Seeing a project through in Birmingham · Seeing a project through in Birmingham Also in this issue...

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION • JULY 2016 • ISSUE 65

Seeing a project throughin Birmingham

Also in this issue

Conference report from Birmingham

Trying out a ceramics poultice

Replicating a great seal

ICONnews JULY COVER 2016_01234 08/07/2016 10:59

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“Command of the Oceans, Chatham Dockyard, reveals the full dockyard story, thrilling archaeology and long-hidden

tells powerful, compelling stories of innovation and

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maritime archaeological discoveries – the timbers of the Namur (1756), intriguingly laid

old Wheelwrights’ workshop, and an incredible treasure trove of archaeological objects recovered from the sea bed,

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ICONnews JULY COVER 2016_01234 08/07/2016 10:59

inside JULY 2016 Issue 65

2 NEWSFrom the CEO, meeting atECCO, awards, NHSF, Journaland Group updates

10PEOPLE

12ICON16A report on Icon’s 3rd triennialconference

17A ROYAL SEALAn early plastic object givespause for thought in a countyarchive

21AROUND AND ABOUTRecording a paper mill forposterity

22REVIEWSAnalysing art, fashion inmuseums, paper history andpaper in Scotland, the ClareHampson Memorial Lecture,G.F. Watts, composition andparchment

32IN PRACTICETrying out a poultice forcleaning ceramics and theemerging conservator getsthe chance to see a projectthrough from start to finish

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Institute of ConservationUnit 3.G.2The Leathermarket, Weston StreetLondon SE1 3ER

T +44(0)20 3142 6799

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

Chief ExecutiveAlison Richmond [email protected]

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

ISSN 1749-8988

Icon NewsEditorLynette [email protected]

Production designerMalcolm [email protected]

PrintersCalderstone Design & Print Limitedwww.calderstone.com

Design Rufus [email protected]

For recruitment and all otheradvertisingJulia Jablonska02031 426 [email protected]

Cover photo:Back on display after conservation, asculpture of St John the Baptist,probably 17thC Spanish. See page34. © Birmingham Museums TrustPhoto: David Rowan

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 the September 2016 issue

Editorial: 4 August

Adverts: 18 August

From the Editor Well, it is hard to believe that the IconConference has been and gone for anotherthree years. Congratulations are due toeveryone involved in making it such a greatsuccess. You can get a flavour of it from ourreport in this issue and from the Icon

website where Kia Abdullah, our Digital Content Officer,has woven together a selection of the many tweets whichemanated from the event. (Put ‘storify’ in the search box.)

As the Conference took place in Birmingham, our coverfittingly features an object treated by a BirminghamMuseum and Art Gallery intern, Laura Niklas. She hailsfrom Germany and has undertaken one of the manyinternational postings – in both directions – which arecommon in our profession. As our Chief Executive, AlisonRichmond, points out in her column, we do not know howlast month’s referendum might affect these valuablecultural interchanges in due course. Perhaps all will beclear by the time the next Icon Conference comes along.

Lynette Gill

ICON NEWS • JULY 2016 • 1

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

IconNews JULY 2016 08/07/2016 09:39 Page 1

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From the Chief Executive

WHAT NEXT FOROUR SECTOR?Alison Richmond ACR FIICreflects on the outcome oflast month’s referendumThis morning*, the resultscame in for the UK’sreferendum on membershipof the European Union: 52%voted to leave the Union and48% voted to remain. In spiteof recent indicators that thismight indeed be theoutcome, it has come as ashock to many.

Untying such a complex relationship of over forty years is amajor undertaking. It may be years before the full impact ofthis decision unfolds. Until we know more, it is ‘business asusual’. Nevertheless, we can try to anticipate how this decisionmight affect the cultural heritage sector in the longer term.

European funding for research in higher education instituteswill presumably no longer be available to UK institutions. In2013/14 UK HEIs received £687m of research funding from EUsources. But the loss will be so much greater than monetarily.Research done through international collaboration has beenshown to have 1.4 times the impact of research on a nationallevel and over 60% of the UK’s internationally authoredpapers are with partners inside the EU.**

We may assume that there will be a direct impact onconservation research as well as an indirect impact due to thecross-disciplinary nature of our field, with related disciplines,such as heritage science, art history and archaeology,experiencing similar reductions. This will not only affectuniversities but also museums and other heritageorganisations that receive research funding from Europe.European initiatives already underway, such as Horizon 2020(worth 80bn Euro 2014-2020), may be unaffected, but othersubsequent calls for collaborative consortia may exclude UKinstitutions. It is essential that a strong case is made forcontinued support within conservation and cultural heritageresearch. Icon will work with partners within the cultural sectorto ensure that we have a strong voice as the decisions thataffect future funding are made.

There may no longer be subsidized fees for universitystudents from European countries and while EU studentsmake up only 5% of the whole student population, areduction in number could have a greater impact onconservation courses, which are small to start with. We willcontinue to work with and advocate for the world classtraining that is offered in the UK.

If free movement of labour comes to an end it will affect theability of UK citizens to work in Europe and vice versa. Many

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professional updateconservation students who train at UK universities stay on towork in the UK and many of our finest cultural heritageorganisations employ conservators and heritage scientistsfrom Europe. I have worked long enough in our field to knowthat much of its vibrancy is due to its international characterand to the sharing of knowledge and expertise acrossborders. We will continue to promote conservation as anoutward and forward looking profession within a Europeanand international context.

As we all continue to assess and come to terms with theimpact on the UK’s economy as a whole, on jobs, housing,transport, and internal funding streams, there will be manynew challenges for us as individuals as well as for the culturalsector. At the heart of the Brexit vote lies a country divided.Now more than ever we need to promote the social value ofcultural heritage in bringing people together, in nurturinghealthy communities and individual well-being, as well aseconomic sustainability. Cultural heritage can help us toanswer the question, ‘What does it mean to be British?’, in away that can support social cohesion rather than division. Andit must be actively cared for so that the meaning and valuesas well as the material are preserved and made accessible toall. For that to happen we need a vibrant community ofengaged people with professional conservators leading theway.

* Written on 24 June

** http://www.universitiesforeurope.com/register/Documents/The-European-Unions-contribution-to-UK-higher-education.pdf

CONSERVATION MATTERS!

ECCO’s 25th Anniversary Given that Brexit is now a reality, it is with a certain amount ofirony that I report that I was invited by President Susan Corr toattend the European Confederation of Conservator-RestorerOrganisation’s (E.C.C.O.) 25th Anniversary and President’sMeeting held in Berlin earlier in June. E.C.C.O. is a non-governmental organisation established in 1991 by fourteenconservator-restorer organisations. Currently, it representsapproximately 6,050 professionals in twenty four organisationsfrom twenty one countries, plus one international body(IADA). E.C.C.O. seeks to develop and promote theprofession of conservator-restorer of cultural property. Itsmain objectives are to promote a high level of training and towork towards the legal recognition of the profession.(http://www.ecco-eu.org)

Delegates at the meeting were concerned that the UK mightbe leaving Europe, and in some minds parallels were drawnwith Icon leaving E.C.C.O. back in 2007. What were the issuesthat brought about this divorce? Our differences at that timewere deemed by the Icon Trustees to be irreconcilable.

Firstly, E.C.C.O. bases its definition of the professionalconservator-restorer on a Masters degree (Level 7 EuropeanQualification Framework). This was and remains theestablished entry point to the profession. On the other hand,the route to our professional accreditation is set up in such a



way as to be accessible via a number of pathways – academic,work-based, apprenticeship or a combination of these – withthe Accredited Conservator needing to have met theProfessional Standards at the proficient level. This output-based model underpins the widening of access and diversityin our profession.

Furthermore, Icon was purposefully set up with the aspirationto embrace the whole conservation community, whetherprofessional or non-professional, university trained or not. Ourmission was not considered compatible with the purpose ofE.C.C.O. which ‘during the twenty four years of its existence…[has] fought for regulation to control access to the professionof the Conservator Restorer’. (E.C.C.O. Strategic Plan 2015)

Since Icon left, E.C.C.O. has developed the 2010‘Competencies for Access to the Conservation-RestorationProfession’ at EQF levels 6, 7 and 8 (seehttp://tinyurl.com/hkumkoe), in which the profiled actions andlevels are very similar to our Professional Standards. E.C.C.O.has also agreed Memoranda of Understanding with otherinternational organisations, namely ICCROM and ICOMOS.There are a lot of work programmes underway (2015–2017)including applying the Competence Framework, creating a

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WHY NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE? I retired from the Icon Board inDecember 2015 and wouldencourage anyone who canbring opinions and committeeexperience to a broader audienceto apply to be a Trustee.

A good Board needs newinsights and it Is an idealstepping stone from one of theGroup Committees to givesomething more back to theprofession.

I applied to the Board as a self-employed paper conservatorwith a moderate range ofcommittee experience. I felt

Icon seemed remote and out of touch with the membershipat the time. I hopefully contributed pragmatic viewpoints andtook a detailed interest in the financial running of theorganisation.

Being a Trustee did demystify Icon but also revealed thecomplexity and ambition of the organisation. And how well itis managed by dedicated staff, an inspiring Chief Executiveand hard working volunteer sub groups.

It’s a rewarding experience and privilege to be a CharitableTrustee and I highly recommend the role to a busy personwho enjoys more work and is passionate about Conservation.It is worth it!

Penny Jenkins ACR

European Conservation-Restoration Portfolio, legislating forthe Conservator-Restorer in Europe, and establishing mutualrecognition of qualifications between member organisations.Icon will watch these developments with interest.

Many delegates in Berlin asked whether Icon would be re-joining E.C.C.O. This has not yet been the subject ofdiscussion with E.C.C.O. In any case, the Icon Trustees wouldneed to consider this in the new contexts of post-BrexitEurope, current criteria for membership of E.C.C.O. andIcon’s forthcoming strategic plan.

It was good to hear Erminia Sciacchitano, Policy Officer,Culture, Heritage, Economy of Culture in the Directorate-General for Education and Culture in the EuropeanCommission, highlight the current focus on heritage in EUpolicy culminating in the European Cultural Heritage Year2018 which is likely to be adopted by the EuropeanParliament towards the end of 2016. However, it is not yetclear whether the UK will be participating in this. We will bewriting to the Secretary of State for Culture recommendingthat we do!

Alison RichmondIcon’s Chief Executive

NEW HLF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Skills for the Future is open again!Don’t miss out – this is another great opportunity to fund Iconinternships.

There are terrific examples of how this can be achieved:through Skills for the Future the Bowes Museum secured fiveyears of funding for fifteen interns who are managed by Icon.

If you are interested in putting together an application, pleasecontact Susan Bradshaw, Icon’s Head of ProfessionalDevelopment on [email protected]. She will be pleasedto help and guide you with a potential bid. The deadline forsubmitting an application is 29 September.A bid has to come from your organisation, Icon cannot bid onyour behalf, so it is up to you to put forward your case to helpsustain the conservation profession and serve the communityyou are in.

There are workshops being held regionally by the HeritageLottery Fund. More information can be found at:

https://www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/skills-futureUK-higher-education.pdfGuidance and application forms can also be found there.

For more information about hosting an internship go to http://icon.org.uk/what-is-conservation/internships and see foryourself how you can make it happen for your organisation.


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CHURCH BUILDINGS COUNCILOur Chief Executive, Alison Richmond, has recently beenappointed to the Church Buildings Council (CBC).

The Church Buildings Council is a statutory body accountableto the General Synod of the Church of England. It issupported by a group of expert officers within the Cathedraland Church Buildings division, including our former JournalEditor Janet Berry, who is now Head of Conservation. Amongother duties it provides advice to dioceses and parishes onfunding applications, it distributes grants for the conservationof church fabric and fittings of historical and artisticimportance, and it organises training events and producesguidance on the care and use of church buildings, theircontents and churchyards. (Seehttp://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/church-buildings-council)

The Council is chaired by Sir Tony Baldry and there are twentythree additional members appointed for their relevantknowledge (see http://www.churchcare.co.uk/images/Churches/Membership_2016). It also puts Icon in an excellentposition to advocate for professional standards ofconservation of the 16,000 church buildings and their contentsin the care of the Council and for partnership working with theCBC. The need for more advocacy and partnership workingwas highlighted by members in the recent membership survey.

Alison tells Icon News:

‘I am honoured to have been appointed to the ChurchBuildings Council and I look forward to working with itsmembers and with the Cathedral and Church BuildingsDivision team to support the highest quality conservationof this important part of England’s heritage’.

NATIONAL HERITAGE SCIENCE FORUM NHSF has just launched its prospectus for 2016-17 which wewere able to share with conference delegates at Icon16 andwhich is available at:www.heritagescienceforum.org.uk/news.php.

The prospectus sets out what NHSF will do over the next yearto strengthen the infrastructure to support future research,widen the scope of partnerships with other fields of researchand open up heritage science research so that more peopleengage with and contribute to the research agenda.

Activity includes encouraging people to list heritage scienceequipment on the NHSF Kit-Catalogue (http://nhsf.kit-catalogue.com/) to support sharing and collaboration,seeking input into ‘Filling the Gaps’, and holding events inSeptember and November themed on open access toheritage science research outputs and research partnershipsrespectively.

‘Filling the Gaps’ is a project NHSF is leading to review thegaps in knowledge and practice that were identified as part ofthe development of the National Heritage Science Strategy.In the Forum’s first foray into ‘crowd-sourcing’ it is asking forhelp to map research that has been carried out since 2009 tothese gaps so that it can highlight those gaps that remain to

funders and researchers, and publicise the research that hasbeen carried out.

I hope you will be able to help us with this endeavour. To findout more, please visit www.heritagescienceforum.org.uk oremail [email protected].

Caroline Peach, NHSF

JOURNAL NEWSWe’d love to continue receiving your original proposals andarticles for all forthcoming issues of the Journal, which areopen to all specialisms. From next year the Journal will bepublished three times a year in February, June and October,and your article could be published in the next available issueif it is in process some three months before.

We will mark the occasion for the de facto 40th anniversary ofthe Journal with a special edition for June 2017 on the themeThe Future of Conservation. The call for all your submissions isbelow so if you would like to discuss any ideas you haveplease contact the Editor at any time:

Call for Papers The Journal of the Institute of Conservation is seeking FullArticles and Shorter Notices for a special issue of the Journalto celebrate the 40th anniversary of Icon, the UK’sprofessional body for the conservation of cultural heritage.

As the notion of the preservation of cultural heritage appearsbeset by renewed onslaught from economic, technical andideological challenges, the Journal wishes to mark its 40thyear of publication with speculative insights into the future ofconservation.

Themes for articles could include but are not limited to:

• in the face of contemporary economic, cultural andenvironmental concerns, is it time for conservation tobecome more ideological?

• should access to cultural heritage be a legally enshrinedhuman right, with preservation at its core?

• has conservation practice lost sight of its core skills andfunction?

• what are the skills and practices that conservation shouldembrace to be relevant for the future?

• is advocacy based on the mandate of saving culturalheritage for future generations bankrupt if sections of thecurrent generation hold heritage in disdain?

• given the opportunities for preservation using digitaltechnologies is it now possible to recuperate any loss ofcultural heritage?

• should conservation be more partisan, declaring why at thismoment preserving this part of cultural heritage is of valueto this particular culture?

• if manifestos are needed, what would a manifesto for theaims of conservation be for the next forty years?

• are codes of ethics redundant because they are always



contingent upon greater factors, including politics andeconomics?

• as computation underwrites contemporary culture and theartefact becomes evanescent, should the future ofconservation be the preservation of 0s and 1s?

All those directly and indirectly involved in the preservation ofcultural heritage and at any stage of their career, includingemerging professionals, are encouraged to contribute to thisspecial issue of the Journal.

The Journal seeks to represent the diversity of views of thoseinvolved in the practice, theory, and politics of conservationand welcomes scholarly treatments, research and case studiesthat encompass the theme.

Authors are invited to submit article outlines for considerationby the Editor at [email protected] with all final articlesubmissions completed by 31 December 2016.

You can sample the Journal at: http://tinyurl.com/gvhh9yo

If you join Icon you will get free access to and downloads ofthis issue, printed copies, and all the back catalogues of theJournal, The Conservator and The Paper Conservator, andmuch more!

Dr Jonathan KempEditor, Journal of the Institute of Conservation

THE JUNE BAKER TRUST

Awards for Conservators in ScotlandThe June Baker Trust is pleased to announce the awards thatit has been able to give out this year as part of its ‘Awards forConservators in Scotland’ grants:

• Anna Trist and Caroline Scharfenberg£252 each to attend the ‘Water and Paper: ConservationPrinciples’ course in Edinburgh in September.

• Flora McDowall£350 to purchase lights and a chemical storage cupboardfor a new independent frames conservation studio inKirkcudbright

• Michelle Hunter£150 towards attendance at the Icon16 triennial conference

• Susan Heys£110 towards attendance at the Auricular Style: Frames atthe Wallace Collection in October.

• Sylvia Krauss £300 towards the attendance at the conference in Kassel inJune ‘Layer by layer – the meaning and aesthetic of thesurface’.

The June Baker Trust was set up in 1990 to help individualsworking in the conservation of historic and artistic artefacts inScotland, or training with the intention to do so.

The Trust currently offers two different annual awards. The‘Awards for Conservators in Scotland’ are available to assistwith funding travel, attendance at conferences and on shortcourses, purchase of equipment, or other suitable projects forconservators with a strong Scottish connection. These awards

are made once a year, with the deadline for applicationsbeing 31 May.

The Trust also offers ‘Grants for emerging conservators inScotland’, which are available for conservators who havegraduated from a conservation training course within the pastthree years. The next deadline for this grant is 31 January 2017.

The Trust can be contacted by email at:[email protected]

ZIBBY GARNET TRAVEL AWARDSThe Trustees of the Zibby Garnett Travel Fellowship are proudto announce the 2016 travel awards. There are nine recipientsthis year and a total of £7,050 has been awarded.

• Kiri Douglas: currently studying at Lincoln UniversityBA(Hons) in Conservation & Restoration. The award willhelp fund her practical conservation of social historicobjects placement with the Conservation Department atthe Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.

• Ruby Antonicz-Behnan: currently studying at University ofGlasgow MPhil in Textile Conservation. The award will helpfund her textile conservation placement with theRijksmuseum in Amsterdam

• Rosie Nuttall: currently studying at University of GlasgowMPhil in Textile Conservation. The award will help fund hertextile conservation placement with ARTLAB in Adelaide,Australia.

• Scott Macaskill: currently working at the Scottish LimeCentre Trust, Fife as a Stonemason. The award will helpfund his placement focussing on stone carving, soapstone,fixing & production of hot mixed lime mortars with thecathedral stonemasons in Trondheim, Norway.

• Chloe Pearce: currently studying at Cardiff University MSc inConservation Practice. The award will help fund herconservation of archaeological objects placement with theCatalhoyuk Project in Turkey.

• Keira Miller: currently studying at Glasgow University MPhilin Textile Conservation. This is a career break from theV&A. The award will help fund her textile conservationinternship with the Museum of New Zealand, Te PapaTongarewa in Wellington

• Gabrielle Crowther: currently studying at UCL London MAin Principles of Conservation. The award will help fund herconservation of archaeological artefacts internship with theJapanese Institute of Anatatolian Archaeology in Turkey

• Katharine Waldron: currently studying at Courtauld Instituteof Art for a Post Graduate Diploma in the Conservation ofEasel Paintings. The award will help fund her study ofconservation techniques cleaning modern oil paints,research on water sensitivity, and Talens tube paint with theCultural Heritage Agency, (RCE) in Amsterdam

• Solange Masher: currently studying at Camberwell Collegeof Arts MA in Conservation (books & archival materials). Theaward will help fund her book conservation internship withthe Smithsonian Institution Libraries in Washington DC


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The Zibby Garnett Travel Fellowship (ZGTF) provides travelgrants for conservation students and trainee craftsmenworking in the UK to visit other countries where they learntraditional techniques and broaden their hands on skills.

To be eligible for awards candidates must be in theirformative years. Their study subject should be conservationbased and should fall into one of the following categories:Historic buildings; Historic gardens and man-madelandscapes; Artefacts; Allied trades, techniques, skills andcrafts. Candidates should be studying or working in the UKbut need not be British. There is no upper age limit. Selectionis by interview.

For fuller descriptions of ZGTF and how to apply for its grantsvisit www.zibbygarnett.org

TRAVELS WITH THE MEMBERSHIPMANAGER: Summer 2016

Icon members are based in abroad variety of locationsacross the country, fromgrand Royal palaces, privatestudios, to large-scale publicinstitutions. This can not onlyprovide a source of ideas forevents, as studio tours arealways popular whatevertheir context, it can alsomake for some veryinteresting venues formeetings.

Supporting GroupsI am always keen to meetwith Groups and help withwhatever I can, and so I wasvery honoured to be invitedto attend a recent Group

committee meeting at Hampton Court, where several of ourmembers are based. A key networking advantage of Icon isthat activities like serving on a Group Committee puts ourmembers directly in touch with their counterparts at majornational public institutions and well-established privatestudios, while forging connections between freelancers. In thecase of the meeting at Hampton Court, this also meant thatone of our knowledgeable members who had worked therewas on hand when we went for a wander around afterwards!

I was at Hampton Court to talk through the resourcesavailable at the office to support Group activities. Thisincludes the Iconnect system, designed to reach the widestpossible spread of members using up-to-the-minuteinformation, while ensuring we can track the open and click-through rates. Increasingly, the office also provides supportfor social media activities – both in setting up an onlinepresence, using it to the best advantage, and indeed feedingGroup content into Icon’s central social media feeds wherewe have amassed a substantial following. We’ve seen how our

social media can make a big difference to events bookings,and sometimes a concentrated push on social media is allthat is required to get slow bookings across the finish line andgenerate a buzz.

There are many other ways the office strives to supportGroups as well. If you’re on a Committee and have a question,it’s always worth getting in touch with me to see if I can help.

In Brighton with CGGThis May, I headed to Brighton for the Ceramics and GlassGroup AGM – featuring a tour of accredited member SarahPeek’s private studio. During the tour, business practice forfreelance conservators became an interesting focus of groupdiscussion, as members compared their various differentapproaches to business administration. Business practice isoften a complex area in which approaches between studioscan vary quite significantly. Given the competitive landscapein the freelance world, it can be said that well-developedbusiness skills aren’t just handy to have – they are essential.

Of course, Icon membership should certainly bolster thestanding of any conservator navigating through the complexconservation marketplace, but how can Icon best ensure this?How can Icon support conservators, and particularly emergingfreelancers, to ensure that our members are able developadvanced business skills to a high standard, and obtain accessto software and advice where required? These questions havejust been examined by a Task and Finish Group set up byIcon’s Board of Trustees to examine how Icon can bestsupport professional conservators, and I look forward withinterest to their forthcoming report.

After visiting Sarah’s studio, the group headed to theBrighton Museum and Art Gallery, where Stella Beddoe,Keeper Emeritus of Decorative Art at the Royal Pavilion &Museum, gave us a tour of the Willett Collection of popularpottery. Her depth of knowledge into the vast quantity ofunique ceramic pieces on display was astounding. Althoughshe has retired, she is still very much involved with theMuseum and we were able to benefit from the substantialexpertise she had developed during her years in the role.

This reinforced for me a recurring question that Icon faces –how can we ensure that retiring conservators stay in touchwith our networks, with their wealth of skills and years ofexperience? This will be something I will be examining ingreater detail over the next year, with a view to proposingways that the Board might enact methods to better recogniseand retain our most experienced members.

Michael NellesMembership Manager

Hampton Court



London with the Ethnography GroupNext up, in June, was the Ethnography Group AGM andlecture, which was staged at the Institute of Archaeology atUCL in the heart of London. This time more than ever, theEthnography session underscored the value of Icon’s cross-specialist approach: there is always something for everyone.Sophie Downes delivered a presentation on her research intofungi encountered within historic collections and the damagethat can potentially be caused to organic materials. The broadcross-specialist audience this attracted emphasised thediversity of our networks, and I was able to catch up withsome of our members from Textiles, from Historic Interiors,from Care of Collections, and from Furniture and Wood. Allhad encountered similar problems in different collections –and by working across the specialisms and sharing researchinto the latest approaches to common problems, we standthe best chance of resolving them across the board.

Icon16Of course, the big news last month was Icon’s third triennialconference in Birmingham. I’d been working on theconference for two years, and the event itself had alwaysseemed like a glistening emerald city in the distance – it wasquite something to finally be there. A key benefit of the eventwas the time we had to network and discuss issues in the

sector. The event itself reinforced the diversity of specialismsaround our networks, ranging from the well-establisheddisciplines to newer fields rapidly gaining prevalence, and thiswas just what some members spoke to me about duringlunchtimes and tea breaks.

As many of you will recall, the Board is soon to evaluate thesuccess of our new ‘Network’ model, currently used byConservation Documentation, that was set up to provide aflexible means for members to come together to stage eventsacross the specialisms. It will be very useful to see if thismodel can be deployed to bring attention to some of theother cross-specialist issues gaining prominence across ourorganisation, such as the conservation of dynamic objects,modern materials, and social history artefacts.

As ever, there are more Icon events in the pipeline and overthe summer I’ll be heading to events in Liverpool, York, andCanterbury among others. If I can be of use to anyone in themeantime you know where to reach me!

Michael [email protected]

NEWS FROM THE GROUPSBook and Paper GroupChair’s Update A big hello to everybody! My name is Michelle Stoddart and Iam the new Chair of the Book and Paper Group.

The Committee would like to give a big shout out of thanks toIsabelle Egan, who has volunteered her time on thecommittee since 2006 and was a fantastic Chair for the Groupand a strong advocate for all conservators. Isabelle gave herfinal speech as Chair at the AGM.

The Group’s full annual report can be viewed on the Iconwebsite at http://tinyurl.com/zfmsmll. I would reallyrecommend reading this as it demonstrates the huge amountof work that different Group members contribute. It alsoshows the direction in which the Group is going, with a strongfocus on knowledge sharing, transparency and inclusion.

The Ceramics & Glass Group in Brighton

At the Ethnography Group AGM and lecture


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At the AGM we also heard from Michael Nelles regarding theIcon membership survey. Due to the results of the survey,there has been much discussion within the Group about theLondon-centric nature of events and representation, and onhow to be more inclusive and available. It is not only geographythat can be a deterrent to events, meetings and gatherings, butalso finances and other responsibilities. We are looking to usetechnology to get rid of some of these barriers, but pleaseremember that if this is your Group then you have an input –please contact us at [email protected] if you have anyideas or would like to volunteer in a certain region.

The Group has met since the AGM with an extraordinarymeeting in May to welcome all the new members and discussfinances. We are looking to put money back into the Group,focussing on professional development and accreditation, sokeep an eye, and potentially an ear, out for future updates.

News from the CTR This is my last report as Chair of the Book and Paper GroupCTR. The role is being advertised through Icon and I hope thenew Chair will enjoy this thrilling opportunity to raise thestandards of the profession.

Organizing training for professionals is a challenging task aseach conservator develops specific strengths over the courseof their career, primarily defined by their professionaltrajectories and personal areas of interest. The conservationtraining wish list is long, and it is bound to keep expanding asthe conservator’s role evolves and emerging conservators jointhe profession each year. In that context, attempting to keepeverybody happy by trying to tick all the boxes of an ever-growing list would be a pointless exercise. So how to definethe best approach possible for the CTR? I don’t have a‘recipe’ for success, but here are a few thoughts on what Ithink works best:

• Keeping the balance between hands-on skills and theorybased knowledge to offer a rich and complete learningexperience.

• Cultivating links with experts from other fields, andenlarging conservators’ horizons by organizing transversaltraining events that touch on public policy, philosophy,science, art history and so on.

• Creating momentum within the conservation network.Collaborative efforts between volunteers, host institutionsand course tutors are the indispensable components ofsuccessful CTR events.

• And finally, be gentle on yourself! Time and energy spentorganizing training events are a gift from the CTRvolunteers to the membership, and to the profession. Thereare always going to be some critics in return, so not lettingthe unsatisfied voices cover the positive feedback isessential.

To conclude, new training opportunities are on the agendafor the next few months. The academic year will start with acourse to preserve and improve conservators’ health:

Alexander technique – 27 Oct 2016 (British Library). VictoriaWalsh teaches how to improve posture and move in a more

balanced, less tense manner to reduce stress and pain. Thetechnique can be applied to conservators’ bench work,computer work, and life in general.

Tomorrow’s Past – 4–5 November 2016 (Pitt Rivers Museum,Oxford).Tracey Rowledge will present the principles thatguide the work of Tomorrow’s Past, a group of internationalbookbinders who make modern conservation bindings forantiquarian books. The practical workshop will offer a chanceto look at various conservation paper bindings and learn howto make one of these mainly non-adhesive structures.

Constructing a Drop-Spine Pressure Box for Books andManuscripts with Parchment Textblocks or Coverings – 10–12 Nov 2016 (Norfolk).The three-day course will be taughtby Bridget Mitchell ACR at her studio in Norfolk. Courseattendees should have some previous experienceconstructing drop-spine boxes.

Full details of each course will be advertised in due coursethrough Iconnect.

Françoise Richard [email protected]

Ceramics and Glass GroupThe Ceramics and Glass Group recently held its AGM, whichit combined with a trip to Brighton. It was a beautifully sunnyday, and everyone had a fabulous time. Please see the reviewfrom one of the students who attended the day (on page 26).

I am delighted to announce that the Nigel Williams Prize wasawarded this year to the team behind the Conservation andReconstruction of the V&A Meissen Porcelain Fountaindisplayed in the Europe 1600–1800 galleries: Reino Liefkes,Hanneke Ramakers, Fi Jordan and Victoria Oakley (V&A) andSteve Brown (RCA). The judging panel reflected that the projectwas innovative and ground breaking, utilising new technologiesand showing good collaborative team work, with conservationstandards and ethics at the forefront of decision making.

The committee has also now started planning next year’sconference, which I am very pleased to say will be held inOxford in September. Look out for the Call for Papers, whichwill be sent out soon.

Rachel SharplesIcon Ceramics and Glass Group Chair

Care of CollectionsConference & AGMWith disasters such as the fire at Clandon Park and theGlasgow School of Art, floods affecting many heritagebuildings and collections in York, and an arson attack atManchester’s Wythenshawe Hall, emergency procedures areat the forefront of the minds of many of us with collectionscare responsibilities. So it seemed like an appropriate time tohave disaster planning and emergency response as the themefor our annual conference. In the last issue of Icon News weheard from the British Library about how they are using smartphone technology to make their salvage plans moreaccessible. We would love to hear about other innovations in



emergency planning, also what experiences of disasterrecovery you have gone through and your lessons learned.Do you have any tips about how to deliver emergencyprocedures training to your colleagues?

The conference and our AGM is on Monday 3 October atthe British Library in London. Please send abstracts of nomore than 250 words, with speaker biographies of fifty wordsmaximum, to Julianne Phippard [email protected]. Deadline for abstracts is 19August, 5.00pm. Speakers will be confirmed by 2 September,with the conference programme announced soon after.Tickets will be on sale by 15 August, look out for details viaIconnect and our Twitter feed (@CCG_ICON).

We would also welcome interest from any suppliers or serviceproviders in emergency procedures and disaster recovery whowould like to be present on the day for delegates to speakwith. Please e-mail Emily Watts ([email protected]) by31 August if you would like to participate.

Paintings Group Visit to Watts Gallery Artists’ VillageThe Group has arranged a day visit to Watts Gallery – Artists’Village in Compton, Surrey on Friday 9 September 2016.Thevisit will include a tour of the recently opened Watts Studiosled by Kerri Offord, Heritage Collections Officer, whichcontains a recreation of Watts’ working studio, as well as avisit to the Conservation Studio with Sally Marriott, De LaszloConservation Fellow, who will talk to us about her recent workand research on Watts’ paintings. Following the tours, therewill be additional time for attendees to view the Watts Galleryand the nearby Watts Chapel at leisure. This visit has beenarranged as a consequence of Kerri Offord’s very well-received evening talk given to the Paintings Group in April.

Limited places are offered at the subsidised rate of £10 forIcon members and £5 for student members (valid student IDwill be required on the day). Please book your place throughthe Eventbrite website (www.eventbrite.co.uk). Morning coffeeand a lunch are included in this price, as well as minibustransport from Guildford train station and back. Attendeeswould need to arrive at Guildford train station by 10:45am onthe day; the cost of individual travel to Guildford is notcovered. Alternatively those wishing to travel direct to Watt’sGallery – Artists’ Village independently by car will need toarrive by 11:00am. The minibus will return attendees toGuildford station at 4:30pm.

Talks for 2016The next Paintings Group evening talk will be held on 26September. John Finaly will present ‘Ripolin, flags, wicker andwood: Picasso’s “Notre Avenir est dans l’Air” (1912) and theInvention of Cubist Sculpture, 1912–14’.

Cubism was the artistic counterpart of the upheaval that washappening in technology, manufacturing, and engineering – atransformation that required new working methods andmaterials of production. John’s talk particularises these ideasby showing that Picasso’s earliest Cubist sculpture relied

heavily on the artist’s empathy with aviation pioneers.Picasso’s earliest constructions and wall assemblages haveacquired great scholarly recognition, but they justify a freshinvestigation in the light of the new inventions and thelabours of aviators and concomitant operators.

This talk not only elaborates on the scholarship of those whohave proposed comparable ideas for the worker in thecontext of Cubism, but also makes effective use of (andresponds to) some of the important technical findings inrelation to Picasso’s use of Ripolin paint and other materialsused in his Cubist work. John received his PhD on ‘Picasso’sConstructions and Assemblages: 1912–35’ from the CourtauldInstitute of Art, London. He is a historian of French history,specialising in twentieth-century modern art.

The talk will be at our usual venue, Freemason’s Hall, 60 GreatQueen Street, London WC2B 5AZ (close to both CoventGarden and Holborn Underground stations). Doors open at6:00pm, with the talk held 6:30-8:00pm. Ticket prices are asfollows: Icon members £10, non-members £15, students £5(student card required to be shown on the door); wine andcheese will be available. Tickets must be booked through theEventbrite website (www.eventbrite.co.uk); note that refundsfor those unable to attend can only be issued if you notify usat least two days before the event.

Further ahead, Professor Aviva Burnstock (Head of theDepartment of Conservation & Technology at the CourtauldInstitute of Art) will present her talk ‘New technical imaging ofpaintings at the Courtauld’ at Freemasons’ Hall on 22 November.

The talk will introduce some of the data from recent studies ofpaintings at the Courtauld using scanning x ray fluorescence(MA-XRF) and near infrared (NIR) imaging. The images haveprovided novel information about the materials andtechniques used for some of the Courtauld Gallery’s mostimportant pictures. New insights and issues related tointerpretation of the results of these novel imagingtechniques will be discussed.

Textile Group At the time of writing, there are no new events to report.Details of Icon Textile Group events are to be added shortlyto the web page. Further Group news is available on Iconnectand the Facebook page.

A successful visit to the London Cloth Company Mill, Eppingtook place on the 24 June. Visitors enjoyed a tour of the mill,demonstrations of the looms and had a chance to see the fabricsproduced. A review of this visit will be in the next issue of IconNews. Thank you to Sarah Glenn for organizing this event.

Elsewhere in this issue of Icon News are three reviews ofrecent events. ‘Fashion in Museums: Past, present & future’,held at the Rijksmuseum from April 21–22 2016, has a doublereview, giving the perspectives of an established textileconservator and of an intern. Also reviewed is the Group’s25th anniversary celebration and AGM, held in the impressivesurroundings of the Foundling Museum on 11 April.


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Abigail DuckorStudent

Sevinc DuvarciSupporter

Alan EdwardsAssociate

Mariko FujitaStudent

Anna GolebiowskaAssociate

Karen GriffithsHistoric Royal PalacesAssociate

Julia HamiltonAssociate

Jessamy HarveyStudent

Heather HobbsComplimentary Publications

Melanie HowardAberystwyth UniversityStudent

Dimosthenis KechagiasStudent

Kevan ShawKSLDAssociate

Sophia KircosStudent

Ilse KorthagenUniversity of AmsterdamAssociate

Roland LockeAssociate

Josefina LopezAssociate

Jasmin MackenzieStudent

Berta Manas AlcaideHirst Conservation LtdAssociate

Ana MarquesStudent

Aurelie MartinLigatus Research CentreStudent

peopleAwards

Cerina NichaminAssociate

James NyeThe ClockworksAssociate

Kathryn OliverAssociate

Arianne PantonStudent

Lea ParvioAssociate

Heather PerryConservation and MuseumAdvisory ServiceAssociate

Rebecca ReesHistoric Royal PalacesAssociate

Tanya RichardsStudent

Daniel Sanchez VillavicenioCNCPC-INAHAssociate

Dana SengeNational Park ServiceAssociate

Lauren SewellStudent

Carla Lucie Soto QuintanaUniversity of EvoraStudent

Alison StaceySupporter

Paula SteereStudent

Rebeca Suarez FerreiraStudent

Jenna Marie TaylorStudent

Cedric TigierStudent

Judyta ZamrzyckaAssociate

Welcome to these new members

We’d like to extend a verywarm welcome to all thosewho joined us in April andMay 2016. We hope to seeyou at an event soon!Clara AlonsoSupporter

Petri AndersonMongoose Stained Glass LtdAssociate

Vanessa ApplebaumStudent

Xylona Blythe AppletonStudent

Arnold Wiggins & SonsOrganisation

Jennifer ArnsbyDurham UniversityStudent

Joanna Brogan-HigginsStudent

Antonella BuonaiutoAssociate

Keara BurrStudent

Judith CallaghanAssociate

Jack ClareHoly Well Glass Ltd.Associate

Jan Dariusz CutajarUCLStudent

Stefania D’AlbaAssociate

Camille Dekeyser ThuetStudent

Emilie DemersQueen’s UniversityStudent

Tim DemirerArts Heritage LtdAssociate

Kiri DouglasStudent

Congratulations to KsyniaMarko, who was presentedwith the Plowden Medal bythe Royal Warrant Holders’Association on 31 May. Thisis an annual award to anindividual who has made anoutstanding contribution toconservation and Ksynia ishonoured for her work inconserving and restoringmany of the country’simportant tapestries, carpetsand other textiles.

Since 1995 Ksynia has beenthe National Trust’s TextileConservation Adviser. Shehas lectured and publishedwidely on aspects ofconservation and, with theteam of conservators at theTrust’s Textile ConservationStudio based in Norfolk, isinvolved with the treatment,care and maintenance of awide range of historicfurnishings.

Secretary of the RWHARichard Peck said: ‘Throughher work over four decades,Ksynia Marko, has not onlyensured that many of thiscountry’s most importanttextiles can be enjoyed forgenerations to come but shehas also helped to traindozens of people, many ofwhom are nowacknowledged experts in theart of textile conservationthemselves’.



Notice is hereby given that the 12th AnnualGeneral Meeting of the Institute of Conservationwill be held on Wednesday 7 December 2016 at5.00 p.m. at the St. Bride Foundation, BrideLane, Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8EQ, toconsider the following business:Ordinary Resolution 1: To receive the Trustees’Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending31 March 2016.Ordinary Resolution 2: To authorise the Trusteesto appoint the auditors to serve until the end ofthe next Annual General Meeting and toauthorise the Trustees to decide theremuneration to be paid to the auditors.A member of the Institute of Conservation who isentitled to attend and vote at the meeting (beinga paid up Accredited, Associate, Graduate orStudent Member) is entitled to appoint a proxy,who need not be a member of the Institute ofConservation, to attend and vote instead ofthem. Proxies may be appointed via the webportal or to the registered office so long as theyare received before 5.00 p.m. on Monday 5December 2016. Those received later will not becounted. If you are eligible to vote you will be sent anemail by our election support provider mi-voiceinviting you to access the Proxy Notice enablingyou to register your instructions on-line. If you donot have an email address, please phone the mi-voice office at 0845 241 4148.We will advise you of any changes or additions tothe Agenda as soon as they become available.Following the AGM, there will be a presentationby the Chair on Icon’s next Strategic Plan. Members are invited to stay on after closure ofbusiness for a glass of wine. So that we can estimate numbers for cateringplease let us know if you are planning to attendby sending an email to [email protected] Green, Company Secretary1 July 2016

NOTICE OFANNUAL GENERALMEETING

[email protected]

www.westdean.org.uk/OMC

West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ

CONSERVATION SHORT COURSES

Preventive Conservation 10% discount to Icon members

26 - 29 September 2016Course leader: Linda Bullock

Conservation of Transport and Industrial Collections 10% discount to Icon members

20-23 February 2017

Conservation of Plastics 10% discount to Icon members

27 February – 2 March 2017

Filling and Retouching of Three-dimensional Objects 10% discount to Icon members

6-9 March 2017

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Interested in conservation?

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To start a conversation on conservation please call Martin Bender on 01737 377911 or email [email protected]


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Last month, Birmingham saw nearlyfour hundred of us gather for Icon16to consider the theme Turn and Facethe Change: Conservation in the 21stCentury. Here is a snapshot of theevent for those who could not attendand a reminder for those who didCardiff…. Glasgow…. Birmingham.... Icon’s triennialconferences go from strength to strength. And with each oneit feels as if our sense of community grows stronger and ourprofessional body grows ever more mature. The combinedteam of Icon staff and volunteer committee and BirminghamMuseums Trust staff and volunteers is to be congratulated onpreparing and running an excellent event – well-organised,varied and interesting.

Were there drawbacks? Yes of course, it would be unnatural ifnot. For a start, there was a lot of rain! But it did not perturbour Birmingham hosts as they coped both with flooding andour visit to their Museum Collections Centre at the same time.

Then again, cost is always going to be an issue inhibitingattendance for some. But one of the notable aspects of theevent was the number of bursaries available from TheClothworkers’ Foundation, some of the Groups and otherbodies such as the June Baker Trust. And perhaps thisgenerosity accounted for the strong contingent of lively andenthusiastic emerging conservators. Not that the moremature Icon members were noticeably short on volume, asthey greeted old friends and colleagues during theconference breaks.

Pre-conference events As a pre-cursor to the opening evening reception, three tourswere available for early arrivals in Birmingham. TheCollections Centre held a rich variety of material safely but onopen display with some good information for visitors aboutaspects of collections storage. The tour of the ConservationStudios to learn about the Staffordshire Hoard – winner of lastyear’s Pilgrim Trust Award for Conservation – was a greattreat, whilst a rather more recent hoard of coffin fixtures andfittings could be seen at the quirky Coffin Works - another2015 winner, this time of Icon’s Award for Conservation in theCommunity.

For the evening launch, the ThinkTank Science Museumprovided a dramatic backdrop with its science and technologyexhibits illustrating the city’s grand industrial past. AlisonRichmond, our CEO, welcomed the delegates, thanked theConference sponsors and funders and introduced threespeakers. First, Boris Pevzner briefly introduced us to hisbrainchild Collectrium, a digital art collection managementsystem, which we would learn more about the following day.

Next, Toby Watley, the Director of Collections at the

A glimpse behind the scenes on the Saxon Hoard visit

Keynote speaker James Noyes: ‘conservators have a vital role toplay in understanding today’s global challenges’

another great conference!

Birmingham Museums Trust, gave us a warm welcome anddescribed the work of the Trust, formed in 2009 and goingfrom strength to strength despite the adverse (economic)climate. He praised the leadership of Collections Care



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The younger Icon membership was well represented at theconference

At the Plenary Sessions

Manager Deborah Cane ACR for her role in this. (She alsomanaged to fit in being Chair of the Icon16 conferencecommittee.) More praise was heaped on conservators byIsabel Wilson of Arts Council England who told us about thevital role our expertise plays in various aspects of theCouncil’s work.

Getting off to a good startDay One got the conference off with a bang with someseriously good talks in the morning’s plenary sessions. First upwas Tristram Hunt, an academic historian and MP for Stoke onTrent Central, who spoke passionately about the history of theBirmingham and Stoke area, drawing on a wide range ofsources from J.B.Priestley to Friedrich Engels. Stoke onTrent’s role in the industrial revolution with all its pollution,disease and ugliness was contrasted with its vibrant, urbanenergy but then came decline and job losses and finally, now,a new consciousness dawning that the industrial heritage hasits own beauty and should be treated with respect forproviding a valuable sense of identity and belonging.

In quite different and very 21st century mode, Boris Pevznertold us more about his collection management systemCollectrium and how it is adding to its services to collectorsby introducing collection care services: shipping partners,insurance and now conservation. A surprise gift to all theaudience members took the form of free access toCollectrium, soon to be extended to all ACRs.

The next speaker brought a change of tone again asacademic and author Dr James Noyes gave the keynote talkon the topic of iconoclasm. Heritage destruction might seema world away from our mission of heritage preservation butthis fascinating and thought-provoking lecture showed thatthe relationship is much more nuanced than we might want toacknowledge. Destruction and preservation are opponents

engaged in a struggle over value systems and a world view.Ranging from Norfolk to Iran and Syria, the medieval to thepresent day, via the French Revolution and William Morris,Noyes showed us that conservation is not an isolated activityat the workbench but is deeply connected to the structures ofpower which make decisions about the ‘documents’ of thepast, be they buildings or other heritage. We shape the worldview of others by our involvement in choices about what tokeep, what to allow to disappear, what to exhibit, what tokeep hidden, what value to ascribe to things.

Archaeologist Dr Henry Chapman followed with a rallying callto abandon our comfort zones and work across disciplinesand sectors for richer outcomes, reaching multiple audiences.


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Which session to go to next? The conference reception against a backdrop of planes and steamengines

MP Tristram Hunt: ‘the chapels, town halls, bottle kilns and potbanks of The Potteries codify the specific local identity’

lack of ambition amongst us. Perhaps attendees had heededthe final message delivered by James Noyes: ‘the time forbeing invisible is over. We need to guide the heritage debatelike our [19th century] predecessors did before us, combiningvisions of conservation with visions of social justice’.

And to round off what was only the first half of an intensivemorning, Jonathan Ashley-Smith showed once again that hemissed out on a sparkling career as a stand-up comedian in atalk which had many heads nodding in agreement over hisplea for the importance of craft skills, if the conservationprofession is to retain its unique ability to make a differencethrough high level practical intervention.

After the break, the second half of the morning brought morestandard conservation fare, though no less interesting for that,with talks showing science harnessed to conservation andaccess. We learned about daylight management for historicproperties (and saw proof of the existence of wallpaperghosts), about ways of protecting stone sculpture in anoutdoor museum and innovative protection measures forTudor tapestries based on comprehensive environmentalresearch.

The parallel Group sessionsThe afternoon and then the morning of the following daywere devoted to a series of sessions run by the Groups. Inaddition, there were cross-disciplinary sessions on Education& Training and a session organised by our newDocumentation Network. The range was astonishing and withnearly ninety talks given in total across that period it was hardto know what to choose. There were those you knew youought to go to and others that looked fascinating, albeit offyour normal beaten track. Whether you hopped betweenpapers or stayed put in any one session you could be sure ofbeing informed, educated or entertained – sometimes allthree at once. (Who would have guessed that negotiatingwith nearby building contractors over the impact of their dustand vibrations on your collections could be laugh out loudfunny?)

Filling the breaksAnd the breaks were not just for eating and talking, thoughthere was plenty of that. There were table talk sessions, drop-in sessions, the student posters to study and the lively tradefair to attend. One drop-in session on Conservators asLeaders was standing room only, potentially suggesting no



Rounding off in styleThe final afternoon saw us all back together again for moreplenary sessions. It was suggested that the more analyticaltools we have the more we want to learn, though whether thishelps or hinders treatment decisions may be debatable. Welearned from Birmingham how the photography andconservation departments work closely together both ondigital preservation and the generation of digital mediacontent. And from Tate we gained an insight into theconservation challenges raised by cutting edge art works,literally so in the case of the machetes and tonnes of soilinvolved in one of the case studies.

Unusual materials, amongst them firearms and drugs, alsofeatured in the next fascinating talk. When the Museum ofLondon put on an exhibition drawn from Scotland Yard’scollection of crime related artefacts (its so called ‘BlackMuseum’), the ethical considerations went well beyond thosenormally confronting conservators: sensitivity towards victimsof crime; the need not to contaminate ‘live’ criminal evidence;the avoidance of instructional objects for would-be criminals,such as how to rob an ATM.

Then it was back to iconoclasm – benevolent or malevolent? -with the suggestion that conservators were not necessarilyalways seen as the former. More transparency on our partcould lead to a more nuanced approach. Our sense ofourselves and our worth was then given another jolt in AlastairMcCapra’s talk ‘326’ – the position of conservator in a list of702 jobs ranked in order of suitability for take-over by artificialintelligence systems (robots). Our craft skills and hand/eye co-ordination may yet save us from the scrapheap.

The last speaker, a truly grande dame of our field andcurrently President of the International Institute forConservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Sarah StaniforthCBE, took us back to the issue of leadership amongst thetopics she covered in her personal reflections on the state ofour profession. Her analysis of the barriers to, and support

needed for, attaining leadership levels beyond those of headof a conservation department was incisive and challenging.She certainly is a vital role model for our profession.

And finally, if you had seen Jane Thompson-Webb flittingaround the conference like one of her beloved pests ondrugs, then it wasn’t just that she was the go-to person to sortout your PowerPoint, she was also getting to as manypresentations as she feasibly could for the unenviable task ofsummarising the whole two days before dispatching us all tothe four winds. She managed it with great aplomb andhumour.

An animated conference dinner

Studying a student poster over the lunch break

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Icon Member InsuranceAt Jelf, we recognise that as a member of the Institute of Conservation, you need comprehensive insurance protection which refl ects the specialist nature of your work.

Professional Indemnity insurance including damage to items being worked upon.

Goods in transit insurance of £10,000 (optional cover).

Goods in trust at £25,000.

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A modern solution for amodern material

BACKGROUNDConservators and archivists are often requested to work onmaterials which they have never encountered before.Although archive conservators primarily work with organicmaterials, they are increasingly called upon to apply their skillsto items such as photographs, audio and visual items andoccasionally, objects which may not immediately reveal theirtrue identity.

So, there was certainly some head scratching when a 1953Royal Great Seal entered the Durham County Record OfficeConservation studio. Following a request from the owner toreplicate the seal, this item soon revealed for us a path intothe history of early plastics while presenting us with anopportunity to gain experience of 3D printing, an increasinglypopular technology.

Great Seals have been used since the eleventh century toshow the monarch’s approval of important state documents.To reduce the chance of forgery, only one matrix was used atany one time; however, if a seal matrix was worn down then anew one was commissioned.

This particular Great Seal of HM Queen Elizabeth II was thefirst of her reign. Designed by Gilbert Ledward in 1953, it was

used until the matrix deteriorated and a replacement wasmade in 2001. Scarlet red great seals were normally used forpatents or affairs of the state; this example was attached to aparchment document which awarded the district of CastleMorpeth in Northumberland, the status of a borough in 1974.

THE PROBLEMThe Great Seal belonged to Morpeth Town Council whowished to put a replica of the document on public display,safely housing the original within Northumberland Archives.Durham County Record Office were approached to replicatethe Great Seal; however, after a discussion with Jeff Cargill,Archive Conservator at Hertfordshire County Council who hasexpertise in seal conservation, concerns were soon raised.

The age and patina of the Seal was suggestive of an earlyplastic called Cellomold, the tradename for a celluloseacetate material which was derived from a moulding powder.The powder was heated up and used to manufacturecompression moulding products such as toothbrushes andspectacle frames as well as seals. The first official use ofCellomold was in 1943 and it was patented in 1940, however,despite further research, a definitive invention date could notbe confirmed.

Zoe Finlay, Archive Conservator with Durham County Record Office,encounters an early plastic

The Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth II

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Evidence of the instability of cellulose acetate had beenidentified during the 1980s;1 crystalline deposits were foundon the surface of seals which, when crushed, deposited theseal’s dyestuff.2 This was accompanied by the distinctive,vinegary smell caused by the off-gassing of acetic acid, asymptom typical of deteriorating cellulose acetate. Once theacetic acid is in the localised atmosphere of the object, theunstoppable process of deterioration is accelerated and cantrigger the deterioration of neighbouring objects.

The degradation of cellulose acetate has since beenconfirmed to result from incorrect storage, exposure to UVand visible light, heat, pollutants and direct contact with acids,alkalis and organic solvents.3

Acknowledging the problems with Cellomold, themanufacturer altered the composition of the plastic andrenamed it Dexel. Although still a cellulose acetate, Dexel wasmore chemically stable. Unfortunately, it could not be verifiedwhether these changes were prior to the manufacture of thisGreat Seal.

In the light of the uncertainty about its identity andcomposition, it was clear that any traditional casting processwhich involved the application of chemicals on or near theSeal would be unsafe for this item. The reproduction wouldhave to be produced using an alternative method.

THE SOLUTIONThe use of 3D scanning and printing is rapidly becoming apopular solution for many conservation problems. Whilst costscan still be prohibitive, the method ensures minimalintervention with the object. The availability of a reproductioncan allow for safe storage of the original which is particularlybeneficial for an object which is made from a complexmaterial.

The Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing AdvancedPractice (AMAP)4, a department of Sunderland University,

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(Left) Scanning of the seal in process at Sunderland University using a laser beam and (right) the digital image on the screen, built up layerby layer by the laser beam

have previously applied their experience to reproducing awide variety of objects, including obsolete parts for thevintage steam trains at the nearby Beamish Museum.However, the seal presented them with the challenge ofreproducing something with much finer detail than they hadpreviously delivered.

The Seal was scanned using a Faro v6 Scan Arm before beingreverse engineered (digitally deconstructed) using Geomagicand Solidworks software to create a finely detailed model.The computer model was printed as a solid object using ahigh precision 3D printer and a rigid, opaque polymer whichgave the finished product a smooth and detailed surface. Ascolour choices for this material were limited to blue or white,the seal was spray painted using Humbrol acrylic paint on itsarrival into the conservation studio to match the colour of theoriginal. Interestingly, the reproduced seal was remarkablysimilar in weight to the original; 12oz compared to 11.7oz forthe original seal.

REVIEWWhile it seemed strange at times to have such a hands-offrole in the practical conservation of an object and to beworking with such non-archival materials, this project was anexciting opportunity to witness what the latest technology canoffer conservation.

It is not always possible or practical for institutions to obtainthe chemical analysis of a material’s composition, yet it isessential that we never treat an object unless it can beidentified with at least some degree of accuracy.

Plastics in particular are especially challenging to identify dueto their often complex chemical composition. Once thechemical alterations caused by aging are taken into account,it is extremely difficult to confirm the exact identification of anobject, even with advanced chemical analytical machines.

The use of 3D printing offers minimal intervention for objects

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The replica seal in its original appearance after printing as a solidblock.

The 3D printed seal after spray painting


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which require reproduction. It can enable the original to behoused in an environment best suited to its needs as well asallowing for public display, education and even handling. It isa significant step forward for the production of copies oforiginal objects whilst minimising risk to the original.

The reproduced seal and parchment document (the latter,digitised by Northumberland Archives) is to be on display tothe public in Morpeth Town Council Offices, Northumberland,where it can be appreciated by the town’s residents. Theoriginal is now safely housed within Northumberland Archives.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMy thanks go to Morpeth Town Council and NorthumberlandArchives. I would also like to thank Jenny Halling Barnard atDorset Archives for setting the wheels in motion for thisproject during her position at Durham County Record Officeand Jeff Cargill of Hertfordshire County Council for his advice.

Thanks also go to the AMAP department of SunderlandUniversity for their hard work in reproducing the seal and LizBregazzi, County Archivist at Durham County Record Officefor her support.

Thanks also extend to Ingrid Crickmore, whose help wasinvaluable in understanding the braid structure forreproduction.

1. Email correspondence with Alan Alstin, (2015)2. Alstin, Alan, ‘Cellulose Acetate Seals: A Future Problem’?

(Sheffield Conference, 1998)3. Blank, Sharon, ‘An Introduction to Plastics and Rubbers in

Collections’ (Studies in Conservation, 35, 1990) 53-634. Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice,

Faculty of Applied Science, University of Sunderland.

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The original seal and braid on the left sits alongside the replica

Zoe Finlay was an Icon Intern from 2006–08



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Fred Martin couching a sheet of hand-made paper at Hayle Millabout 1921

The entrance to Hayle Mill in about 1960

around and aboutKent Photo Archive and Hayle MillIcon’s Business Manager, Simon Barcham Green, comes froma long line of hand made paper makers at Hayle Mill in Kent.Against the odds, production continued until 1987. Thirtyyears on, however, the memories remain.

The Hayle Mill photographic archive is the best collectionillustrating papermaking in the UK and dates back to 1870.Apart from a large collection of prints on paper, SimonBarcham Green also owns a significant collection of 7×7 inchglass plate negatives. Some of these are wet collodion. Thedetail on them is very fine, despite their age but they are all amoment away from a disastrous accident.

To both protect the image content against accidents andenable the images to be viewed through the internet, KentPhoto Archive is in the process of digitising the entirecollection. Roger Smoothy scans and cleans the imageselectronically and Roy Moore loads them on their website. Allof the glass plate negatives of Hayle Mill are now on line andwork will continue on the prints for many months ahead.

The website - www.kentphotoarchive.com – is a UK basednon-commercial site dedicated to preserving old images ofthe County of Kent in the UK. It is run and maintained by asmall group of enthusiastic volunteers interested in restoring,displaying and making digital copies of original materialavailable for the public to view.

It originated in 2004 as part of a lottery funded joint projectbetween the county town’s local museum (Maidstone Museum)and Camera Club (Maidstone C.C). Their project objectivewas to restore a collection of glass plate images found in thestorerooms of the Museum and establish a database recordtogether with high resolution digital scans of each image.

At the completion of the project the ‘Kent Photo Archive’website was produced to fulfil the lottery fund requirement tomake the images available for public viewing.

The volunteers have continued working with MaidstoneMuseum, other smaller County Museums, private collectorsand local historical societies and, as a result, the site currentlycontains over 20,000 images of Kent’s past with some datingback to the late 1800s. Many of the old images on the site areaccompanied by more recent pictures taken at the samelocations giving the viewer a ‘then and now’ comparison.

All work is ongoing and new collections are added on aregular basis. The images are organised on the site in thecollections from which they have come and in many cases youcan find images of, for example, papermaking and papermillsin unexpected places.

Not many counties are lucky enough to have such extensivephoto collections on line and Kent is fortunate to benefit fromthe hard work by the volunteers mentioned. For moreinformation about the archive you can contact:

Roy Moore – [email protected] Smoothy – [email protected] Hartland – [email protected]

Also visit their Facebook pages at ‘Kent Photo Archive’ and‘Finding Lost Kent’.

To see Simon Barcham Green’s images, scroll down the list ofspecific collections on the photo archive homepage. Theimages on the website are deliberately low resolution todiscourage copying and to protect copyright. Anyone wishingto use images legitimately from Simon’s collection cancontact him at [email protected].


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Dr Michal Lukomski, GCI, presenting on acoustic emission testing

Prof. Maria Perla Colombini's presentation on ‘the science of disclosing arts secrets inpaintings’. Screen shows the Portable Atomic force Microscopy slide.

reviewsCONFERENCESANALYSING ART: New Technologies – NewApplicationsLondon 19 & 20 May 2016

Billed as a conference featuring new non-destructive testing methods (NDTM) andtheir novel application in the analysis of art,this generously sponsored free-to-attendtwo day event at the Canadian Embassy inLondon certainly delivered on large parts ofthe proposition, if not quite all. The meeting attracted some thirty or sopresentations from an array of conservationscientists and allied experts on nondestructive testing and analysis techniques,some already quite familiar in artconservation, and including:- hyperspectral imaging using multiplemodes of visible and infrared reflectancealong with molecular fluorescence and X-rayfluorescence spectroscopy to producehyperspectral image ‘cubes’ that reveal thedistribution of particular materialconstituents across a spectral range of 970 -1700nm by virtue of their absorption and/orreflection properties.- passive and active thermography includinginfrared, near infrared and pulsed/flashthermography, all of which are aimed at thedetection of subsurface anomalies frommeasurable temperature differences (DT)and used, for example, in the examination offrescos, textile fibre stress mapping and therevelation of painting underlays.- surface enhanced raman spectroscopy(SERS) to detect naturally occurring andman-made organic molecules used as dyesand pigments in objects detected with highmolecular sensitivity. - Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), atechnique exploiting measurements madeby fast scanning interferometers for themonitoring of glazes, paint and varnish layersand the imaging of deterioration crusts onglass.- Near-infrared (NIR) and Short-wave infrared(SWIR) radiography are more familiartechniques to digitally measure howradiation is absorbed, transmitted orscattered by an object behind the visiblepart of spectrum and penetrate, forexample, pigments which allows for seeingany extant under-layers of paint.- acoustic emission (AE) monitoring whichcan be used, for example, to trace/predictclimate-induced crack propagation inwooden artefacts correlated with fluctuationsin humidity and temperature. Mention too was made of speckleinterferometry and atomic force microscopy(AFM), where in the wider world there aresome open-source science projectsattempting to provide the means to buildyour own. Otherwise nearly all of the

objects are stimulated with a short burst ofenergy to detect effects and anomalies intheir temperature patterns. The creation ofsuch perturbations were ironically referred tothroughout the event as ‘quasi non-invasive’and encompassed techniques such as NIR orthermographic excitement with a laser at thenanometre scale on the object itself, orsimply wherever micron-sized sampling waseffected.Comparisons with more invasive samplingtechniques were discussed in Ashok Roy’spanel where he led by asking whetherNDTM could ever provide as richinformation as that from cross sections,detect the presence of organics or varnishthinning in cleaning, or could be effected atscale? Panel members variously affirmed thatNDTM could provide such information.Other frequencies modulating the eventincluded how the various techniques usedfor detecting underlying sketches andunderpainting were driven largely by theexcitement of nailing down a provenancethrough identifying a stylistic signature and,indeed, spotting a forgery. Perhaps thesethemes reflected something of the sponsorsinvolved as they didn’t go so far in fulfilling

techniques are co-opted from other sectorsranging from the medical (for example, OCTadapted from in vivo examination of the eye)to structural engineering, where AEdetection is used for the monitoring ofstructural components and here re-calibrated on a micro-scale. Where some,such as Getty Conservation Institute’s (GCI)AE systems, did begin as a lab-built DIYproof of concept it was quickly substitutedby the acquisition of commercial systemsalready available. So, for example, in a veryinteresting presentation about the GCI/V&AMuseum’s collaboration on monitoring ofmicro-stresses of a lacquered commode,although prefaced as being affordable, theportable system used retails at over $40,000. Portability was a big theme, given that muchof the cultural heritage in need of suchexamination remains firmly in situ. At leastthree presentations detailed versions ofmobile diagnostic stations replete withhardware and software for a range ofanalytical services and various examplespresented included Matera Cathedral in Italyand the Mogao Cave complex in China.Many of the methods presented can bedescribed as being ‘active’ techniques –



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that part of the conference proposition: ‘newapplications’. Other diverse componentsduring the two days included a detour intocold spray bronze coating (powdered bronzeis shot at supersonic speed to melt on theeroded surface), crowdsourcing (which Isadly missed), discussion of state and privatefunding of research initiatives, and a paneldiscussion on what use could suchexponential data production, data archivingand data distributed (raw or interpreted?) beput to, especially if its access is conceived asa public right. I particularly liked one innovative use ofpulsed infrared thermography where thesolar cycle itself was registered as a stimuluson the Khufu pyramid at Giza in the hope ofexperimentally revealing a series of thermalanomalies that would correspond to theinternal rampways hypothesised as apossible construction technique. Results areso far inconclusive.Many thanks are due to the British Instituteof Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) and thevarious sponsors as well as the CanadianEmbassy for convening this event on what ishoped to be the first in a biannual series ofworkshops further exploring advances in nondestructive testing in art analysis.Jonathan KempIcon Journal Editor

FASHION IN MUSEUMS: Past, present &futureRijksmuseum, Amsterdam21 & 22 April 2016

‘This symposium questions the influence ofthe “blockbuster” exhibition on collectionsbased exhibitions’: Bianca M. du Mortier,conference organiser and Curator ofCostume at the Rijksmuseum. What is a blockbuster? What makes anexhibition into a blockbuster? Can you planfor a blockbuster exhibition? What doblockbusters have in common; do they haveany similar traits? These questions and many others wereposed throughout the conference and inshort, yes you can plan for a blockbuster andfashion based exhibitions are practicallyguaranteed to be blockbusters. Thedefinition of a blockbuster does not dependon size or cost, but rather on expectation;Savage Beauty at the V&A recently receivedalmost half a million visitors in the threemonths it was open. But the Fries Museumwas extremely pleased with a small fractionof that number who visited their recentKnitting exhibition.This was an interesting spin on a costume inmuseums conference. Truly international inscope with speakers and delegates from UK,USA, Australia and all over Europe, therewas a good mix of papers on the whole andsome really excellent posters. On Day 1 the moderator was Twan Huys. a

Although not exactly the focus I wasexpecting the conference to have, it wasinformative and topical. With the emphasison income generation that so manymuseums necessarily have these days, it wasreassuring to hear that collections based,researched exhibitions still have a placeamongst the big money spinner touringshows. Thanks to Bianca and the team at theRijksmuseum for organising the conference,and to Clothworkers Foundation for theirgenerous contribution towards myattendance.

Deborah PhippsFreelance Textile ConservatorTextile Conservator, Norfolk MuseumsService

There is no denying that the fashion‘blockbuster’ draws the crowds like no other.The question is are these all-singing, all-dancing, global extravaganzas providingnew and exciting possibilities for objectinterpretation, or are they the result of theprioritisation of spectacle over content,obstructing the museum’s ultimateresponsibility: to preserve, present, researchand develop its own unique collection? Arethese big-budget visual feasts settingunrealistic bench-marks for collection-basedshows? Or, rather than damning them,should we be thinking of them more in termsof the museum’s bread and butter, its meansto an end, giving it the financial boost itneeds to be able to continue. Are they, inessence, a good or a bad thing?This seemed to be the overarching debaterunning through this symposium, a cross-disciplinary research platform bringing

Reflecting on fashion: the Catwalk exhibition at the Rijksmuseum

Dutch TV anchor and presenter and aninspired choice: he was well researched andasked the questions we all wanted answered.There were no topics out of bounds; thediscussion with Erik van Ginkel, Director ofFinance, was both entertaining andinformative. Obviously the Rijksmuseum was heavilyrepresented with numerous papers, some ofthem seemed designed to fill the time slotsrather than contribute to the conferencetheme. Highlights for me included Ronny deVylder, Independent Consultant andCreative visualiser. Ronny took us on amagical tour of his work; mostly shopwindows, but the style and look of his workcould be distilled into a very handy check listof key points to consider, which could just aseasily be transferred to museum displays. Lara Flecker, Senior Textile ConservationDisplay Specialist at the V&A gave us one ofthe only practical based papers. ‘SilverLinings: the unforeseen benefits of mountingcostumes for blockbuster exhibitions’ lookedat new and innovative display solutionspioneered by the V&A team in response tosome challenging blockbuster exhibitions. Paul Sohi, a collaborative doctoral student(V&A/ RCA) presented an interesting paperon his development of digital technology tobring us 3D printed bespoke mannequins.Currently, bearing in mind the project isunfinished, each bespoke body costsbetween £650-£800 and takes approximatelyfive to six days to produce. This technique ofdigitally measuring and scanning an objectfrom the inside is not designed to make themuseum mounter obsolete but to streamlinethe process and produce a useful,considered starting point.


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A helpful recipe at the Fashions in Museums conference

professionals together from around theworld to discuss where the fashion exhibitionin the museum has come from and where itis going. In her introductory speech, BiancaM. du Mortier, Curator of Costume at theRijksmuseum, quoted the fashion journalistSuzy Menkes, who in 2015 called for a returnto museum curated exhibitions based on in-depth research of their own collectionswhich hold so many amazing yet unexploredtreasures. The Rijksmuseum responded withtheir current exhibition Catwalk, showcasinga cross-section of the museum’s costumecollection. The exhibition was designed bythe photographer Erwin Olaf who workedwith the museum’s curators and conservatorsto develop the exhibition aesthetic. This new collaborative approach toexhibition execution developed as one ofthe key themes throughout the symposium.Sue-an van der Zijpp, Curator orContemporary Art at the GroningerMuseum, spoke convincingly on how arelatively small museum can work withfashion designers to simultaneously fostercreativity and develop its own contemporarycollection. Ninke Bloemberg, Curator ofFashion and Costumes at the CentraalMuseum, took the theme of collaborationinto the audience; showcasing a number ofrecent fashion exhibitions which haveincluded a participatory element,transforming museum space into workshopwhere passive observer becomes active co-creator. While Joanna Hashagen, Curator ofFashion & Textiles at The Bowes Museum,traced the route taken to hosting the first UKretrospective of Yves Saint Laurent.Hashagan credited the combined skills anddetermination of staff and supporters,alongside an impressive marketingcampaign, for the exhibition’s success.Blockbuster or not, exhibition aesthetic playsa vital role in visitor experience and many ofthe papers reflected the challenges ofreconciling innovative display with themuseum’s duty of care. Madelief Hohé,Curator of Fashion and Costume at the

solutions; yes there may be compromisesalong the way but content and spectacleneed not be mutually exclusive.

Jamie RobinsonIcon/HLF Textiles Conservation Intern

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF PAPERHISTORIANS: Spring MeetingLondon 2 March 2016

Each year the British Association of PaperHistorians (BAPH) holds a Spring Meeting,which consists of a full day of seminars on awide range of paper-related subjects. Thisyear the event was held at the St. BrideFoundation in London. The series of talks started with Mark Kirwan,who discussed papermaking at Croxley Mills,which was based near Watford,Hertfordshire. The delegates were providedwith a detailed account of the production ofthe mill, which was built in 1830 by JohnDickinson, a paper manufacturer, until itsclosure in 1980. Papers that weremanufactured here were made for printing,writing, drawing, photography and used forbook production, in banks, for typewritersand blueprints alongside many other uses.The mill was enlarged in 1838 to producearound fourteen tons of paper per week bymachine, using rags from London and cottonwaste from Lancashire. However, the use ofrags was discontinued in the 1960s, as largeamounts of nylon and other synthetic fibreswere mixed in with the waste material. Themill has now been converted into residentialaccommodation.Peter Bower presented a fascinating talk onthe manufacture of paper balloon bombsproduced in Japan during World War II.During the mid-1920s a Japanesemeteorologist, Wasaburo Oishi discoveredthe jet stream. This knowledge allowedJapan to plan an attack on North America bylaunching paper balloon bombs, filled withhydrogen, using the jet stream. Over ninethousand combustible balloons eachcarrying a bomb were launched between1944–1945, taking between thirty and sixtyhours to reach the West Coast of America.Measuring approximately thirty metres wide,the majority of the balloon bombs weremade by school children using multiplelayers of handmade paper, which werepasted together using starch glue. TheJapanese had no control over where theballoons would go due to atmosphericuncertainly, but they would explode afteraround three days after release. The onlyfatalities were from one balloon that killedone adult and five children during a picnic inBly, Oregon. Miquel Gutiérrez Poch’s talk ‘From GlobalLeader to Local Partner – Britishpapermaking engineering, its growth andthe origins of its decline (1800–1939)’discussed the important growth and demandfor paper during the second half of the 18th

Gemeentemuseum, presented on the topicof displaying costume without glass cases.Hohé described the experimental approachthe museum has taken to incorporating non-traditional barriers into exhibitioninstallation. Suzan Meijer, Head of TextileConservation at the Rijksmuseum, gave afrank assessment of the practical concerns ofexhibiting a large number of historic pieceson open and, in the case of Catwalk, movingdisplay in her paper aptly titled, ‘Pragmatismand Solutions.’ While Lara Flecker, SeniorTextile Conservation Display Specialist at theV&A, offered a virtual behind-the scenes tourof a few recent exhibitions to show how acomplex design brief can result in inventivesolutions with a wider conservation benefit.The museum without walls became anotherdominant topic throughout the symposiumwith a number of presentations ondigitisation projects and the use of onlineplatforms to connect collections and inspirenew audiences, without the financial cost ofexhibiting and physical cost to the objectsexhibited. For one speaker however, themuseum without walls was a far moretangible obstacle to overcome. SjoukHoitsma, Curator of Costume and Fashion atthe Museum Rotterdam, spoke about howclosure of the museum in 2012 sparked anumber of ambitious projects to take themuseum into the community. These projectsresulted in the acquisition of a number ofgarments from community members by themuseum, exhibited when it re-opened in 2016.Far from painting a dismal picture of themodern museum, what emerged from thissymposium was something truly refreshing.There is no denying that museums have hadto adapt to become more business-savvy.The rise of the blockbuster has caused aseismic shift in visitor expectation and thiswill continue to weigh heavy on theconservators whose ultimate responsibility iscollection preservation. However, whatbecame abundantly clear through listeningto the range of speakers was thatchallenging circumstances breed creative



Paper conservators at the Scotland news and ideas exchange

Fleming (NLS) gave insights on ‘Workingwith volunteers’. Promoting the ten-weekNLS volunteering scheme, Shona concludedthat institutions must retain a balancedapproach to volunteering. Vicki Hanley from National Museums ofScotland (NMS) discussed the conservationof twenty rolls of fabulous French PanoramicWallpaper, treating damages and previousrepairs. Lisa Cumming (NMS) explained theirpermanent mounting, allowing for flatstorage, and introduced an innovativemagnetic mounting, which incorporatesmetal rulers into layered Hexlite, paper, andmuseum board.Charlotte Park from National Galleries ofScotland (NGS) recounted using newmethods in-situ while installing MichaelFullerton’s ‘Prussian Blue’, of which someworks were adhered to gallery walls. After questions and home-baked cake, thesecond part began with University ofGlasgow (UoG) Louise Robertson’s talk‘Moving studio – managing stress!’ In linewith the Library’s redevelopment, Louiseexcitedly revealed the enhanced studioplans. Arni Terhemaa and Laura Kulechova,NGS ‘Finterns’, described ‘Studying PaperConservation in Finland’. Finland’s biggesttechnical institution, Helsinki Metropoliaoffers the country’s only conservation course,covering six specialisms, each with aquadrennial intake of ten students. KerryYates, from UoG Archives Services,presented its preservation principles, in atalk inspired by the phrase ‘archives canbe…’ Memorably, archives can be surprisingwhen they produce wedding dresses!The talk by Richard Aitken of HighlandArchive, ‘Treatment of a Tiree plan’,explained the story behind the conservationprocess of an 18th century map. Hedemonstrated step-by-step the techniquesused to restore the artefact. A differentoutlook on paper conservation was providedby Gloria Conti’s talk who outlined herproject at the National Records of Scotland

(NRS). Gloria gave a highly personalreflection on her work and showed thatconservation can be a socially benefitingfield to be in. After more questions, cake and chat EmilyHick from the CRC outlined her methodsand experiments used to reveal the hiddentext within the pages of a bound volumeusing Photoshop and infra-red light. BeckyMay presented her MA research based atthe UoG. The ongoing project concerns theArts and Crafts patterns and designs fromthe Cummersdale Textile Collection.Following this, Ryan Gibson from NLStalked about the merits of documentingconservation work on film, and making thisaccessible to the general public to create awider understanding of paper conservation. Next to speak was freelance conservator,Anna Trist, who concentrated on hertreatment of the Moirlanich longhousewallpaper, a project which focused on theconservation of a National Trust of Scotlandproperty which provides unique evidence ofrural Scottish life at the turn of the century.Helen Creasy also stayed within the themeof wallpaper, giving a short talk about theconservation of the Chinese wallpaper atAbbotsford. This account touched upon thevarious problems faced by the conservationteam.Last to speak was Anita Quye from UoG,who described the variety of dyeing manualsin her new research project ‘Dye-Versity:researching 19th century dyeing manuals’. There are many benefits from the opendiscussions and ideas exchange promotedby this event, which was noticeable in thecontinued discussions and overallenthusiasm shown during the meeting. Suchco-operation is necessary for the paperconservation field to evolve in all its diversityand complexity.

Mathilde Renauld and Paula BurbickaConservation Volunteers at the Centre forResearch Collections, University ofEdinburgh

century in Britain, Spain, France, Germanyand Switzerland, and how Britain developedand manufactured the machines to supplythat demand. Then, artist and papermakerElaine Cooper presented an exciting talk on‘Washi – The Papermakers’ Art’, which isJapanese paper renowned for its strength,beauty and versatility. Cooper studiedtraditional papermaking in Japan for tenyears under the guidance of Goto San, adistinguished Master papermaker. Shedescribes Washi as much more than just apaper surface; for her, it is an art form.Delegates were able to see a large selectionof beautiful handmade papers produced inJapan by the artist. Other talks included an insight into the busystudio of art-on-paper conservator, JoannaPayne, based in Chiswick, London,alongside a wonderful talk about Ivy Mills inPennsylvania, USA, given by Colin Harris.Having recently become a member of theBAPH myself, I would like to take thisopportunity to express how beneficialmembership is for those interested inpapermaking. It is a fantastic time to join,with the 27th Annual Conference coming upin September 2016. Membership is open toanyone with an interest in paper,papermaking or related topics. Moreinformation on becoming a member can befound on the website athttp://baph.org.uk/membership.html.Additionally, a Facebook page has beencreated as a platform for sharing informationabout the BAPH and all things paper-related. This can be found by searching the‘British Association of Paper Historians’.

Puneeta Sharma Project Assistant(Conservation)The Royal Collection Trust: Royal Library &Royal Archives

PAPER CONSERVATORS IN SCOTLAND:News and Ideas ExchangeEdinburgh 4 May 2016

Scotland’s Paper Conservators gathered inMay for informal five-minute presentationsand socialising, hosted by the Centre forResearch Collections (CRC), University ofEdinburgh. Organiser Helen Creasy (TheScottish Conservation Studio) began byenumerating the previous event’s outcomes;this year’s well attended event will alsoassuredly be impactful. Talks wereenthusiastically received, prompting manyquestions and fruitful discussions. Firstly, Isobel Griffin described NationalLibrary of Scotland’s (NLS) new system forconservation requests, which preventsbacklogs by consistently prioritising objectsby age and previous treatment requests.Mary Garner (NLS) presented ‘PreparingCollections for Digitisation’. Listing risks andproblematic projects she has handled, Maryaddressed the treatment choices thatDigitisation Conservators make. Shona


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Ceramic students from West Dean Collegeat the Ceramics and Glass Group AGM.From left: Adelheid Hansen (GraduateDiploma), Mary Vigliotti (MA), HarrietSylvester (MA) and Sophie Croft (GraduateDiploma)

VISITS

CERAMICS AND GLASS GROUP AGMIcon Ceramics and Glass GroupBrighton, 14 May 2016

On a Saturday in May West Dean Collegeceramic students and staff alongsideprofessional conservators grouped togetherin Brighton for the day for Icon’s Ceramicsand Glass Group AGM. The day consisted of two inspiring andinsightful events. First, the group visitedSarah Peek’s conservation studio. Sarah is aspecialist in the conservation of ceramic,glass and enamel. She runs an extremelyefficient studio, fitted out with all thenecessary equipment and materials for workon a variety of objects for the private sector.As a student, it was interesting to listen toSarah’s speech about how she set up herown studio from construction to establishinga business and to hear about her careerprogression and success. It was a veryeducational talk providing advice, especiallyas I personally intend to establish my owncareer in the private sector and to aim for TheProfessional Accreditation of Conservator-Restorers (PACR) status in the future.After the visit to Sarah Peek’s studio andlunch, the Group AGM was held. The Chair,Rachel Sharples, gave a summary of pastsuccessful events including mention of lastyear’s meeting at Worcester and the recentcolour filling workshop. The second event of the day was anafternoon visit to Brighton’s Museum & ArtGallery to meet with Stella Beddoe, KeeperEmeritus of Decorative Art, who gave us atour of the Henry Willet Collection. HenryWillet was an avid collector of pottery andporcelain, which can be seen on displaywithin the museum. The ceramics collecteddate from the 16th century, with the majorityfrom the 18th and 19th centuries. These areassembled in the groups and categories inwhich Willet assembled them, including‘Royalty and Loyalty’ and ‘Naval Heroes’.After the tour, we were given a glimpse ofthe store, where the rest of the collection isheld and the opportunity to purchase StellaBeddoe’s book ‘A Potted History: HenryWillett’s Ceramic Chronicle of Britain’.The day ended with an Italian restaurantdinner, where Ronald Pile, the NigelWilliams Prize Coordinator, announced thewinner: the Victoria and Albert MuseumCeramics Department for their work on aMeissen Table Fountain. I personally appliedfor the student prize for my work on aChinese Export Porcelain Blue and White‘Soldier’ Vase and Lid from the KangxiPeriod, but I was unsuccessful, as a studentprize was not awarded this year. However, Iwas acknowledged for my work (thetreatment can be read on the West DeanCollege Conservation blog) and awarded

with a ceramic egg cup decorated withscenes of Brighton!After rushing to catch a train back to collegewith my signed copy of ‘A Potted History’book in hand, there was plenty of time toreflect on the day’s activities as we stoppedat the many stations on the way back toChichester. I look forward to the next IconCeramics and Glass Group meeting.Harriet Sylvester, StudentWest Dean College

TEXTILE GROUP ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATION Icon Textile GroupLondon 11 April 2016

The Textile Group recently celebratedtwenty five years since it joined UKIC/Icon.To mark the occasion, the committeeorganised several pre-booked visits tovenues and stores around London followed

by an evening celebration at the FoundlingMuseum. On arrival at the museum, we weregreeted by drinks in one of the stunningreception rooms and had time to mingle andmeet friends old and new. The museum wasopen for all to visit and discover the historyof the building and the stories behind thedisplays. During the evening, the current Chair, AlisonLister, presided over the Group’s AGM andoffered reflections on the Group’s presentactivities. Four past Chairs then providedtheir thoughts and comments on the Groupover the past quarter of a century and thechanges to, and the evolution of, the textileconservation profession, including the majorevents that have shaped it.Mary Brooks spoke about how the Groupcame into being: the start of a textile sectionin UKIC (United Kingdom Institute ofConservation) and its development in itsearly years. She reflected on how thelandscape of textile conservation haschanged although some aspects haveremained constant not least the issuesregarding funding. Claire Stoughton-Harrisconsidered the evolution of UKIC into Iconand her involvement as Chair at the time.Claire also reviewed the impact ofaccreditation on the profession noting thebenefits it has had on the conservationprofession and the support it has receivedfrom textile conservators. Sarah Howard reviewed the development ofthe textile conservation profession over thepast twenty five years not least theincreasing number of those joining. Sarahalso mentioned the benefits the professionhas gained from sharing ideas andtechniques at conferences, workshops andvisits that the Group has organised and theadvantages that the internet has providedwith opportunities to be in contact with

Celebrating the Textile Group’s twenty fifth anniversary in the splendid surroundings of theFoundling Museum



The ceiling of Valencia Cathedral – a case study in the Clare Hampson Memorial Lecture

colleagues around the world. DeborahPhipps rounded off the discussions byconsidering what it’s like to be a Chair of theGroup, reflections on the life of a freelancetextile conservator, and the benefits oftaking part in committee life. After the talks,drinks and canapes helped to celebrate theoccasion further and the chatter went onuntil we had to leave the building after 10pm.As someone who has very much enjoyed afull and varied career in conservation andhaving had the privilege of being involved inIcon in various capacities, I found the wholeexperience of preparing a talk for the eventand reflecting on the past twenty five yearsvery nostalgic! It was a wonderful evening inthe perfect setting and it provided a greatopportunity for the Group to highlight thedevelopment of the profession, to celebrateits achievements, and to reflect on some ofthe challenges it faces. Thanks are due to the Textile Group fororganising the celebrations and also tothose who hosted the day tours. Theanniversary provided a time to recognise thepassion and enthusiasm we have for what wedo and what textile conservation represents.Some of the issues that have been prevalentduring the past quarter century have formeda constant backdrop to our conversations.Funding has always been an issue and sohave changes in approaches to how heritageis managed and perceived. I think one of thegreat factors about our profession is that weare adaptable and can weather storms.There is a lot we can be proud of anddespite some challenging times both in thepast, present and no doubt the future, weare a vibrant and supportive professionalbody.

Sarah Howard Conservation Consultantand Project Manager

TALKS

PAPER CONSERVATION: SelectiveblindnessIcon Book and Paper Group Art Workers Guild, London 4 April 2016

OverviewDr Salvador Muñoz Viñas (UniversitatPolitecnica de Valencia) gave the ClareHampson Memorial Lecture at the Bookand Paper Group’s Annual General Meeting.His lecture examined conservation’s pastand present, highlighting some bigquestions facing our profession. Muñoz Viñas set the tone for hispresentation by saying he was going to be ‘abit cheeky’. He reflected on contemporaryconservation, the impact of physicalalterations to an object, and the circularthought processes that can result in timiddecision-making. He used the analogy of a‘Frankenstein Syndrome’ to describe thecomposite nature of objects that haveundergone alterations (includingconservation treatment) over their lifetimes.He developed this analogy further using anumber of case studies.His key example was Valencia Cathedral inSpain. The cathedral’s structure and interiorhave evolved through many phases over thecenturies: Romanesque in the thirteenthcentury; Gothic in the fourteenth; theaddition of Renaissance paintings andBaroque altars from the fifteenth to theeighteenth centuries; and neoclassicalrenovations in the late eighteenth centurythat were later removed to reveal the Gothicdesign again. Most recently, in the early2000s, Baroque features from the ceilingabove the main altar were removed byconservators to reveal Renaissance frescoesbelow. This intervention was considered

successful, but Muñoz Viñas asserted thatthe outcome was a pastiche of stylesunintended by any of the makers. What can book and paper conservators learnfrom this? Just as successive renovations ofValencia Cathedral created a compositestructure over time, so too book and paperconservation treatments, whether minor (likesurface cleaning) or intensive (like bleaching),always leave objects altered. This is not acriticism, he stressed, but a reflection of therealities of all conservation practice. Ratherthan being ‘selectively blind’ to the fact thatconservation treatments alter an object,Muñoz Viñas suggested we think criticallyabout the positive and negative changesresulting from those treatments. Heconcluded by calling on conservators tobalance competing views, be prudent intheir judgements, decisive in their actions,and communicate better to avoid falseexpectations.Individual reflectionsLara Artemis: For a long time now thephilosophical values of conservation havebecome a rather too delicate and complexsubject to feel it can be openly discussed ina useful way. This is mostly due to the fear(and indeed confusion) that any opendiscussion may cause a conflict of opinionand further misunderstandings around whatit is we aim to achieve in conservation. It wasrefreshing to hear the subject exploredthrough the experience of Muñoz Viñas,using examples of past practices, includingmany that resulted in a ‘Frankenstein’appearance of objects following variousconservation interventions. Some areas of his talk I did not quite agreewith, but in essence the message was clearin the conclusion, which felt very positive: todo only what you feel comfortable doing,whilst being well informed of the situation


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G F Watts Studio, 2016

Professor Salvador Muñoz Viñas delivers the Clare Hampson Memorial Lecture

and being able to make decisions swiftlyalongside a balance of theory and practice.This view is not dissimilar to the way manyprofessions approach the decision makingprocess and certainly not far from theaccreditation framework that we aspiretowards.Some might say it was a brave talk, othersmight say it was a correct representation ofgeneral opinion, a number may say it wassimply confusing, others will suggest it is justplain irresponsible and some may well haveno opinion at all. Whatever the opinion,Muñoz Viñas’s talk definitely provokedthought and certainly made me pick up andread through his book again (as well asCaple’s ‘Conservation Skills’, 2000; andGetty’s Readings in Conservation, ‘Historicaland Philosophical Issues in the Conservationof Cultural Heritage’, 1996)!Tiffany Eng: Muñoz Viñas was a great andentertaining speaker, using pop-culture(Robocop and other sci-fi references),humour, and openness to discuss a subjectthat can sometimes bring up strong of viewsin conservation. In my experience as a recent graduate,contemporary conservation education in theUK has been very open to discussionsurrounding ethics and alteration of culturalheritage. I have heard the role of theconservator described as change-negotiators, risk managers and decision-makers. When we are labelled with some ofthe descriptors above, perhaps the stigma of‘change’ to cultural heritage is not as strongas it might have once been. It is no longerthe Frankenstein of vintage horror novels,but rather a Frankenweenie (1984, 2012) ofthe Tim Burton films: well meaning, a bittroublesome, requiring careful attention.I think Muñoz Viñas’s last point of advocatingbetter communication to those outside theprofession was the strongest. Allowingchange to be a part of conservation takes itaway from a single decision-makingframework, but makes it more difficult tojustify and explain decisions to clients or thegeneral public. There is no clear answer onhow we should address the discourse, orhow to manage this in practice, but openingup the discussion is a great place to start.

Thomas Bower: To me, the talk was anattempt to refine the vital and evolvingconcept of minimal intervention. In manyways what Muñoz Viñas said was not new –one audience member pointed out that theissue has been around since at least the1970s – but as an emerging professional Ifound his ideas approached the topic from afresh perspective. Acknowledging that alltreatments – however minimal – irreversiblyalter an object to some degree stronglyencourages prudence, but also reminds usnot to fear conservation-induced alterationswhen they are essential to preserve anobject’s fundamental integrity. Managing theassociated risks of intervention or non-intervention is the key to doing thissuccessfully.We are very grateful to the Clare HampsonMemorial Fund and the Book and PaperGroup for organising an excellent eveningthat gave us much to reflect on.

Tiffany Eng, Thomas Bower (CollectionCare Assistants) & Lara Artemis ACR(Collection Care Manager), ParliamentaryArchives

POTATOES AND GRIT: the paintingtechniques and experiments of G F WattsIcon Paintings GroupLondon 12 April 2016

The work of the Victorian artists GeorgeFrederic Watts and his wife Mary iscelebrated at the Watts Gallery – Artist’sVillage in Surrey. Within the Village are theWatts Gallery itself, which first opened in1904 as the first purpose-built gallerydedicated to the work of a single artist (andreopened after a major restoration project in2011), and the Watts Studios, which haverecently been reinstated in the Wattses’ Arts& Crafts home ‘Limnerslease’ where theylived from 1891. The Studios were reopenedin January this year following extensiveresearch into Watts’s practice.Kerri Offord, Heritage Collections Officer atthe Watts Gallery, project managed andcurated the Studios project and presentedthis talk on her research into GF Watts’sidiosyncratic painting technique. Her talkdrew on archive material preserved by Mary

Watts, including letters, glass-platenegatives and diaries, to outline the designof the studio, Watts’s painting practices andphilosophy, and his experiments withdifferent materials.To get the texture he wanted, Watts usedabsorbent grounds and lean paints with highimpasto, favouring coarse canvases fortextural contrast; he disapproved of modernfinely-ground pigments as they lacked thenecessary ‘grit’. Paintings could be reworkedover years, sometimes having their canvasesenlarged; the gargantuan Court of Death,which had been begun in the 1880s, enteredthe new studio in 1891 and was not finishedfor another ten years. It hung on customrigging, with a picture slot allowing thepainting to be dropped through the floor sothat the top of the work could easily beaccessed. This creative engineeringapproach to solving practical problems isreflected in other details, too: the Wattsesused a glasshouse specially for dryingpaintings and carrying out light-fadingexperiments.Offord showed that the experiments areevidence of Watts’s concern with thelongevity of his materials. His extensivecorrespondence with Henry Newton, andlater J Scott Taylor, both of Winsor &Newton, reveal frequent questions aboutwhich pigments and media were safest touse – and even whether his habit of rubbinghis paintings with raw potato or onion, whichapparently created a pleasant surface topaint on, would cause problems (Newton’sanswer was that this should be fine butmight trouble the varnish).

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The great exception to this concern forlongevity was a purple lake pigment thatWatts consistently ordered in vast quantitiesfrom W&N, despite being well aware thepigment was known not to be lightfast.Watts’s mentions of purple lake werefrequently apologetic, and he seemed to beembarrassed by his weakness for this fugitivecolour which was at odds with his otherwise‘scientific’ attitude to materials. (Purple lakewas not included on the list of twenty-fourpigments, dictated to his wife, that heclaimed made up his palette.)The resonances of certain colours wereclearly of great importance: his studio waspainted red (eventually including the entireceiling), and he also instructed the TateGallery to display his paintings on walls ofthis colour, an effect he declared would belike hearing ‘great strains of music’. Offord’sdiscussion of Watts’s colours, both duringthe talk and in the question-and-answersession that followed, suggested that inplaces his work may have suffered tonalshifts caused by the fading of his belovedpurple lake. The possibility of futuretechnical analysis was raised, with the aim ofanswering such questions about Watts’swork; the recent appointment of a paintingsconservator at the Watts Gallery, SallyMarriott, certainly suggests further scope forcontinued collaborative investigation of theartist’s technique.Offord’s wonderfully enjoyable andinformative talk made great use of archivematerial in considering why Watts’s paintingslook as they do. The subsequent livelydiscussion encompassed curatorial,conservation, and conservation scienceperspectives regarding Watts’s work.

Claire Shepherd Caroline Villers ResearchFellow 2015–16, Courtauld Institute of Art

WORKSHOPS

KEEPING COMPOSEDIcon Gilding & Decorative Surfaces GroupLondon 6 May 2016

As all wholesome conservators know, sharingskills is one of the most important aspects ofthe profession, never more so than whenthose traditional skills are at risk of becomingforgotten.Composition (Compo) was the material usedthroughout the nineteenth-century toornament frames as an alternative to carvedwood. In May the G&DSG was pleased toassist Conservation Technician Adrian Mooreas he presented a one-day workshop onComposition making to a group of fellowprofessionals and conservation students, inthe Education Studio at the Wallace Collection. The group were introduced to the material,and watched Adrian make a fresh batch of

Composition to the recipe he has beenusing for over ten years in professionalpractice. The course then proceeded to givethe attendees the opportunity to gainexperience of pressing compo ornamentusing traditional boxwood moulds.Adrian had prepared batches ofComposition in advance, using six differentrecipes. All of the recipes are well known, ifperhaps nowadays lesser used, by the trade.This allowed the attendees to compare thecharacteristics of each batch, while theyrefined the techniques for pressing differentsize and styles of compo ornament.By the end of the day each participant had asample board of ornaments for futurereference. And just as importantly they hadeach helped to preserve somethingintangible, keeping alive the skills from aprevious generation of craftsmen for a littlelonger.

Jon Slight, G&DSG Committee

PARCHMENT CONSERVATION: Knowledge-Based WorkshopIcon Book and Paper Group CTRCambridge 22-24 March 2016

I was lucky enough to find myself in thebeautiful Parker Library in Corpus ChristiCollege Cambridge, which was the settingfor a two-day knowledge-based workshopon parchment organised by the Book andPaper Group’s Co-operative TrainingRegister. The day began with Dr TheresaZammit Lupi who discussed her research onthe collections of three institutions in Valetta,Malta. She illustrated how detailedexamination of parchment membranes andan understanding of codicology can unlock awealth of information about the history ofdifferent parchment objects. Theresa usedher research to illustrate her presentationand then the group was invited to team up

and look at some parchment fragments tosee what we could infer about their historyand use. Dr David Mills followed with a veryengaging talk about the use of CT scanningtechnology as a means to digitally ‘open’very tightly rolled or damaged parchments.The results were very impressive as thedigital reconstruction of the scanned roll wasunravelled and we saw the text reveal itself. The first day of talks was rounded off with atalk from Angelica Bartoletti, whopresented her research on analysis ofparchment at the nano scale, which mayenable us to identify very early signs ofdamage and degradation before they arevisible to the eye or even under amicroscope. Angelica also spoke about thepotential for using calcium-basednanoparticles to safeguard parchmentagainst further degradation.After a short break and a change of location,we were treated to an evening lecture by JiříVnouček, which looked in detail at thehistory of parchment making and how pro-duction changed over time. This was followedby a drinks reception and a good chance tocatch up with everyone and digest all thethings we had heard and seen on the first day.Jiří was also the first speaker on the secondday and he went into more detail about theprocesses of parchment making, includingan account of his own investigations into thecraft. This included some incredibleillustrations and photos of parchment makersfrom all over the world. He went on todemonstrate how to interpret differentfeatures of the membranes and guided usthrough what different marks or stitchescould mean. Jiří also led us on a small tourof some books that had been speciallydisplayed in the Parker Library, pointing outspecial features for each beautifulmanuscript.

Compare Compo!


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After lunch Dr Fiona Brock gave a veryengaging talk about radiocarbon dating andhow conservators could use this techniqueon parchment and other historic materials.Fiona recently took part in the project thatdated the Birmingham Qur’an. Sheexplained how radiocarbon dating works,what it can do and also its limitations. The final speaker of the workshop wasEdward Cheese, whose talk on repair andrebinding techniques for parchmentmanuscripts gave a very welcome insightinto the practical elements of parchmentconservation as well as asking someimportant questions about why we repairand the ethical delicacy of undertaking aninterventive treatment. His talk was apersonal highlight!Overall it was an extremely interestingworkshop that looked at parchment from

many angles. It was great to spend a coupleof days digging deeper into what thismaterial is and what it means for us asconservators. Holly Smith, The National Archive

Following the two-day knowledge basedworkshop and an evening lecture aboutparchment, accredited conservators LaraArtemis and Mariluz Beltran de Guevaragenerously shared their expertise in theconservation of parchment with sixconservators attending a practical workshop.Lara began with a fascinating session on‘Making an illuminated manuscript’. Quillpens and split nibs were used to write an oldpoem in iron gall ink on sheep and goatparchment samples. This exercise allowed usto understand in a hands-on way the tight

interconnection between writing supports,media and writing tools. Compared to quillpens, split nibs enabled us to obtain moremodulated ink strokes. The ink ran veryfluidly and the nib picked up a large amountof ink, allowing us (the copyists!) to writewithout dipping into the ink so frequentlyand with thicker strokes. We continued by examining materials andtechniques used in parchment conservationthrough the centuries. This included repairtechniques commonly used from the fifth tothe ninth centuries, using parchment stripsto sew tears and parchment patches sewn inplace with waxed linen thread to infill losses.Another technique (popular during thenineteenth and twentieth centuries) involvedclosing tears with sausage casing (a low-grade collagen), adhered by brushing a thin

Parchment sewing strips and waxed linenthread used for repairs as in the 5th–9thcentury

Isinglass disks prepared in a concentrated solution During the application of remoistenabletissue

Lara Artemis showing a bamboo steamerthat can be used as an inexpensivealternative method for parchmenthumidification

Parchment samples in the cedar woodchamber



layer of wheat starch paste on both sides.We used the same application technique toclose a tear with goldbeaterskin (caecumlining) and Isinglass cool gel – a commontwentieth century practice. In the afternoon, Mariluz delivered theworkshop on contemporary parchmentconservation and preservation. The highlyinformative practical demonstrations startedwith the humidification of parchmentsamples in a cedar wood chamber and theirsubsequent drying under tension withmagnets. In the humidification chamber – atRH 75% and 19°C – the parchment samplesrested on Simpatex® non-woven supportfabric on top of damp blotting papers. Thebenefits of this method include: visualcontrol of the parchment during treatment;no condensation; and stable humidity in thechamber for up to twenty four hours. We briefly looked at other humidificationtechniques, such as Goretex membrane,capillary matting and local humidificationwith gel poultices. Characteristics, benefitsand disadvantages related to eachtechnique were clearly explained. Mariluzrecommended preparing Gellan gum,Agarose, Laponite and sieved gelatine (lesssieved than gelatine mousse) poultices at 5%concentration. These can be used for localhumidification, but also for the removal oflinings and many other uses. Gellan gum iswet and careful considerations need to betaken when treating moisture-sensitiveobjects. Laponite can leave residues on theitem supports, although Bondina could beused in between to incorporate the residues.Agarose was considered without downsides.In the past isopropanol was used for thesame purpose, but not anymore because itwas proved that alcohol turns collagen intogelatine.Next we all had a go at drying parchmentunder tension with different magnets. Theadvantages of using magnets are numerous.Magnets of different strengths are availableon the market and the most suitable one can

be used according to the characteristics andrequirements of the item being treated.Some iron-based magnets can be cut to thedesired dimension using scissors. Adisadvantage is that magnets – especiallythe strongest ones – could leave marks onthe parchment. To avoid this, magnets canbe covered with Tyvek or a felt base added.Within the group we discussed otherinteresting practical uses of magnets, such asfor in situ repairs of unbound materials. Further aspects of the course included otherdrying methods; repair materials (such asremoistenable tissues) and methods;adhesives; mounting and display techniques;and parchment storage.In summary, the workshop provided acomprehensive overview of materials andtechniques used in parchment conservationover the centuries and I found it immensely

useful. The day flew by and was muchenjoyed by all. We are still playing withmagnets and gels in the conservation studio,and my only regret is that the workshopcould have lasted for two more days as itwas so packed with valuable information!I would like to thank the Icon Book andPaper Group CTR for organizing theworkshop, especially Françoise Richard, andthe Claire Hampson Trust for their generousfinancial support. Many thanks to Lara andMariluz, generous leaders of the workshop;to Bridget Warrington, Studio Manager atCorpus Christi College; and to ClaudeGrewal-Sulze who supported Lara andMariluz with practical aspects.

Veronica ZoppiBook and Manuscript ConservatorCorpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Drying a parchment sample under tension with magnets Expandable paper hinges used for mountingparchment items

Laponite, Gellan gum, Agarose and sieved gelatine


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in practiceShards rubbed with soil along the edgeA STICKY SOLUTION

Lori Covington, Conservator of ceramics and relatedmaterials, discusses sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)as a potential poultice for cleaning ceramicsDuring my graduate year in a ceramics conservation program,I was surprised to see that materials commonly used in onespecialisation of conservation were often unheard-of in others.In particular, I became curious about why materials used toconserve permeable and fragile papers were not being usedin work with more robust ceramic bodies.

In our college workshop, we used poulticing to clean orremove stains from porcelain, but avoided the use of liquidmedia (and therefore, poultices) with lower-fired, morepermeable, ceramics. The explanation was straightforward: inpermeable ceramics, the stain or soil could be driven furtherinto the body by the movement of liquid in poultices.

LAPONITELaponite, available as a powder, is used in applications asdiverse as commercial ceramics production and oil drilling.Ceramics conservators use it to poultice stained ceramics:however, they do so cautiously; its action can be unreliable,sometimes spreading stains farther into the ceramic bodyrather than pulling them out.

Previous studies, both anecdotal and SEM analyses, haveshown that Laponite also leaves residues when used as apoultice in conservation. (Totten, 2003, The PaperConservator.) Although Laponite currently enjoys somepopularity in ceramics conservation, its cost, unpredictableeffects and non-reversible nature should raise seriousquestions about its continued use.

The usual procedure in making a Laponite poultice is tospread it on top of Japanese paper, with the belief that thepaper prevents Laponite from ‘sticking’ to the body andfacilitates later removal. But as Laponite is known to have aparticle size 1 nm thick and 25 nm wide, Japanese paper, withits open weave, must allow tiny silicate particles to passthrough. I propose that the reason Japanese paper assists inthe removal of the poultice is more likely the fact that, inorder to cover the paper, more Laponite is applied, making athicker layer. If you’ve ever had to peel a thin-skinned Sevilleorange as opposed to a Naval one, you’ve experienced howmuch easier it is to remove a thick layer.

Conservators have reported tactile differences betweenLaponite-treated surfaces and untreated ones, with Laponiteleaving a slippery feeling behind: a strong suggestion thatresidues remain regardless of the care taken in applying andremoving the poultice. Studies using Scanning ElectronMicroscopy (SEM) have found that Laponite molecules remainin the body of the ceramic after removal of the poultice.

SEM analysis showing Laponite residues after poulticing mademe wonder if the molecular size of the material causes it tomigrate in with the water, possibly bonding with similarlyconstituted minerals in the body. Laponite is, after all, asilicate and is commonly used in enhancing the elasticity of

commercial ceramics.

With its small particle size, we have no way to control whetheror not Laponite completely migrates out again with theevaporation of the water from the poultice. As the SEManalysis in previous studies has shown, in fact, it does notcompletely outmigrate; the knowledge of which makes usingLaponite something of an ethical compromise: it is notreversible.

If Laponite’s failure as a reversible poulticing treatment is due,as I believe, to its molecular size, perhaps materials with largermolecules might perform the same function without leavingresidues behind.

CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE (CMC)CMC, derived from wood pulp and other plant products,comes in powder form and is widely used in cosmetics,eyedrops, toothpastes and gel cleaners, preparations such asaloe vera gel and even foods, where it creates viscosity and asilky texture. In lower concentrations, it imparts smoothnessand in higher ones, stickiness. It is well-known in the food anddrug industry as a thickener.

CMC is also frequently used in paper conservation. Its long-chain polymers hold water both against and away from thematerial, providing a more controlled movement of water inand out of the object. CMC is known for its ability to workwithout leaving ‘tide lines’ - a quality also of deep concern inthe cleaning of stained ceramics.

BIOTEX Our workshop’s usual material for poulticing stained ceramicswas a mixture of Biotex enzymatic (laundry) cleaner andlukewarm water. The mixture was spread on the ceramic andallowed to partially dry; then it is removed by gentle scrapingand steam cleaning. The process is rather tedious andinexact, as the mixture does not easily cling to the ceramicedge; too wet, and it slides off before working; too dry and itcrumbles away before the enzymes are activated. As Biotex

I applied the CMC + Biotex gel (left), left a space, and applied thewater + Biotex paste on the right



dries, it becomes quite hard and loses its efficacy, as theenzymes cannot work once the water evaporates.

Controlling the speed at which the enzymatic poultice driesdetermines its effective cleaning time: poultices may have tobe applied several times (followed by a thorough steamcleaning each time) before a stain can be removed (assumingit can be).

APPLYING CMC GEL TO CERAMICS CONSERVATION After reading about the common use in paper conservation ofCMC gel as an adhesive, I wondered if this sticky, widely-usedand terrifically cheap material could be put to use inpoulticing ceramics. Finding no written evidence of previousapplications in the conservation of ceramics, I decided to try it.

Reasoning that CMC’s large-size polymer chain may preventits inward migration to a ceramic body, and that its increasedwetting power would maximise the effectiveness of enzymaticcleaner, I decided to test a CMC + Biotex gel against Biotexpaste made with water alone.

METHODTaking a freshly broken terra-cotta flower pot (the epitome ofa permeable ceramic body), I rubbed the edges in damppotting soil, around the border of a tree planted in thecourtyard. The soil, black and rich, left a noticeable stain.

On one side of the shard, I placed a mixture of enzymaticcleaner (Biotex) and water, rubbed into a paste. On the other,I used CMC gel mixed with Biotex. I made the gel up thenight before, in a 2.5% solution, with deionised water, andblended the resulting gel with Biotex paste (Biotex mixedwith water) until the gel-paste blend was soft enough to

The clingfilm wrapped shard left overnight

The darker marks extending below the CMC gel (left) are glue fromthe sale sticker on the pot. However, there is no tide line. Note thetide line remaining on the Biotex+water paste side

On unwrapping the shard: note the tide line of the Biotex-onlypaste, and the lack of a tide line under the CMC mix

The dried shard showing the difference between the poultices'action on the soil and stain

spread thickly (about ½ cm) on the break edge.

I wrapped the shard in cling film and left it overnight. Iunwrapped it the next day. The Biotex paste had dried andcrumbled; it fell off, removing some surface soil, also leaving asecond stain: a considerable tide line. (At the time, bothpreparations still showed moisture below the break edge;however, as you see, the Biotex contained in the CMC gel didnot permeate the terra-cotta shard.)

I allowed the shard to dry out for another 24 hours.

As the biotex+ CMC gel dried, it also lifted rather thancrumbling, as the Biotex + water paste did. As you see below,the Biotex/CMC gel lifted away a considerable amount of dirtand left no visible tide line, while the paste on the right left aconsiderable mark. (I wonder how much of the soil removal isenzymatic and how much merely the physical action of thepowder cleaner mixed with the CMC gel.)

CONCLUSIONWith Laponite shown to be a non-reversible intervention dueto its residues, perhaps a ‘low-tech’ poulticing solution - CMCgel used in combination with enzymatic cleaner - will prove auseful replacement in cleaning stained ceramics.

If other CMC-gel studies have similar results, we may havefound a practical, effective and inexpensive cleaning andpoulticing gel that does not leave residues.

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONSAs this is an initial trial of a material previously unused in thisparticular application, repeating the experiment would give usmore information. It would also be helpful to makecomparisons between CMC + Biotex gel with CMC gel onlyon soiled vs soiled and stained ceramics, and on materialsdiffering in porosity; terra-cotta, bone china and soft and hardpaste porcelain.


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FROM START TO FINISHDuring her Erasmus-funded internship at BirminghamMuseum and Art Gallery, Laura Elsa Niklas was able tosee a project through from beginning to end

INTRODUCTIONI finished my undergraduate degree in conservation andrestoration of modern materials and technical objects fromthe University of Applied Sciences in Berlin in March last year.Upon the completion of my degree I had made preparationsto move to the United Kingdom to begin a six monthinternship at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to gainmore practical experience, enhance my knowledge and getan insight into conservation practices abroad.

My arrival at the Museum coincided with the redisplay of theirBaroque Galleries and thereby I got a brilliant opportunity tobe fully immersed in all the aspects of conservation workwhich accompany the implementation of a new exhibition.Along with the condition checking and preparation of thegallery and the artworks, my role in the project also includedthe conservation of a sculpture of John the Baptist as aninfant for display. My involvement in the treatment of thestatue started at the beginning with its delivery from theMuseum Collection Centre and continued to the end with itsinstallation in the display case in the galleries.

THE OBJECT AND ITS HISTORICALCONTEXTThe sculpture is a cast lead alloy; the exterior surface has asilky matt painted finish and a hollow interior. It is posed inthe classical contrapposto and placed on a decoratedwooden base. The wooden base has a gesso ground layercovered with a pigmented finish; the surface is predominantlygold in colour.

Helen Hillyard, the curator of the gallery redisplay – indiscussion with Holly Trusted, Senior Curator of Sculpture atthe Victoria and Albert Museum – attributed the work to animitator of Spanish sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés, dating itto the late 17th or early 18th century. Although in Spainpolychrome sculptures are traditionally fabricated in wood,pewter and other base metals were also used in the baroqueperiod. The use of metals allowed the production frommoulds in considerable numbers to satisfy the high demandfor devotional figures at that time.

In the 17th century, Spanish polychrome sculptures wereintended to appear as lifelike and realistic as possible andthey were often dressed to provoke a powerful emotionalresponse, stirring the viewer to greater religious devotion.

Although the statue is displayed naked, it is likely thatoriginally it would have been dressed in costume andadorned with jewellery. Evidence of abrasion damage at theneck supports this argument. For example, this damage mayindicate the use of a robe or cloak, which has rubbed againstthe surface.

Further, it is likely that the sculpture had held something in itsleft hand and that there had been something placed on theraised section of the base. These lost fragments may havebeen a crucifix and possibly a small lamb, the attributes ofJohn the Baptist.

INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSISAnalysis of the metal with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence(PXRF) device showed that the alloy is lead based. The leadalloy contains traces of copper, iron, tin and arsenic. Thiscomposition explained the heavy weight of the object.

Although the sculpture seems to be in a good and stablecondition, there is a relatively wide crack visible on the back ofthe neck at the hairline which is partially filled with a greyish

the emerging conservator

The statue is ready for photography and mounting

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waxy substance. Even though this crack probably originatedfrom the casting process it was decided to use X-Radiographyto reveal any further instability and to investigate how far thecrack reaches.

Along with this crack the resulting image showed that thereare further cracks around the circumference of both thighs.These cracks had been already visible in the paint layer abovebut the x-raying revealed that they are not limited to the paintbut rather reach into the underlying metal itself. However theimage likewise showed that the cracks do not extend theentire circumference of the thighs and still appear to be in astable condition. The x-ray further suggested that the body ofthe statue was created in a single cast mould and there are

splashes, dot like traces and dents from the casting processvisible on the inside of the sculpture.

The X-Radiography analysis of the wooden stand revealedthat the base is hollow. The image shows clearly how thedifferent wooden elements are joined together through theuse of large iron nails extending into the interior from the topand bottom and a number of smaller nails around the edges.Using the image it was also possible to measure the longer ofthe two large iron rods extending from the top of the base,upon which the statue is attached through holes in the feet.This iron rod is approximately 16cm in length; the smaller ofthe two is significantly shorter. The fact that the base is hollowand therefore relatively light as well as that the metal rods donot reach far into the interior suggested that the weight of theheavy sculpture lies on the top of the hollow centre of the base.

MOUNTING AND INSTALLATIONAs a result of the investigations, coupled with initial conditionassessments of the stability of the statue on the stand, it wasdecided that since it only loosely sat on top of the stand,upon which it was noted to be prone to wobbling, mountingimprovements were needed to guarantee a secure stand forthe duration of the exhibition.

To achieve this, plastazote jackets were created to cover themetal rods which stick into the holes at the base of the feet ofthe sculpture. The holes have been worn away at the edgesover time, so with the jackets in place, the statue does nothave as much room to move. Wedge shaped pieces ofplastazote were put under the heels so that the sculpturecould not tilt as far backwards and sideways as before.

An additional mount, constructed of a brass rod with a halfring made of acrylic plastic (Perspex) at one end was created.The rod was attached to the back wall of the case behind thesculpture and the half ring holds the neck at the back of thesculpture. Through the slight backward lean of the sculpturethis additional attachment absorbs a part of the weight andholds it in place. A transparent fishing line was placed aroundthe front neck and is fixed in two small holes at both sides ofthe acrylic ring as an extra safety measure.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONSAt some point the sculpture as well as the base seemed tohave been completely repainted. While the uppermost paintlayer of the sculpture itself is in a fairly good condition and

The underside of the base before and after treatment showing one of the nails holding the base together. The surrounding wood wascleaned, the corrosion on the nail was reduced and the nail then waxed

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Installing the statue in its case. The neck support can be seen

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Laura Niklas is currently enrolled on a Masters conservationprogramme at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences(HTW Berlin)

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David Rowan, BMAG’s professional photographer captures theobject after treatment

Views of the plastazote jackets and padding made to go round the metal rods

creates a coherent and balanced appearance, the top layersof the base are quite damaged in some areas. Where theuppermost layers of gold, red pigment and gesso are lost anearlier layered sequence of gold, pigment and gesso beneathis partially visible. It is likely that this older, partially visiblesequence is the original surface finish. In some areas withextensive loss, the older layer sequence, mainly the whitegesso, is exposed and interfering with the aestheticappearance of the object.

Nevertheless it was decided that we would not gap-fill thedamaged areas or even retouch these losses, so as not tocover the older version. By gap-filling and retouching thesedamaged sections it would have bordered on restoration andadded another layer to the two existing sequences. Eventhough the brighter areas are a bit more eye-catching, they fitinto the rest of the appearance of an obviously agedsculpture, which in the end is the focus of its display, not thedamage it has incurred in its lifetime.

CONCLUSIONAfter the conservation and consolidation processes, whichincluded wet and dry cleaning techniques as well as the useof different stabilisation media according to the particularconsolidation requirement, the whole object has now arefreshed, balanced appearance and is in a stable condition.The gold now possesses an adequate aged sheen, whichshows its former lustre and its aesthetic value for its formercongregation.

Through my participation in the development of thisexhibition and my own personal practical role in this project, Ilearned all the procedures and processes of preparing anexhibition. I also had an interesting opportunity to engagemyself in greater depth with one object, using all the resourcesavailable to me, from the staff’s knowledge to theexamination methods the museum had to offer. For example I

had the chance to undergo training in the use of PXRF and X-Radiography analysis.

My internship at Birmingham Museums Trust was a greatlearning curve and provided me with crucial experience in theconservation profession in a large regional museum. I havebeen involved with and gained an insight into the dailyrunning of a collections department within the museum andbeen fully involved in all aspects in the planning andimplementation of exhibitions. For this opportunity andeducation I am grateful to the Museum and my colleagues fortheir patience, advice and friendship.

I am also happy to recommend you to visit Gallery 21 atBirmingham Museum and Art Gallery to visit St John theBaptist and the beautiful Baroque gallery and all it offers.

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ICON NEWS • NOVEMBER 2005 • 3

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For storage drawers with a measured difference telephone Robert Campbell 00 44 (0) 1234 846352

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From simple album pages to Planorama® storage solutions choose the partner who constantly raises the standard

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By permission of the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge

ICCOIN

BY APPOINTMENTTO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

SUPPLIERS OF CONSERVATION STORAGE,EQUIPMENT AND DISPLAY PRODUCTSCONSERVATION BY DESIGN LIMITED

BEDFORD

ICONnews JULY COVER 2016_01234 08/07/2016 10:59 Page 3

4

www.conservationregister.com

Are you thinking of joining the Conservation Register?

For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion in the Conservation Register visit:

Referrals from organisations including The National Trust, the

An individual entry providing full contact details and including

Provision of information on the accreditation and skills of you and

Login access for feedback on how often your own entry is viewed.

Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will

uo yerA joff ongiknih tu no Ceh tngini jo gie Rnioatvres r?etsgi

Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will Practices that are included in the Conservation Register will


theReferrals from organisations including The National Trust,


Referrals from organisations including The National Trust,


Referrals from organisations including The National Trust,







in the Conservation Register visit:For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion

www.conservationregister.comin the Conservation Register visit:For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion

www.conservationregister.comin the Conservation Register visit:For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion


For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion


For further information and full details on the requirements for inclusion


Owned and operated by Owned and operated by

ICONnews JULY COVER 2016_01234 08/07/2016 10:59 Page 4

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