socialising andnetworking! We’re always keen to have more participants – soto whet your appetite details follow of our forthcoming annualPlenderleith Lecture and of a couple of our events from thelast few months.

May Cassar, Professor of Sustainable Heritage, UniversityCollege London and Director, AHRC/EPSRC Science andHeritage Programme, will give the 13th annual Dr HaroldPlenderleith Memorial Lecture, speaking on ‘Science andheritage: Strategies for surviving turbulent times’. The Lecturewill take place at 6.15pm on Friday 19 November at TheHawthornden Lecture Theatre in the Weston Link at theNational Gallery Complex on Princes Street. Entrance will beby the Princes Street Gardens entrance to the Weston Linkfrom 5.45pm. A wine reception will be held between 7.15 and9.00pm. All are welcome. Tickets must be booked and paidfor in advance using the booking form available on the Iconwebsite. Ticket prices are: Icon members £8, non-members£10, students and unwaged £5. ISG gratefully acknowledges

the support of Historic Scotland for this event and theCommittee hopes to see you there!

In late August a group of eleven ISG members and friendsmade their way to Ian Hamilton Findlay’s hillside garden LittleSparta, which is on the south-west end of the Pentland Hills,about an hour from Edinburgh. Ian Hamilton Findlay (d.2006)was a Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener, with aninternational standing. Little Sparta is the garden that hecreated with his wife at their home. The garden, which weexplored for more than two hours, (and probably none of usmanaged to see it all in that time!) is an intricate maze ofpaths, plants and pools, packed with intriguing sculpturalworks that Hamilton Findlay made with collaborators throughhis long and productive time there. We were given a warmwelcome and plenty of information by Laura Robertson, thecustodian, and after our explorations found our way back toher to ask lots of the questions that the garden had provoked.We were lucky with the weather – a sunny, blustery day, sowere able to enjoy the amazing views of the hills in which thegarden is placed. To find out more about the garden and plana visit of your own go to www.littlesparta.co.uk.

More recently we had a fascinating walking tour of the bottomhalf of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, led by Simon Green. This wasthe second part of an equally successful walking tour in 2009which covered the top half.

We have several new ISG events in the pipeline including apest day in Glasgow and an iron gall ink day in Dundee, bothscheduled for early 2010. Details will be posted once finalised.

At the end of September a well-attended PACR clinic washeld in Edinburgh with fourteen participants from across thedisciplines. Both public and private sectors were representedand there was a good spread geographically. The Committee

Scotland Group’s Royal Mile Walk


encourages applications to its accreditation grant scheme –please see the ISG webpage for further information.

The Icon Scotland Group CommitteeChair: Linda RamsayVice Chair: Kirsten ElliottTreasurer: Audrey WilsonVice Treasurer: Gill KeayEvents team: Helen Creasy, Erica Kotze, Kirsten Elliott and

Elizabeth MainPublications/ Ruth Honeybonepublicity team:Ordinary Committee Members:

Sophie Younger, Julian Watson,Mo Bingham,Amanda Clydesdale

Observers: Carol Brown, Craig Kennedy andClare Meredith

STONE AND WALL PAINTINGS GROUPWe have been quiet on these pages of late but busy in otherrespects. By the time this is published the first instalment ofour Going beneath the Surface conference will have takenplace (5 November at St Brides Hall, London). Thank you tothe speakers for their contributions and to the delegates forattending. Please note the second day of the conference willtake place on Friday 25 March 2011 at Stratford Old TownHall, London E14 4BQ (see Listings page 36). As with Day 1,the presentations will focus on the practical application of avariety of methods for identifying and removing unwanteddeposits on decorative surfaces. We aim to publish theconference proceeding in due course.

The proceedings of our two day Polychrome Woodconference which took place at Hampton Court in October2007 and February 2008 will be published mid-November.Advertisements will appear shortly. This significant collectionof papers bridges the specialist fields of panel painting,architectural wood and wall painting conservation. Thecontributors discuss a diverse range of important historicpainted wooden surfaces, the materials involved, theircomposition and techniques of execution, the agents ofdeterioration, preventive measures, methods of treatment,and aspects of presentation and display.

The committee have been at the forefront of discussions withIcon and the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)to try and ensure that conservators are acknowledged in theheritage skills card scheme. A meeting took place on 20October and all members will be informed of the outcomeshortly. A meeting took place on 20 October and theoutcome is reported on page 9.

We would encourage Group members to submit interestingcase studies, reviews of courses attended and anything elsethat may be of interest to colleagues for inclusion in futureeditions of Icon News. Please contact our News Web Editor:

[email protected]

The Stone and Wall Paintings Group CommitteeCo-Chair: David OdgersCo-Chair: Richard LithgowTreasurer: Peter MartindaleSecretary: Jez FryNews Web Editor: Clara WillettEvents Web Editor: Berenice HumphreysOrdinary members: Caroline Babington, Lynne Humphries,

Vicki Roulinson, Simon Swann

TEXTILE GROUPOn 10 December at 6pm there will be a walk through theexhibition ‘Diaghilev & The Golden Age of the Ballet Russes1909–1929’. Conservators involved in the preparations of this,the major autumn exhibition 2010 at the Victoria & AlbertMuseum, have kindly offered this visit. The exhibition is amajor retrospective that will examine the origins,development and long term influence of the Ballets Russes,timed to celebrate the ballet’s first seasons in Europe ahundred years ago. Numbers are limited so please see theIcon website for details.

The annual Textile Group Forum ‘Incompatible Partners?Challenges of composite objects’ will be held on Monday 4April 2011. The forum will explore the conservation of mixedmaterial objects, the challenges faced in storing anddisplaying them as well as ethical issues, such as prioritisingthe different materials, collaborative research, working withother specialists and the sequencing of the treatment of thedifferent materials. Abstracts for papers and posters are nowinvited, and details for submissions are available on thewebsite.

UpdateSoft polyester wadding, available in 4 and 8oz rolls, has beendiscontinued by the supplier Cowens. However they are nowproducing a range of 100% polyester wadding called‘Ultrasoft’. This is a solid & hollow fibre mix that produces amaterial with a softer handle and higher loft, and is alsoavailable in 4oz & 8oz. Further information and contact detailsfor Cowens are available on the Textile Group pages on theIcon website.

24

Graduate VoiceTHE GREENWICH TOMPION REPLICA

by Johan ten Hoeve with Matthew Read of West DeanCollege – Edward James FoundationThe Royal Observatory at Greenwich, founded in 1675–6, isone of London’s famous landmarks and most visited historicalinstitutions. It is possibly now best known as the home of thePrime Meridian of the World, 0 degrees longitude. Almost 200years before the modern meridian line was established, thenewly appointed Royal Observer, John Flamsteed, wasdeveloping star charts and plotting the position of the Moonagainst those stars using an experimental and ground-breaking type of pendulum clock.

The Observatory at Greenwich was established by KingCharles II specifically to improve navigation at sea throughproviding much needed astronomical data. The astronomicalor Lunar Distance Method of finding the longitude, as itbecame known, relies on accurate star charts and predictionsof the position of the Moon in relation to those stars. Likemost maps, stars on a chart are plotted by using twocoordinates: Declination, or the height of the body, which isfound with a telescope mounted on a graduated scale, andRight Ascension, the time at which a star crosses a knownpoint or meridian. This coordinate is found by using a clock,as it is a function of time.

The new observatory was furnished with instruments whichincluded two very similar clocks by the pre-eminent Londonhorologist Thomas Tompion. These clocks were set in thewainscot panelling in the Great Room designed by Wren,what is known today as the Octagon Room. With the help ofthese clocks, Flamsteed proved the (near) uniform rotation of

the Earth. So Tompion’s clocks form a fundamental part of thestory of modern science.

Following the death of John Flamsteed in 1719, the twoclocks were removed as part of his estate and ultimately sold.Both were then converted to domestic use. One of them isnow in the collection of the British Museum and the other wasbought from the Earl of Leicester in 1994 by the NationalMaritime Museum, and remains in its modified from. Thespace behind the windows in the wainscot which the clocksoriginally occupied remained vacant until the refurbishment ofthe Wren building after the second world war, when one ofthe wainscot windows was occupied by a replica clockmovement made by London clockmaker Daniel Parkes,together with a pendulum, hands and dial. The other windowwas occupied by a replica dial and modern electro-mechanical ‘slave’ clock movement. Unbeknown to Parkes, yetto be discovered manuscript documents of correspondencebetween John Flamsteed and natural philosopher RichardTownley, clearly showed that Tompion’s clocks originally hadthirteen foot long pendulums suspended above themovement, with the pendulum swinging in a planeperpendicular to the clock dial rather than, as in almost everyother clock, parallel to the dial.

Between 2008 and 2010 West Dean College student Johanten Hoeve, with the support of Senior Specialist and Curatorof Horology, Jonathan Betts, made a replica movement andpendulum, based on the original Tompion clocks, but with theoriginal designed Townley/Tompion escapement, andcritically, the pendulum swinging in the manner it had overthree hundred years earlier. This project was of educationalvalue due to the challenge of making the mechanism to the

The depthing tool is used for ensuring correct mesh of the gearingwhen the clock is being made.

The official hand-over of the clock to Greenwich. Jonathan Betts(left) Senior Curator of Horology and Johan ten Hoeve maker of theclock.

NMM(NationalMaritimeMuseum)


high degree of accuracy that is required for a year-goingclock. The manufacturing element of the process was basedon physical evidence, gathered from disassembly of theoriginal clock at the Royal Observatory. The escapement wasdesigned through interpretation of Flamsteed’s 1678 sketch ofTompion’s modified pallets, together with the assistance ofstaff at the British Museum.

This entire process is consistent with the ethos of West Dean’sfounder Edward James in the teaching and promotion of craftskills. The project however has wider reaching implications,especially from the point of view of the public interpretationand understanding of the room, one of Sir Christopher Wren’smost intact interiors. The interpretation of an historic spacewithin the heritage sector lies typically within the remit of thecurator, increasingly working within multi-disciplinary teamsthat include conservators. In the case of the Octagon Room atGreenwich, it could be argued that the two modern clocks,the electro-mechanical clock in particular, had skewed theinterpretation of the space. From a curatorial perspective,Tompion’s original clocks have both been in a domesticatedformat for almost three hundred years – far longer than theirearlier format. So the case for reinstating at least one of themwas not deemed to be strong. The clock belonging to theBritish Museum has however been reversibly converted backto what is believed to be its original format, and now hangs inthe Sir Harry and Lady Djanogly gallery. The option of a newreplica clock – effectively a prop – provided a viable option forthe Greenwich wainscot space, without the constraint of apartly conjectural reinstatement of an historic object.

With the idea of a replica agreed in principle, ten Hoeve andcuratorial staff faced questions relating to the aims andobjectives of the project. Clearly the primary objective was toput on display a mechanical clock that at least approximatedto the original in overall size, design and function, with the all-important perpendicular plane pendulum. Beyond that overallagreement, questions relating to the types of material to beused and manufacturing techniques had to be answered. Wasthe replica to be a facsimile, made as close to the original aspossible, matching seventeenth century materials andprocesses, or to be blatantly of new manufacture and a replicain a wider sense? Exploring the first option proved interestingbut, in reality, partly due to budgetary and time limitations,unattainable. By closely following the original format andoverall outward appearance of the original, but through theuse of off-the-shelf materials and some modernmanufacturing techniques, the replica was brought tocompletion and installed in spring 2010.

In the age of interactive and technology based galleryinterpretation, this process may appear slightly old-fashioned.The result however fits sensitively within a finely balancedspace of significant historic importance. The installation isinformative yet not intrusive. It may be explored at differentlevels, from the almost subliminal ticking of the escapementand subtle oscillations of the pendulum in what is oftendescribed as bringing the room to ‘life’. As an academic toolthe installation can be used from its direct relation to thenational curriculum, in the explanation of fundamental physicsand mechanics, to the tangible historic relationship with thedevelopment of economic, social and military Britain, throughits growing dominion at sea.

In its own right, the object has proved the basis forconstructive discussion of conservation related issues such asartist’s/maker’s intent, and the elevation of an object throughassociation. What began as a mechanical process, has led to afar wider experience for those involved and hopefully willcontinue as a quietly spoken advocate for a variety ofbranches of science, including the on-going re-interpretationof an historic space.

Footnote

Glass and etched dial kindly donated by Johan’s father who has a clockmaking workshop in Holland where glass and etched dials are often used fornew made clocks. The glass etched dial for the Tompion allows the visitors tosee the movement through the glass, leading to unambiguous interpreation.

Biographies

Johan ten Hoeve is a London based conservator, recently graduated fromWest Dean College conservation restoration of clocks programme. Originallyfrom the Netherlands, Johan grew up in the family-owned clock restorationand making workshop. Initially Johan studied for four years at the furnituremaking college in Amsterdam before developing an interest in clock making.

Matthew Read is Clocks Programme Tutor at West Dean College. Aftergraduating from West Dean, Matthew worked at the National MaritimeMuseum with conservation and curatorial duties, before returning to selfemployment as a conservator working within public, private and heritagecollections including the 2008 Bowes Swan conservation project.

Bolt and shutter maintaining power is a safety mechanism thatprevents the movement stopping whilst being wound. It is operatedby pulling the lever (top right corner), which exposes the windingsquare.

26

BOOK

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE FRAMES AT THEV&A: A Technical StudyChristine Powell and Zoe AllenElsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010ISBN:978-0-7506-8619-8 328 pages £49.99

Italian RenaissanceFrames at the V&A:A Technical Study byChristine Powell andZoe Allen, publishedthis year, is theVictoria and AlbertMuseum’s first bookto focus specificallyon the frames intheir collection.Funded by TimothyPlaut, the book isthe result of a year’s research and analysis ofthirty-six Renaissance frames that arenormally not on public display.

The book is divided into two main sections:Renaissance materials and techniques, andthe frames themselves. Starting with a briefintroduction to the types of Renaissanceframes and their uses, Part I goes on to giveclearly written explanations of the materialsused in their manufacture. From the types ofwood used, and the difficulties in theirdefinitive identification, through the differentconstruction methods used, to the applieddecorative finishes, the information providedis concise and well reasoned. Every fact ismeticulously referenced and the authors arecareful to be unambiguous in the use ofterminology. For example the differencesbetween Italian gesso grosso, gesso sottile,and what the English call gesso, areexplained and the term white ground thenused where necessary to avoid confusion.The final chapter of Part I describes theanalytical methods used to identify thepigments and binding media used in theoften complex, decorative schemes.

Part II is divided into five sections, groupingthe frames according to stylistic type. Theyare Tabernacle, Cassetta and Tondo, Mirror,Sansovino, and Part Renaissance andRenaissance Style Frames. Each sub-sectionis introduced with a brief explanation of thestyle and an annotated drawing, naming theparticular elements. Each frame is lavishlyillustrated and painstakingly described, withmeasurements, profile diagrams and photosof the reverse being especially noteworthy.The clearly presented scientific analysisinforms conclusions drawn about earlierdecorative schemes.

This book is beautifully produced andabsorbing to read. Written by twoconservators it offers an interesting angle onframes scholarship, which often errs on the

side of art historical context. As a framesconservator myself, it is refreshing to see apublication that treats frames as objects inthemselves, instead of the adjunct to apainting, and that uses the best toolsavailable to describe and explain them. It isto be hoped that more collections will followtheir lead and begin to do research on theirframes and, at the very least, include theirimages and descriptions in publications,instead of cropping them from aroundpaintings. This book is a worthy addition tothe library of any conservator or curatorconcerned with frames and the decorativearts, and a delightful introduction for theinterested layman.

Caroline Oliver ACRLead Frames ConservatorGuildhall Art Gallery

TALK

COLLEGES, PARISHES AND VILLAS:Stained glass conservation in the South ofEnglandIcon Stained Glass Group Conference15 September 2010 Cambridge

Members of the Stained Glass Groupconvened in the splendid surroundings ofthe Cripps Auditorium, Magdalene Collegein historic Cambridge in September for avaried series of talks, ostensibly focusing onstained glass conservation in the south ofEngland, but actually covering a much widerarea. The formal proceedings began withChris Chesney, the Group Chair, and someentertaining and thought-provoking wordson changing times and attitudes inconservation. Sebastian Strobl (ErfurtUniversity and formerly head of CanterburyCathedral Studios) continued this theme inhis talk ‘Learning from Mistakes –Confessions of a Sinner’. It was very interestingto hear such an experienced conservatorlook back over previous projects which mighthave been approached differently today;reminding us that we should all evaluate pastand present practice in order to continue tolearn and improve for the future.

After a short break, Chloe Cockerill (formerlyof the Churches Conservation Trust) gave anicely-illustrated introduction to ‘Heraldry instained glass’, focussing particularly ondepictions of the Royal Arms and theimportance of heraldry in asserting identity.Elise Learner (Chapel Studio) thencompleted the morning session bydescribing the ‘Strawberry Hill ConservationProject’, the major restoration of HoraceWalpole’s Gothic creation aiming to returnStrawberry Hill as far as possible to thecondition in which Walpole knew it. Re-creating Walpole’s arrangement of hiscollection of stained glass, much of whichhas since been lost from Strawberry Hill,

brought conservation challenges includingdealing with previous repairs, loss of paintand enamel, reconstruction of lost areas andcreating a mounting system to provide aprotective environment for vulnerablepieces.

After an excellent lunch and opportunity fordelegates to meet and chat, Joost Caen(Antwerp University) spoke on ‘The productionof stained glass in the County of Flandersand the Duchy of Brabant from the XVth tothe XVIIIth centuries – materials andtechniques’. This wide-ranging talk, taking inarchive manuscripts, manufacturing techniquesand studio practices, highlighted the needto approach conservation in an interdisciplin-ary manner, bringing together differentdisciplines in order to fully understand thehistory of an object and so develop anappropriate treatment methodology.

Martin Harrison concluded the day with histalk on ‘19th century stained glass – art andtechnology’. Focusing on the issue of paintloss from 19th century windows (the ‘boraxproblem’ referred to by William Morris),placed in the context of the Gothic Revivaland contemporary developments in glassmaking, Harrison echoed Caen’s suggestionthat meaningful progress in understandingsuch issues can only be made by bridgingthe gaps between art history, conservationand scientific analysis.

Overall, this was an interesting and usefulconference, much enjoyed by those present.The formal talks made for a varied andbalanced day, and the mix of peoplepresent, both speaking and in the audience,perhaps represented at least a start towardsthe idea of interdisciplinary working. It mighthave been preferable to take audiencequestions at the end of each talk rather thankeeping them all to the end; with suchvariety in the topics addressed it was difficultto make the panel discussion work. However,this is a minor quibble with an otherwiseexcellent day. In his final remarks, ChrisChesney pointed out the great opportunityprovided by such events to meet peopleworking in similar and related fields – a viewendorsed by the number of peoplecontinuing the discussion in a local hostelryafter the close of the formal proceedings!

Alison Gilchrist Icon-HLF Intern, BarleyStudio

WORKSHOP

MAKING AND SHARPENING KNIVES: ARATIONAL APPROACHOxford Conservation ConsortiumSeptember 7 & 8 2010

In September the Oxford ConservationConsortium (OCC) held a two-day, WellcomeTrust-funded workshop, given by Jeffrey

reviews

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE FRAMES AT THE V&AA TECHNICAL STUDY

CHRISTINE POWELL & ZOE ALLEN

L


world. You can find out more about Jeff’s‘board slotting’ machine at http://jeffpeachey.wordpress.com/board-slotting-machine-2/and his knives on http://jeffpeachey.wordpress.com/knife-catalog/.

Jeff explained that edge sharpening can bebroken into three stages: grinding,sharpening and stropping. We looked insome detail at the sharpening stage and Jeffprovided a number of practical guidelines,some of which can be remembered with hisuseful mnemonic, ‘BITS’.

B – Burr. You need to feel it before movingto the next, finer grit or switching to theother side of the knife. If you do not feel theburr then the two planes are not meetingand the knife will never be sharp.

I – ‘I wouldn’t round the bevel if I were you’.This will create an obtuse bevel angle thatwill not cut.

T – Thirteen degrees. This is the angle Jeffhas found to be the best for leather paring.

S – Scratches in the metal. Examine thescratch pattern by slightly changing theangle of sharpening to make sure all theprevious grit is gone. Make sure the scratchpattern extends to the cutting edge.

In particular, we looked at the types ofabrasive used. All the workshop participantstried out 3M microfinishing films; a systemfor sharpening that Jeff has found to beparticularly effective and good value. Stripsof the abrasive film are cut to approximately300mm by 60mm, and then adhered to apiece of glass with the self-adhesive backing.This gives you a good flat surface to workon. Each participant then made a smalllifting knife from a hack-saw blade, workingthe blade by hand, using the four differentgrades of abrasive paper in turn, and thenstropping to provide the finish.

Over the two days we looked at many of thedifferent knives that conservators use but itwas rounded blades in particular, such asFrench paring knives, that many were keento learn how to sharpen. We also looked athow to improve our spoke-shaves and anumber of us changed the angle on these byre-grinding the body.

The workshop proved to be useful, bothhelping us to understand the principles of

how to improve and bring back to life toolsthat are in everyday use, and by giving usthe confidence to bring about thoseimprovements in practice. Havingconservators from a number of institutionsalso gave a good balance as it was useful tohave a variety of experience of differentsharpening systems and the successes orproblems with sharpening.

Jeff displayed a deep understanding of hissubject and clearly has a real passion for thisarea of his work. There are few bookconservators who have undertaken such acomprehensive study of sharpening. Jeff’sstyle of teaching is relaxed and informal, heis generous with his knowledge and hisoverall delivery and understanding of thesubject gave the participants confidence inthe skills and knowledge that were beingtaught.

We are grateful to the Wellcome Trust forfunding this workshop training and to Jeff forshowing us a simple and effective methodfor sharpening edge tools.

Arthur Green &Maria KalligerouConservators, Oxford ConservationConsortium

CONFERENCES

23RD IIC CONGRESSConservation and the EasternMediterranean20–24 September 2010 Istanbul

The IIC congress is held every two years andthis year, in partnership with the SakıpSabancı Museum, took place in Istanbul. Theopportunity to return to my Middle Easternarchaeological conservation roots was not tobe missed. What follows is a personal takeon the five day congress, attended byaround three hundred delegates from fortycountries, including Iraq, Jordan, Qatar,Egypt, Israel, Malaysia, the USA, UK andcountries throughout Europe, with a strongcontingency from Turkey.

The forty or so papers ranged from theconcept of underwater museums for deepwater shipwrecks to the conservation of asingle volume in a monastic cell at StCatherine’s Monastery to on-site lime mortarcapping of walls at Aphrodisias to thepreservation of living communities in historicareas and the on-site conservation ofNabatean wall paintings. There wasawareness that collaboration has to be in aform appropriate to the countries andorganisations involved. As with so much welearnt that the concept of a museumemerged to the east of the Mediterranean.Babylonian texts indicate that kings lookedafter their possessions and thatNebuchadnezzar collected items, for what

Peachey, on making and sharpening knives.It was attended by conservators from theOCC as well as other institutions.

Book conservators often require a largenumber of specialist knives, many of whichcannot be purchased in a state in which theyare ready for use. Often blades need to beadapted from other purposes and someneed to be made from stock metal such ashacksaw blades. Furthermore, edge toolsharpening training is not always offered onpaper/book conservation courses and canbe difficult to arrange; Jeff Peachey offerssharpening advice and experience directlyfrom the perspective of a practising bookconservator, something which can be hard tofind. For these reasons, Jeff was invited tohost a workshop to give us a more informedapproach to both making and maintainingsharp edge tools. The aim of the workshopwas to dispel much of the mystery andmisinformation about the subject and to givethose attending practical confidence basedupon a sound understanding of the subject.

Jeff has specialised in book conservation formore than twenty years and runs a bookconservation studio in New York. Morerecently he has become known for the knivesthat he makes and for the Peachy BoardSlotting Machine that is now in many wellrespected conservation studios around the

Jeff Peachey (far right) with participants.

Jeff Peachey demonstrating how to sharpena French paring knife.

28

may be regarded as the earliest museum.

Highlights included:

• The truly inspiring Forbes Prize Lecturegiven by David Lowenthal, author of ThePast is a Foreign Country.

• Highlights from papers/posters included: anew investigative procedure for detectingEgyptian blue pigment, which can detectthe pigment in what may appear to be soildeposits on objects, all too easily removedinadvertently; the discovery of stampedverse endings in an early Qur’an; uniquesilver secondary end bindings on a volumefrom St Catherine’s monastery; historicpreventive conservation methods, such asboxes for Qur’ans and textiles; in-situprotection for mosaics, which are beinglost at an alarming rate; the photographicarchive held by the Arab ImageFoundation; training initiatives such asMosaikon and the development of adistance learning programme forpreventive conservation by AnkaraUniversity.

• The Civic Involvement Project, workingwith various groups across Turkey,awakening students’ responsibility tosociety through working with thesegroups.

• The reception at the Sakıp SabancıMuseum with glorious views across theBosphorus, following a round tablediscussion, Between Home and History,which included a taped interview with theauthor Orhan Pamuk.

• The opportunity to meet with thoseworking in other countries and the senseof collaboration and willingness to worktogether. An IIC group for Arab Countrieswas set up during the course of thecongress.

Useful websites cited included:

• www.eqprotection-museums.org A sitegiving guidance on protection forcollections and buildings fromearthquakes.

• www.ignatius.org.uk A site which hasemerged from a conservation project at St

Catherine’s Monastery, studying historicbook bindings.

• www.getty.edu/conservation/education/mosaikon/ A collaborative venture for on-site training in the care of mosaics.Technical training for the Maintenance ofin-Situ Mosaics.

• http://Arabimages.com – makingaccessible its substantial photographicarchive.

• www.cip.sabanciuniv.edu The universityhas run a very effective Civic InvolvementProject since 1999 and in 09/10 one of theprojects has been Cultural Heritage andConservation Project, a demonstration ofwhich was given during the congress,teaching children interactively aboutconservation.

• www.museenkoeln.de/impressonisimus[not accessible at the time of writing]. Thesite presents the findings of a four yearresearch project analysing seventy fiveimpressionist paintings using non-destructive techniques and was awardedthe Keck Prize.

Tours were available. I spent four hoursamidst the spectacular collection of theIstanbul Archaeology Museum and, on theday I left, visited the Sadberk HanımMuseum, an exquisite jewel of a museumwith a superb exhibition of Ottomancostume and important archaeologicalcollections; the first private museum inTurkey www.sadberkhanimmuzesi.org.tr/

The conference was well organised. Thebeautifully presented publication of all thepapers and abstracts of posters formed partof the delegate pack. The conference centrewas comfortable and the simultaneoustranslation in Turkish/English worked well.Many left feeling inspired by thepresentations, posters, discussions andhaving made valuable new contacts andfriends. In September 2012 the IIC Congresswill be held in Vienna.

Fiona Macalister ACRIndependent Preventive [email protected]

Sarcophagus of Mourning Women, Sidon, c.350 BC

Pre-reception: The Sakıp Sabancı Museum

Cityscape Istanbul


organic solvents and water with egg bindingmedium, showing that some leaching wasevident in laboratory prepared paintsamples, although the extraction contentwas probably higher than on original paintfilms. Charles Tumosa (University ofBaltimore) presented ‘Oils: The Chemistry ofDrying Oils and the Potential for SolventDisruption’, discussing the ‘drying’ processesof oil films (auto-oxidation, hydrolysis,migration) and the risks and consequencesof solvents extracting low molecularcompounds.Marion Mecklenburg (MuseumConservation Institute-Smithsonian Institute)followed with ‘The Influence of Pigments andIon Migration on the Durability of Drying Oiland Alkyd Paints’ explaining that durability isoften a consequence of chemistry. Hisresearch suggests different drying oils,pigments and pigment mixes affect thedurability of the oil paint film. For example, awide variety of metal ions (in pigments)affect oil film formation and deterioration, asthey are sufficiently mobile to migratebetween different paint layers.

Alan Phenix (Getty Conservation Institute)summarised his published research on theswelling effects of organic solvents on oilpaint films, demonstrating the limitations ofthe Teas fractional solubility parametersystem as a framework for solvent selectionfor vanish removal. Ken Sutherland(Philadelphia Museum of Art) looked atquantifying solvent leaching effects on oilpaint films. He emphasised that whileleaching of soluble components of thebinding media remains a consequence ofsolvent cleaning this may be minimal.However multiple cleaning treatments canhave cumulative effects. Aviva Burnstock(Courtauld Institute of Art) assessed thepotential for reducing the visual impact ofprevious treatments (wax lining andvarnishing) on a group of Van Gogh oilpaintings.

Sessions four and five focussed on acrylics,polyvinylacetates, alkyds and modern oils,covering current and developing researchinto the characteristics of these modernpaint systems: their stability; sensitivity tosolvents, solvent mixes and water; thepresence of potentially extractable materials,and the methods and effects of cleaning.The Tate AXA Art Modern Paints Project(TAAMPP) and the 2006 Modern Paints

Uncovered symposium at Tate, London werereferenced.

In session four Richard Wolbers (Universityof Delaware) presented elements of hiscurrent research on practical aspects ofcleaning acrylic paintings, looking specificallyat extractive materials from two commerciallyavailable acrylic paints, Golden and Liquitexacrylics. Water proved the most effective dirtremoving solvent; while experiment showedthat lowering pH and raising conductivityreduces paint film swelling. He also warnedagainst using deionised water due to ionexchange between paint film and water. Aposter ‘The Effect of Conductivity on WaterSolubility: Cleaning a Modern Chinese OilPainting’ Gillian Osmond (Queensland ArtGallery) demonstrated practical applicationof this research. Bronwyn Ormsby (Tate)spoke about surface surfactants on acrylicpaintings and the consequences of theirremoval, specifically addressing concernsraised at the Tate symposium. Whilesurfactants continue to migrate to thesurface, their removal does not appear toaffect the paint bulk. Research is ongoingbut the benefits of removal can be seen tooutweigh risks. Teresa Doménech-Carbó(Instituto Universitario de Restauracion delPatrimónio–UPV) presented her researchevaluating cleaning treatments of acrylicsand PVAc paint. She concluded that theconsequences of cleaning with water includeinitial reduction of stiffness followed byincreased overall stiffness. Other solventsappear to increase stiffness and brittleness.

Rebecca Ploeger (University of Turin)surveyed the characteristics and stability of

CLEANING 2010: New Insights into theCleaning of PaintingsUniversidad Politecnica de Valencia,Instituto de Restauracion del Patrimónioand Smithsonian Museum ConservationInstitute26–28 May 2010 Valencia, Spain

This two and a half day conference was heldin the astonishing Auditorium Mar Rojo(complete with aquarium backdrop) in thegrounds of the Oceanográfic City of Arts andSciences in Valencia. From here we enjoyeda full programme of presentations, postersand a substantial panel discussion, enablingthe paintings conservation community todebate new and established scientificresearch on the cleaning of paintings, asubject last significantly addressed in the1990 IIC Brussels Congress.

Sessions included Ethics and Aesthetics;Traditional Painting Media: Egg Temperaand Oil; Acrylics and Polyvinylacetates;Alkyds and Modern Oils; and CleaningSystems. The full programme and furtherinformation is accessible at www.cleaning2010.upv.es. Pre-prints of abstracts(presentations and posters) are available withpost-prints due for publication in 2011.

Laura Fuster-López (Instituto Universitariode Restauracion del Património) introducedthe conference. An extract from the featurefilm Bean (Polygram, 1997) followed, with Mr.Bean obliterating the face of ‘Whistler’sMother’, funny yet terrifying! StephenHackney (Tate) gave the opening talk,suggesting themes for discussion: removal ofunwanted material from surfaces; cleaningcontroversies; cleaning as a multi-disciplinaryapproach; the risks and benefits of cleaning;the problems of dirt accumulation, visualchange and surface quality; the cleaning ofunvarnished paintings and preventive issues.

In session two Erminio Signorini (Centro perlo Studio dei Materiali per il Restauro-Cesmar7) reviewed the adoption of differentcleaning materials and techniques in Italyover the last fifteen years. Stephen Gritt(National Gallery of Canada) reviewed theterm and notion of ‘patina’, suggesting it isno longer relevant in professional discourseon the cleaning of paintings because ofdevelopments in technical examination andresearch and increased control of thecleaning process. Konrad Laudenbacher(Former Head Doerner Institut, NeuePinakothek, Schackgalerie) surveyedpaintings cleaned in institutions where hehas worked, citing examples of the benefitsand risks of removing discoloured varnishesand old restorations.

In session three speakers discussedestablished and novel research into theeffects of solvents on the physical and visualproperties of traditional egg tempera and oilpaint. Antonella Casoli (University of Parma)presented research on the interaction of

The panel discussion

The aquarium backdrop to the auditorium

30

alkyd paints, addressing concerns of extremebrittleness, sensitivity to organic solvents andbloom. Stefan Zumbühl (Bern University ofApplied Sciences BFH-HKB) presented hisresearch on non-ideal behaviour of binarysolvent mixes on oil and alkyd paints,concluding that adverse actions of solventmixes, such as solvent restructuring, selectivesolvation and greater leaching potential, putthe paint surface at greater risk than usingpure solvents. Klaas Jan van den Berg(Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage)closed session five with investigations of thesensitivity of modern oils to water and othersolvents; a problem encountered by manyconservators. His research shows that, as aconsequence of changes in manufacture ofoil paints from the beginning of thetwentieth century, additives such ashydrolysed linseed oil, caster oil andaluminium hydroxide have increased thepaint’s overall sensitivity to water and saliva.

Session six looked at new and establishedcleaning systems. Paolo Cremonesi (Centroper lo Studio dei Materiali per il Restauro–Cesmar7) discussed rigid Agar gels andenzymes for aqueous cleaning to removedirt, providing recipes and illustrations ofuse. Andrés Sánchez-Ledesma (MuseoThyssen Bornemisza) studied the detrimentaleffects of the commercially available liquidsoap Vulpex® on unvarnished paintedsurfaces.Maude Daudin-Schotte (Freelance)presented a survey of a broad range of drycleaning materials (sponges, cloths, erasers,etc) and their impact on the painted surface.Updates on this continuing research areavailable at www.scribd.com.doc. ChrisStavroudis (Private Practice) describedupdates to the web-based Modular CleaningProgramme, a ‘conceptual helper for theconservator to tailor cleaning processes’,including help in designing cleaning systemsfor acrylic paintings. A number of posterpresentations, such as ‘The “Schlurfer”: AVacuum Technique for the Cleaning ofPaintings’ by Ina Hausmann (PrivatePractice) and ‘Tissue Gel CompositeCleaning at SRAL’ by Gwendoline Fife(SRAL), continued the cleaning theme.

Session eight was a panel discussion‘Influence of Research in the Practice ofCleaning Treatments‘ (with MarionMecklenberg, Pilar Sedano [Museo delPrado], Stephen Gritt, Paolo Cremonesi andAlan Phenix and moderated by JacquelineRidge [National Galleries of Scotland]).Topics discussed were ‘A cleaningmoratorium – what would this mean for you,your institution, your cultural heritage andthe conservation profession’; ‘Risk benefitanalysis for cleaning - what are theprinciples, terms of reference’;‘Communication and dissemination ofconservation scientific research to workingpractice - next steps in conservation science’and ‘What causes the greatest anxiety when

in the Universal Declaration of HumanRights. The conference also celebrated theEuropean cultural sector’s preparation for theEuropean Year of Volunteering in 2011 (1).

AimsThe organisers’ aim was to develop a list ofrecommendations leading ultimately to aEuropean declaration on the needs, rightsand responsibilities of civil society in theconservation of cultural heritage. Theconference of 2010 was one outcome of theEuropean conference Heritage Care throughActive Citizenship, held in March 2009, alsoin Mechelen (see review in Icon News issue24, September 2009). Deisser, who attendedboth conferences, noted that at the 2009conference there was a lack ofunderstanding about what makes peoplework as volunteers in heritage care; it wasrecognised that identification of thesemotivations (individual, political, social,cultural, economic) would provide policymakers with a greater awareness of whatpeople value. The 2010 conferenceaddressed issues of active citizenship andcivil society within the European heritagesector, focusing on the ‘roles’ and ‘identities’of volunteers active in the preservation oftangible, intangible and natural heritage.

MethodologyThe 2010 event was not a conventionalconference, where a prearranged and formaltimetable of presentations has become thenorm. The explicit objective, to promote freediscussion and the exchange of goodpractices, meant it was organised more as aworkshop with three types of activities andfour themes. Activities included plenarysessions with keynote presentations byprofessionals from the museum, social policyand independent sectors; a lively, interactiveposter session; and ‘World Café’ sessions (2)on the following themes:- Sustainable use of the cultural heritage- The role of heritage organisations- Cultural heritage and digital technology- The value of cultural heritage for society.

Keynotes PresentationsThere were three excellent keynotepresentations. The first was by Adele Finley(Manchester Museum) on Volunteers for

cleaning paintings’.

Each panel member introduced a topic andthen opened the floor for debate. Thesession was lively and inclusive and proved aperfect summary of the conference. From apersonal perspective it provided anopportunity to reflect on the wealth ofinformation presented and to debate suchweighty issues as how to balance the risksand benefits of cleaning paintings.Increasing knowledge always enhances ourawareness of the impact of such activity onpainted surfaces, thus equipping theconservator with the means to optimiseappropriate levels of intervention. There wasa general feeling that, as with the 1974Greenwich lining conference, this meetingmay prove influential in supporting paintingsconservation practice of bespoke cleaningsystems that satisfy specific requirements forindividual paintings. Personally I left keenerthan ever to expand my practice anddevelop skills in new areas, to address thedisparate demands of daily conservationactivities.

It seems appropriate to end this review witha quote from Stephen Hackney, ‘Thisconference is a great opportunity not only tobring together the best expertise but alsofor each of us to learn more about unfamiliaraspects of cleaning’. How right he was!

Lynne Harrison, The British Museum

EXPANDING THE BENEFITS OF CULTURALHERITAGE CONSERVATION: The EuropeanYear of Volunteering6–7 July 2010 Belgium

Did you know that 2011 is the European Yearof Volunteering (EYC 2011), that 5.2 millionpeople in the European Union are employedin the ‘culture sector’ and that 2.6% of itsGDP comes from this sector? These weresome of the messages from ‘Civil Societyand Heritage’, the European conference onvoluntary organisations active in the field ofheritage, held in Mechelen, Belgium. Whatfollows is a review of the conferencefocusing on aims, methodology and issues.The papers and workshop reports areavailable at: www.heritageorganisations.eu

A network of Flemish organisations andinternational partners (in France,Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Croatia as well asECOVAST – European Council for the Villageand Small Town and Europa Nostra) initiatedthis conference. The timing coincided withthe Belgian Presidency of the EU, withBelgium attempting to ratify the EuropeanConvention of Faro on the value of heritagefor society. This Convention reflects a shiftfrom the question ‘How and by whatprocedures can we preserve the heritage?’to ‘Why should we enhance its value, and forwhom?’ based on the idea that the use ofcultural heritage is a citizen’s right as defined

The logo of The Flemish Centre forVoluntary Non-profit Organizations


Cultural Heritage [VOCH]: a partnershipperspective on current trends and futurechallenges. The second was by Adina Draguof the Centre of Professional Training inCulture, Romania, Volunteering for culture inRomania – building the relation[ship],focusing on the potential of partnershipbetween the public ’volunteers’ and ‘publicstructures’. Finley and Dragu presentedsignificantly different views on volunteeringand approaches to heritage care and access.

Finley demonstrated the expandingphenomenon of museums acting as heritagehubs, places for public engagement and thepromotion of cultural tolerance, where therole of ‘heritage’ is questioned and itspotential for fostering social inclusion isexplored. She offered an analysis of theseconcepts through her case study of a VOCHproject at Manchester Museum. This EU-funded project (part of the Life LongLearning Programme) is part of a Europeanresearch project on the roles and values ofvolunteers. Through practical examples, sheexplained why the development ofsustainable relationships betweenprofessionals and volunteers is crucial. Sheunderlined the challenges met by museumstaff and volunteers to develop practiceswhich place people at the centre of heritagecare in the context of real democracy withinmuseums, which she characterised as thesharing of space, authority and authorship.VOCH project: www.amitie.it/voch/[email protected]

Dragu introduced the Centre of ProfessionalTraining in Culture based in Bucharest. Sheexplained the legacy for a Romaniantradition of ‘heritage destruction’ to servepolitical aims of undermining particularnational identities. This had fostered publicignorance of cultural heritage and generateda negative perception of the status of‘volunteers’, which are still linked in manypeople’s minds to ‘forced labour’. As in otherparts of the world, the concept of‘volunteering’ was introduced in Romania inthe 1990s, and is seen as a new social trendin Bucharest.

The third keynote presentation, Volunteeringand influencing policy (makers), was made byEva Hambach, President of the CentreEuropéen du Volontariat. She summarisedthe issues at stake in the field of heritagefrom the perspective of volunteers inEurope, and described the challengesencountered in formulating clear strategiesand best practices, particularly where issuesof identity and cultural value are threatened.She explained the direct and indirectcontribution of volunteers to ‘civil society’.Of particular interest was her frameworkproposal for best practice: a set of fourstrategic approaches aimed at thedevelopment of knowledge and the effectiveinfluencing of policy makers.

‘World Café’ and poster sessionsThe ‘World Café’ of parallel workshops wasvery effective. The small workshop groupsled to quick interactions, generating adynamic between participants, andstimulating people to share views, opinionsand personal experiences. As a quickprocess, there was little time for analysis andthere seemed to be an underlyingpresumption that the participants shared acommon understanding of the key terms:sustainability, identity, cultural heritage,cultural value, civic society and volunteer.This led to some rather fruitless discussion.The poster session, the ‘info market’, wasvery effective, giving just five minutes forpeople to introduce the key points of theirposters; the quality of the material presentedwas very good and reflected a great diversityof voluntary work.

Key terms and key issuesAttendance at this conference confirmedthat:

- Heritage care is interlinked with issues ofdevelopment, health and security

- Policy makers in Europe are integratingand using cultural heritage to serve socialand political agendas

- Caring for cultural heritage has a positiveimpact on the health and welfare ofvolunteers, and can foster socialintegration and cultural recognition, e.g.the migrant project I AM ANTWERP:www.iam-antwerpen.tk

- Heritage professionals are viewed as‘translators’ of cultural heritage (betweenthe general public and state authorities)and may need help to ensure thatvolunteer initiatives are truly inclusive. See,for example the BEN, Black EnvironmentNetwork. www.ben-network.org.uk/about_ben

- The concept of intangible heritage iswidely understood and can be integratedwith the care of tangible cultural heritage,when CH is understood as an active socialpractice. However the term ‘intangibleheritage’ can be unhelpful, and may bebetter served when linked with terms likewell-being and belonging.

The conference demonstrated:- The vitality and cross-border cooperationwithin the CH sector in mainland Europe

- That establishing a ‘European identity’ is afundamental issue

- That volunteering can be valued as part ofintangible heritage itself, but it has to bemeaningful and involve volunteers indecision-making, valuing both their timeand their expertise

- Proactive linkage between heritage andcontemporary practices, as one means ofbuilding a European identity

- Recognition and understanding ofintangible values as a tool and a mediumfor socio-cultural development

- The need to diversify the workforce andfoster partnerships within the heritagesector, and between the heritage sectorand other sectors, e.g. health, welfare, lawand order

Issues at stake:- Use of ‘intangible heritage’ by politicalparties. The term ‘identity’ was consideredculturally ‘incorrect’ in most of theworkshops perhaps because the term hasbeen associated with the emergence ofextremist political parties in Europe.

- The urgent need to improve thesustainability of heritage and of CHorganisations, through making CH morevisible on the EU agenda. A key messagewas that effective volunteering canimprove the sustainability of both CH andof CH organisations as well as bringingsocial benefits.

In conclusion, the conference was brilliant forseeing the bigger picture and for exposureto a huge range of projects and people inthe cultural heritage sector. The conferenceis expected to lead to the formulation of aset of recommendations which culturalheritage organizations and policy makers atEuropean level can use to address the needsof collections and their users.

The European Year of Volunteering 2011is an opportunity not to be missed.Anne-Marie Deisser, consultant inpreventive conservation,[email protected]

Dinah Eastop, consultant in conservationand material culture, [email protected]

LinksInvesting in the Past. Funding heritageprojects: global and local. Glasgow, 18–20November 2010. www.investininthepast.co.uk

Stimulating cultural heritage as a resource inSerbia: www.kulturklanmmer.org

itinera nova, Leuven city archive project:www.itineranova.be

Bruges city street regeneration project:www.tapisplein.be

Endnotes

1. See: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/calls/grants_en.html

2. The ‘World Café’ is a methodology for hostingconversations that link and build on each other aspeople move between groups. See:www.theworldcafe.com/

32

in practiceINVESTIGATION OF TYVEK® AND ITSSUITABILITY FOR CONSERVATION USEby Sharon Penton, Preventive Conservator, Conservation& Scientific Research, The British Museum

INTRODUCTIONTyvek®, manufactured by Dupont™, is a non-woven fabricmade of spun, high-density polyethylene fibres that areformed into a sheet structure through the application ofpressure and heat (DuPont™ Tyvek® 2008) (Figs.1 and 2).Tyvek® is widely used in the conservation and heritagesectors, especially as a protective covering for objects. Itpossesses many advantages for use in these fields includingdurability, flexibility, water resistance, gas-permeability andchemical stability. However, for a number of years there hasbeen speculation that the antistatic agent on Tyvek® cancause corrosion of metal objects. An investigation wasundertaken at The British Museum to determine whetherthere are grounds for concern and to assess the effectivenessof washing Tyvek® to remove the antistatic agent.

Wide use of Tyvek® in the heritage sector began in the 1980sand questions about an anti-static agent and its potential tocause corrosion of metal objects were raised shortly after itsintroduction (Walker 1986). Since then there have beenconflicting opinions about the suitability of this product, butlittle research appears to have taken place and no definitivereports linking Tyvek® to any kind of corrosion damage couldbe found in the available literature. The purpose of thisinvestigation was to answer some of the questions about thismaterial as currently formulated and to alleviate doubts aboutits application as a conservation material.

Specific questions raised by conservators at the BritishMuseum were:• What is the anti-static agent?

• Is Tyvek® available without the antistatic agent?

• Is the antistatic agent harmful to museum objects(particularly metal objects)?

• Does the antistatic agent wash out and what is the bestway to remove it?

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONThe antistatic agent applied to most ‘styles’ of Tyvek® is calledZELEC® TY, manufactured by Stepan Company Europe.According to the Material Safety Data Sheet the agent containsa neutralised phosphate ester as a potassium salt. Possibly, it isthe use of the term ‘salt’ that seems to be have initiated the firstfears about the product’s use with metal objects.

According to Dupont™ there are styles of Tyvek® availablewithout the agent specifically intended for preservationapplications called Archival Tyvek® or Tyvek® 14M. Enquirieswere made to the three main conservation materials suppliersin the UK, Conservation by Design, Ltd, PreservationEquipment, Ltd., and Conservation Resources. All three werefound to supply only treated styles. However, a supplier ofArchival Tyvek® and Tyvek® 14M has been identified in theUnited States called Material Concepts, Inc. Also, somemedical suppliers in the UK may stock medical grade Tyvek®

which is known to be produced without the antistatic agent.

MATERIALS TESTINGThe British Museum’s first materials testing of Tyvek® with theantistatic agent was in 2005. The test performed was anaccelerated corrosion test (or Oddy test) which determinesthe potential corrosive effects of a material using copper,silver and lead test coupons (Green and Thickett 1995;Robinet and Thickett 2003). As no corrosion was present onany of the coupons at the end of the test period, Tyvek® wasdeemed suitable for ‘permanent use’. However, the test wasnever carried out with the coupons in direct contact with the

Fig 1: Close-up of soft structure Tyvek® commonly used inconservation and museums

Fig 2: Scanning electron microscope image of soft structure Tyvek®

at 1200 times magnification


Tyvek® and only looked at the possibility of Tyvek® off-gassingcorrosive components.

Thus during this study, in addition to a standard set-up for the3-in-1 Oddy test (with three coupons suspended in a siliconestopper of a test tube above the test material) three furthercoupons were placed in direct contact with the treatedTyvek®. A 2 g rectangle of the material was prepared and thenfolded in half lengthwise with the perforated side facing out.*Polyester thread was then used to sew three pockets (Fig.3).Two samples were prepared this way, one using Tyvek®

treated with the antistatic agent, and the other using Tyvek®

14M. The accelerated aging test was run at 60˚C and 100%humidity for 28 days. After a visual examination of thecoupons from the stopper and those that were in the pockets,both types of Tyvek® were found ‘suitable for permanent’ useas no corrosion was observed.

WASHING TRIALSDespite the materials testing results obtained there were stillconservators with concerns about the antistatic agent whopreferred to use untreated Tyvek® or to wash Tyvek® toremove the agent. Thus, washing trails were carried out toexplore different methods and to determine which were themost effective at removing the antistatic agent.

In order to trial the various washing methods and assess theireffectiveness, it was necessary to be able to detect thepresence of the agent. Of the various analytical methodsexplored, X-ray florescence (XRF) proved to be the mostsensitive method (Fig. 4). Using XRF, treated Tyvek® showsprominent potassium and phosphorus peaks compared to anuntreated sample. (See Fig. 5 on page 34)

Having established a semi-quantitative method by which todetermine the presence of the antistatic agent, an experimentwas set up to determine the efficiency of different washingmethods to remove the agent. Twelve 8 × 8cm2 samples oftreated Tyvek® were prepared and separated into four groupsof three to be washed using deionised water alone, a non-ionic detergent (Synperonic 91/6), and an anionic detergent(Orvus WA). Each method was tested at four different washingtemperatures (20, 40, 60 and 90°C) and consisted of stirringthe samples in a beaker for five minutes then rinsing themwith deionised water. After each sample had dried it wasanalysed by XRF to determine if the antistatic agent had beensuccessfully removed.

The results showed that the deionised water alone workedjust as effectively as using detergents. Additionally, a sample

was machine washed without detergent at a temperature of30°C. This proved to be equally effective at removing theantistatic agent as washing at higher temperatures.(See Fig. 6 on page 34)

CONCLUSIONSDuring the course of this project, no evidence was found tosuggest that the presence of the antistatic agent ZELEC® TYon Tyvek® used in conservation or heritage applicationscauses corrosion of metals. Accelerated corrosion testingshowed the treated material (as currently formulated) to besafe even in direct contact with metals. The washing trialsdemonstrated that, if desired, washing could remove theantistatic agent. Also, that machine washing at a lowtemperature without detergent was as effective as washingthe material with detergent, or at higher temperatures. Thus,the environmental impact of using this material may bereduced by eliminating the need for potentiallyenvironmentally harmful detergents and by reducing theenergy required for washing with hot water (Penton 2009).Alternatively, Archival Tyvek® or Tyvek® 14M could be used,eliminating the need for washing. Furthermore, Tyvek® isreusable and 100% recyclable.

Based on the findings of this investigation Tyvek®, with orwithout the antistatic agent, is deemed to be a safe materialto be used in conservation applications and packaging in theheritage sector.

* Both sides of the treated Tyvek® were analysed using XRF, and phosphorusand potassium were detected on both. However, this does not confirm if theantistatic agent was applied to both sides

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Duncan Hook, Marei Hacke and Nigel Meeksfrom the British Museum Department of Conservation and Scientific Researchfor their guidance and advice with the analysis for this project.

References

DuPont™ Tyvek®, DuPont™ Tyvek® Graphics Technical Handbook, user’shandbook, DuPont Corporation (2008).

Green, L.R., and Thickett, D. ‘Testing Materials for the Storage and Display ofArtefacts – a Revised Methodology’. Studies in Conservation 40(3) (1995)145–152. Copy held in the Chantry Library

Penton, S. ‘Reducing the environmental impact of Tyvek®. Poster presented atGoing Green: towards sustainability in conservation Conference, 24 April 2009,The British Museum.

Robinet, L., and Thickett, D. ‘A New Methodology for Accelerated CorrosionTesting’, Studies in Conservation, 48 (2003) 263–268. Copy held in the ChantryLibrary

Walker, S., ‘Investigation of the Properties of Tyvek®, Pertaining to its Uses as aStorage Material for Artifacts’, IIC-CG Newsletter (1986) 21–25. Copy held inthe Chantry Library

Fig.3: A 2g rectangle of Tyvek® was cut, folded in half and sewnwith polyester thread to create pockets to hold the test coupons

Fig. 4: XRF measurements were made using a Bruker Artaxspectrometer fitted with a 1.5 mm collimator, operating at 50 kVand 0.8 mA, and counting for 200 seconds.

34

Fig.6: Left – XRF analysis spectra oftreated Tyvek® (red) and a treatedsample washed at 90°C (blue). Below –XRF spectra of treated Tyvek® (red) anda treated sample machine washed at30°C. In both cases the spectra of thewashed samples look virtually identicalto the XRF spectra of the untreatedTyvek® in Figure 5.

Fig. 5: X-ray fluorescence analysisspectra of Tyvek® with (red) and without(blue) antistatic agent. Analysis of thetreated sample shows the presence ofpotassium (K) and phosphorus (P). Atrace of calcium (Ca) was also detectedin some of the samples.


Full details of all the eventslisted here can be found on theIcon website www.icon.org.uk

11 NovemberIcon Metals GroupOne Day Conference and AGMVenue: The Royal Institution of NavalArchitects, London.An eclectic programme will explore thepivotal role of the conservator and projectmanagement tasked with conserving theStaffordshire Hoard, the conservation andinterpretative challenges faced by EnglishHeritage at J.W.Evans Works, the uniqueand extreme personal and professionaldemands of project conservation inAntarctica to the responsibilities of beingthe Queen’s Armourer. Additional specificcase studies will explore sector attitudestowards the use of traditional wroughtiron, an update of current work onarchaeological iron to innovative specialisttreatment of Damascus Steel.Contact: Jacqui Ready. Hampshire CountyCouncil Museums Service, ChilcombHouse, Chilcomb Lane, Winchester,Hampshire. SO23 8RD,e: [email protected]: 01962 826737

16 November, 6.30pmIcon Paintings GroupGainsborough as MagicianVenue: Freemason’s Hall, 60 Great QueenStreet, London, WC2B 5AZSpeaker: Viola Pemberton-PigottThe most beautiful of Gainsborough’spaintings give the impression of extremespontaneity, yet often when examinedunder magnification, an apparentlyserendipitous passage of paint shows thatGainsborough has contrived the effects bycareful calculation. This talk illustratessome of these effects from paintings thatthe speaker knows well.Cost: £10 (£15 non members)Contact: register by 12 November withClare Finn on e: [email protected] ort: 020 7937 1895

16 NovemberThe Historic Buildings, Parks andGardens Event 2010Venue: The Queen Elizabeth II ConferenceCentre, LondonCost: FreeContact: t: 01462 896688 or e: [email protected] to reserve a place.

16 NovemberChurch Buildings Council ConservationForum 2010Conservation Issues Caused by thePresence of BatsVenue: The Guard Room, Lambeth Palace,London, SE1 7JUContact: Debbie Cunningham ont: 020 7898 1863

18–19 NovemberIcon Textiles GroupWorkshop: Upholstery – History &TechniquesVenue: Hampton Court Palace, SurreySpeaker: Lesley Wilson – a freelanceconservator working on public and privatecollections specialising in upholstery andthe historic development of upholsterytechniques and materials.Fully Booked

Icon Offices: Please note that manyevents are now being held at the IconOffices at 1st Floor, DownstreamBuilding, 1 London Bridge, LondonSE1 9BG. Security clearance for entryinto the building must be arranged inadvance so please follow anyinstructions included in the listingsentry. The Icon website providescomprehensive directions on how tofind the offices – from the home page,go to 'About Icon' and then to the'Find us' page.

listings19 November, 6.15pmIcon Scotland GroupPlenderleith Memorial LectureScience and Heritage: Strategies forsurviving turbulent timesVenue: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre,National Gallery, Princes Street,Edinburgh.Speaker: May Cassar, Professor ofSustainable Heritage, University CollegeLondon and Director, AHRC/EPSRCScience and Heritage Programme.Cost: £8 (£10 non-members, £5 studentsand unwaged)Tickets must be booked and paid for inadvance using the Icon booking formavailable on the Icon website.

18–20 NovemberMUTEC 2010Museums and the Digital ChallengeVenue: LeipzigInternational trade fair for museum andexhibition technology

1 DecemberIcon AGMVenue: Royal Institution, London.Followed by the 2010 ConservationAwards ceremony. Register for the AGMon [email protected] and for the Awardson [email protected]. Places are limitedfor the Awards

6–8 DecemberConservation Methodology –Exploring the relationship betweentheory and practiseVenue: Sir John Soane Museum, LondonA repeat of the successful course held lastNovember.Contact: Helen Hughes one: [email protected]

10 DecemberIcon Textiles GroupA walk through ‘Diaghilev & theGolden Age of the Ballet Russes 1909– 1929 with conservators involved inthe preparation of the exhibition.Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum.Places are limited.

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4 April 2011Icon Textile Group Annual ForumIncompatible Partners? Challenges ofcomposite objectsVenue: LondonPapers will explore the conservation ofmixed material objects, includinginnovative or challenging conservationprojects of textiles with other materialssuch as wood, plastics, metals, feathers,precious stones, glass and leather, as wellas the challenges faced in storing anddisplaying them. Papers highlightingethical issues such as prioritising thedifferent materials, collaborative research,working with other specialists and thesequencing of the treatment of thedifferent materials are also encouraged.CALL FOR PAPERS

28 April 2011, 7.15p.m.Icon Book and Paper GroupKeeping Fit for Conservation – Part 2Venue: St. Michael’s and All Angels ChurchHall, Bath Road, Chiswick, London W4.A physiotherapist who teaches Pilates anda trainer will work with the group to adviseand show them stretches and otherexercises which can be developed into asimple daily routine to relieve stiffness inthe back, neck, arms and hands caused bypoor working positions. Please bring matsand wear loose clothing.Cost: £30Contact: register in advance with JoannaPayne on e: [email protected]

6 May 2011Icon Paintings Group ConferenceVenue: National Portrait Gallery LondonAdhesives and Consolidants used inpaintings conservation: case studies,materials testing, experience with newmaterialsCALL FOR PAPERSDeadline: 31st DecemberContact: [email protected]

2011A Pest Odyssey 2011: Ten Years LaterVenue: The British Museum, LondonFocussing on developments that havebeen made in the last 10 years,highlighting international priorities andhow these have changed.Contact: Dee Lauder [email protected],uk

17 March 2011, 6pmIcon Book and Paper Group‘The Conservation of Lord Byron’sScreen’Venue: The Wellcome Institute ConferenceCentre, 183 Euston Rd, LondonSpeaker: Graeme StoreyIn an illustrated talk on the conservation ofa four panel decoupage screen built byLord Byron in the early nineteenth century,the speaker will describe the practicalconservation and then focus on aconsideration of the ethics of preservingthe bonds between maker and object.Cost: £10 (£15 non-members, £6 students)Contact: register in advance with JoannaPayne on e: [email protected]

6–18 March, 2011Papermaking and Printmaking Tour inJapanProviding an opportunity tounderstand Japanese papermaking andprintmaking and experience ofJapanese culture and life style.Contact: Megumi Mizumura on0e: [email protected]

25 March 2011Icon Stone and Wall Paintings GroupGoing Beneath the Surface – Day 2Venue: The Council Chamber, StratfordOld Town Hall, 29 The Broadway, Stratford,London, E14 4BQ.Second instalment of the conferencelooking at the removal of unwanteddeposits from decorative surfaces,focussing on laser cleaning, latex removalmethods, , poulticing, and removal ofoverpaint, mould growth and staining.Cost: £45 (£60 non-members, £25students)CALL FOR PAPERSContact: register via Icon website – S&WPGroup events page ore: [email protected] you would like to present a paper onDay 2 please contact Peter Martindale one: [email protected]

14 May, 2011Icon Ceramics and Glass GroupLosing Your Lustre?Venue: Hochhauser Auditorium, V&A,London.The conservation and restoration oflustred ceramic and glass surfacespresents a unique problem arising with avariety of objects, whether in response toconservation based priorities or whenworking with approaches suited to theprivate collector and the commercialmarket.This conference is concerned primarilywith practical approaches to conservationand restoration treatments. However, thereis scope for a presentation that examinesthe evolution of the processes involved inthe production of lustred ceramics overtime; and a presentation that considersthe cultural and historical contexts ofproduction.CALL FOR PAPERSDeadline: 19 NovemberContact: Nancy Sharpe [email protected] [email protected]

19-23 September 2011ICOM-CC 16th Triennial ConferenceVenue: Lisbon, Portugal

• Visit www.icon.org.uk for moreevents and full details of all theentries listed here. There is alsolots of information about shorttraining and CPD coursesavailable from a variety ofproviders. On the website Homepage choose Events and Careers& Training and follow the links.

• More PACR information andbooking forms are in theAccreditation/CPD section.

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