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Field Trip Report By: Francois LeBlanc

June 1 - 16, 2001 • 29th AIC Annual Conference & AIC/APT Symposium on Museums in Historic

Buildings, Dallas, Texas • Grosse-Ile, Case Study in Values Assessment and Site Management,

Quebec, Canada • The Last Judgment Mosaic 2001 Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic 29th AIC (American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works) Annual Conference June 1-4, Dallas, Texas This conference gathered more than 800 people. Many sessions were held simultaneously. Several persons from the Getty were present and can be queried for additional information. Some of these are: Jerry Podany, Joseph Godla, Arlen Heginbotham, Luke Gilliland-Swetland, Mitchell Bishop, Kathy Dardes, John Oddy, Eric Hansen and probably a few more that I missed.

Jerry Podany from the Getty is the President of AIC. He just completed a two-year term and was re-elected for a second term. Joseph Godla presented a paper entitled: “The Installation of 18th-Century French rooms at the Getty Museum” Arlen Heginbotham, Assistant Conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Getty Museum presented a paper entitled “What’s Old is New: B-72 and the Treatment of Degraded Furniture Finishes.”

I would like to share with you a few interesting points raised during some of the sessions that I attended. Conservation of Media Art The conservation of media art is a field in development and it brings difficult new challenges to the conservators. Several examples of art on the web were presented. Concerns and issues on its conservation were debated. • There may not be a Web in a few years from now. If we don’t collect web art

now, it won’t be around by the time we are ready. • An astonishing number of Web art is created and posted on the Web every

day. Some of it is good, much of it is of debatable quality. Unfortunately, there is little time to make decisions on what to collect because it appears and disappears very quickly. The collection and conservation of this form of art are inter-linked. There is no time for safe decisions. These works of art won’t wait for us to calibrate our taste.

Dallas skyline

Dallas skyline

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• The technology to view this art form changes very rapidly. We cannot think that we will preserve this type of art by preserving the technology. With other forms of art such as painting and furniture, the original work decays while the environment remains constant. In the case of Web art, the original file does not decay, it is a series of written instructions or numbers; it is the environment (software and hardware) that decays.

• We may think of conserving web art in a way similar to the one that was used to conserve music and theater plays over the centuries before the invention of recording or filming. They were kept by being repeated and interpreted.

• In looking at the conservation of web art, we must ask ourselves fundamental questions for each work: what is important in this work? Is it the medium? Is it the hardware? Is it the images? The sound? Both? The message? Etc. Then, efforts can be made to preserve what is considered to be important elements.

Stone Conservation Lorraine Schnabel, Project Manager and Architectural Conservator with John Milner Associates from Philadelphia was asked by the conference organizers to prepare a paper on “Lessons learned: The Evolution of Outdoor Stone Monuments Conservation”. As with most other types of conservation, the conservation of outdoor stone has evolved greatly in the last two centuries. Many changes in stone conservation that appeared as new materials, such as adhesives and water repellents, emerged in the twentieth century. Development of new materials continues to bring changes to conservation, but advances in conservation are also frequently prompted by failure of older techniques. The greatly expanding body of information regarding stone deterioration also drives changes in treatment methods and materials. This presentation addressed the evolution in conservation of outdoor stone monuments in a broad way, considering not only surface treatments such as cleaning and stain removal, but also mechanical repair and compensation for losses. The focus of the presentation was how treatment failures, development of new materials, and increased knowledge of material behavior all interact in the evolution of conservation treatments. A few lessons learned: • Not everyone who treats stone in the future will be a conservator • Many projects will continue to use untested treatments • There were very few new developments in stone conservation during the 20th

century. Most developments happened during the 19th century • There are no studies on the long-term effect of treatments • We are beginning to understand why stone decays and deteriorates, hence

why certain treatments have failed • Silanes for surface treatments have proven to be a success • Silicone resins as water repellents were not a success; they leave an uneven

film on stone that generates surface erosion • Water cleaning generates its own problems e.g. Rialto Bridge in Venice • We should really re-evaluate our cleaning methods • Most cement composite repairs have failed • Lime putty in the hands of untrained people is a danger to the monuments • Stone preservatives: we don’t understand yet how they work • Long-term monitoring: there is a frightening lack of research

Dallas - Adam's Mark Hotel, where the AIC Conference was held. The hotel has more than 2000 rooms.

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Recommendations: • Proceed cautiously • Educate owners • Explain the role of the conservator • Get personally involved • Document treatments • Synthesize the available treatment research • Promote new treatment research Finally, remember that we can’t bring every stone monument inside! APT/AIC Symposium on Museums in Historic Buildings Dallas, Texas, June 4-5, 2001 The conference was organized and chaired by Thomas T. Taylor, Architect, from Williamsburg VA. This was the fourth meeting on this subject. The former meetings were held in Montreal (1990), New Orleans (1991), and Williamsburg (1998). There were forty participants to this conference. Some came from Argentina, Hong Kong, Canada, Chile and the UK.

Earlier meetings produced the “New Orleans Charter for the Joint Preservation of Structures and Artifacts. It was officially adopted by the Boards of Directors of both AICF and APTI, then by the National Council of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Association of Museums (AAM). The Charter is available in English, French,

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Spanish and Portuguese. Tom Taylor will be mailing me copies for distribution to anyone interested. It is also available on APT’s web site at http://www.apti.org The Charter contains 10 articles. Here are two articles that will give you a general overview: 2. The preservation needs of the historic structure and of the artifacts should be defined only after study adequate to serve as the foundation for the preservation of both. 9. The most appropriate action in a particular case is one, which attains the desired goal with the least intervention to the historic structure and the artifacts. While most of the discussion during the previous three symposia focussed on eighteenth and nineteenth –century buildings that house collections, the 4th symposium addressed the challenge of twentieth-century museum buildings and additions. Following are some of the issues raised or discussed: • Galleries in modern museums all seem to look alike. If you close your eyes

and open them in a museum gallery somewhere in the world, you will have little or no clue as to where you are. This was not the case for museums built during past centuries.

• In most museums, the bulk of their collection is stored in depositories or reserves. For some museums this represents 95% of their collection. Recently, certain museums have decided to open their reserves to scholars and to the general public. This approach raises a whole series of questions and new problems. It was the subject of a heated discussion during the meeting.

• Many architectural spaces have been destroyed by conservators who wanted to protect or exhibit their collections e.g. removal of skylights, blocking of windows, construction of “black boxes” within existing open spaces, entrance halls and large open spaces filled with objects and artifacts etc.

• Several examples were shown to illustrate the fact that almost every time a new wing or addition is made to an existing museum building, that the entrance to the museum is shifted to the new wing. This renders the new complex difficult to “read” architecturally from the exterior and almost impossible to understand in terms of space layout and orientation from the interior.

• The demands and priorities of museums are changing. The 18th and 19th century museum curators understood perfectly the deleterious effect of light on artifacts. Therefore, the collections were rotated and certain types of artifacts were not exhibited, for instance textiles. The visitors in those days did not expect to see the whole collection exhibited all the time. This is not the case today. All visitors expect to see the best pieces of the collection exhibited all of the time.

• Museums now play a new role in our society. They have moved from collection caretakers to a more civic role. In most cities now, more people visit museums than the municipal libraries. Museums have more fund raising power than symphony orchestras. They have more powerful boards than many other cultural institutions.

• Many museums now have a staff of managers, marketers, publication specialists, fund raisers, educators and, computer specialists that exceeds the number of professional staff who study, develop and care for the collections. To maintain this staff and to keep up with all the activities they

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organize, more money is needed. This is why more and more gift shops, restaurants and busloads of tourists are now part of the program of any contemporary museum or the addition to and restoration of existing museums.

• The “star system” in architecture is applied to museum expansions or new museums. Museum boards of directors are looking for a “star” because it will attract attention and funds. They want a new and striking image, a new identity. Restoration or proper museum design is a second priority. Unfortunately, the stars who can also do good restoration and proper museum design are extremely rare.

• The professional museum staff does prepare elaborate and complete functional programs, but more often than not, the architects ignore them.

• The group insisted that multidisciplinary participation in project development and implementation is essential to create a museum that will be efficient and aesthetically pleasing.

Dallas Before I left for Dallas I picked up this short history of the city. I thought that you might be interested in taking a few minutes to read it. In 1839, John Neely Bryan first visited the place that would one day become Dallas. He had come to the three forks area of the Trinity to survey a spot for a possible trading post serving Indians and settlers. The site was the easiest place to cross the Trinity, and also near where the Preston Trail was planned. This highway would link North Texas to South Texas. After surveying, he returned to Arkansas to settle his affairs. While he was gone, a treaty was signed, removing all Indians from North Texas. He returned in November of 1841, to find the Indians, and half of his customers, gone. So, he shifted his trading post idea to that of a permanent community. About 22 miles to the northwest, there was a community called Bird's Fort. He invited those who had settled there to come and settle in his proposed town. John Beeman arrived in April of 1842 and planted the first corn. Other families soon followed. Members of the Peters Colony settled nearby, and Peter's Colony agents bragged on the new town, now called Dallas, attracting even more settlers. For a while, Bryan was everything to the community: postmaster, storeowner, and his home was the courthouse. In 1843, Bryan married Margaret Beeman. The town was quickly growing. In 1843, the first doctor arrived, and in 1845, the first lawyer arrived. In 1845, the first election was held on the issue of Texas' annexation to the United States. Thirty-two citizens were able to vote, 29 voted for annexation and 3 were opposed. Dallas was now a part of the state of Texas. On March 30, 1846, Dallas County was organized. On April 18, Dallas became the temporary county seat, and a tiny log cabin served as the first courthouse. Four years later, in a close election, Dallas was named the permanent county seat. Also in 1846, the first hotel, private school, and church were organized. The first cotton crop was planted, and it quickly became a major cash crop. In 1849, the first newspaper, the Cedar Snag, was printed. This paper was later renamed the Dallas Herald. News of the Gold Rush in California had filtered east, and in 1849, many men passed through Dallas on their way to California. Several Dallasites left to look for gold, including Bryan. He was unsuccessful and returned in 1850.

Dallas - William Lewis Cabell was elected mayor of Dallas in 1874, 1875, and 1877.

After a lengthy campaign, the state of Texas chose Dallas as the site of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Dallas had a long history of hosting the State Fair of Texas. More than fifty buildings were built in Fair Park, and 10 million visitors came to see

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By this time, Dallas had a population of 430. The first factory was built and a brickyard was established, supplying much of the materials for the construction boom lasting until the Civil War. In 1852, Cockrell bought what was left of Bryan's land. In 1855, Cockrell built a bridge over the Trinity River, providing easy transportation between Dallas and surrounding communities. He also built a sawmill and general store. After his death, his wife, Sarah Cockrell, built a flourmill and hotel. Dallas was incorporated as a town in 1856. Samuel Pryor was elected the first mayor. Dallas continued to grow steadily. Many settlers from the failed colony of La Reunion came to Dallas and became leading citizens, adding an artistic and intellectual element to the city. By 1859, Dallas boasted a barbershop and photographer. Two thousand people lived in Dallas by 1860. The railroad was approaching from the south, and several stage lines were already passing through. However, 1860 was a tumultuous year. Dallas began to prepare for war. Public debates on the issue of secession were held, and a volunteer company was begun. In July of that year, a fire broke out in the square, destroying most of the buildings in the business district. A slave plot was immediately suspected. Two abolitionists were run out of town. Three African-American slaves were hung, and all other slaves in the town were ordered whipped. By December, most of the town was rebuilt. The population was growing so quickly that there was a housing shortage. In 1861, Dallas County voted 741-237 for secession. On June 8, a state of war was declared. Citizens were very supportive of the war effort. Parades were held, and the town was decorated. There was no shortage of volunteers. Since Texas and Dallas were so far from the theater of war, they gave money, flour, and various other supplies to the Southern cause. A munitions factory was built. When the Union Army began to approach Mississippi and Louisiana, their cotton was transported and stored here. However, times were rough. Prices for basic household necessities rose dramatically. The newspaper stopped printing for almost a year. Cloth was impossible to purchase. Reconstruction brought its own set of challenges. Texan slaves were freed on June 19, 1865. Many African Americans came to Dallas after the war because the city remained prosperous compared to other Southern towns. Freedman's communities were scattered throughout Dallas. Many whites became fearful, and the Ku Klux Klan first appeared in 1868. Many Southerners came to the Dallas area to rebuild their fortunes after the war. They could no longer maintain plantations, but the farmland of North Texas meant opportunity. Dallas continued to grow during the Reconstruction years, unlike other Southern towns that had to rebuild first. Dallas had also become the center of the buffalo market. Politics during Reconstruction were difficult. During the first election, the voter registration board allowed only those who supported African American suffrage to vote. In 1872, the governor of Texas, E. J. Davis, ordered the mayor of Dallas, Henry Ervay, to be removed from office. He refused and was thrown into jail. The state supreme court ruled that the governor did not have the power to remove officials from office, and he was released. On July 16, 1872, the first passenger train, the Houston and Texas Central, steamed into Dallas. In 1873, the Texas and Pacific came. With the arrival of the

Dallas - Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe

Dallas - Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe Interior

Dallas - Historic building

Dallas – Thanks –Giving Square Church

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trains, the population soared, from 3,000 in early 1872 to more than 7,000 in September of the same year. New businesses and buildings appeared daily. Telegraph lines came into town, connecting Dallas with the outside world. Dallas was now a concentration point for raw materials, such as grain and cotton, shipped to the South and East. It was a last chance for people traveling farther west to get supplies. Large, grand hotels were being built but most buildings remained plain and utilitarian. Utilities, such as water and gas, became available. In 1871, the first volunteer Fire Company, Dallas Hook and Ladder Company #1, was organized. Gas lamps lighted Dallas streets in 1874. The first telephone line linked the water company to the fire station in 1880. This intense growth did not come without problems. Farmers struggled to get fair prices for their crops. After buying supplies on credit during the year, farmers owed the merchants most of their crop. Shipping costs to the coast were high, and the price for cotton was dropping. The Farmer's Alliance, formed in 1877, set up a warehouse in Dallas to ship cotton to St. Louis, since freight charges were cheaper. They hoped to break the cycle of poverty. However, bankers refused to finance the warehouse, and the venture failed in twenty months. Outlaws were also common during this period. Belle Starr began her adventures in Dallas as a dance hall singer and dancer, and later sold stolen horses and harbored outlaws. Doc Holliday came to Dallas to restore his health. He opened a dentist's office, but soon turned to gambling. In 1875, he killed a man and left Dallas. Sam Bass robbed four trains in two months during the spring of 1878. Three months later, Bass was killed in an ambush near Round Rock. In 1890, Dallas annexed the city of East Dallas, which had a larger geographical area than that of Dallas. In 1893, a nation-wide financial panic stalled Dallas's growth. Several banks closed, cotton prices dropped drastically, and the lumber and flour markets all but vanished. People began to leave the city. However, by 1898, the city had begun to recover and grow again. In 1903, Oak Cliff, a city on the other side of the Trinity, was annexed. The relationship between Dallas and the Trinity River has never been quite what Dallas has intended. Trinity River navigation was a dream of many that was never realized. Floods occurred in 1844, 1866, 1871 and 1890, but none were as disastrous as the flood of 1908. The river was 52.6 feet deep and a mile and a half wide. Five people died, four thousand people were homeless, and property damages were estimated at $2.5 million. Dallas was completely dark for three days, all telephone and telegraph service was down, and rail service was cancelled. Oak Cliff could only be reached by boat. After the flood, the city began to discuss the possibilities of flood control and a bridge linking Oak Cliff and Dallas. Prominent citizens began to ask for long range city planning, and in 1911, George Kessler released his plan. Major points included using levees to divert the river, removing the railroad lines on Pacific Avenue, consolidating railroad depots into one central one, new parks and playgrounds, and the widening and straightening of several streets. Most of the plan gathered dust, but in later years, many began to see its importance. In 1920, Kessler was brought back to update the plan, and by the 30s, many of the ideas had been implemented. The only thing that the city of Dallas was lacking was a major university. In 1910, efforts began to have Southwestern University in Georgetown move to Dallas. They refused, but this action brought Dallas to the attention of the Methodists. They voted in 1911 to establish a university in Dallas, after the city offered

Dallas – Skyscrapers of contemporary architecture

Dallas - Turn-of-the-century architecture can be seen along side with scontemporary skyscrapers and public parks

Dallas - Skyscraper architectural detail.

Dallas - Commuter train shelters.

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$300,000 and 666.5 acres of land for the campus. In 1915, Southern Methodist University opened its doors. In 1911, Dallas became the location of one of twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks. The city campaigned for years, and the bank's arrival assured Dallas's place as a financial center. World War I brought Dallas to the forefront of aviation. Love Field was established as an aviation training ground, and Fair Park was the home of Camp Dick, another training facility. The city bought Love Field in 1927 to operate as a municipal airport. The Great Depression gave Dallas a new set of challenges. By 1931, more than 18,000 people were unemployed. Before the New Deal policy began, the city established a work-for-food program that helped many. Even during the closing of the banks, many businesses continued to operate as usual. The main reason Dallas did not suffer as other cities during the Depression was the discovery of oil. In 1930, Columbus Marion "Dad" Joiner struck oil 100 miles east of Dallas. Oil was booming in East Texas, and Dallas was in the perfect position to benefit from this. In the first two months of 1931, twenty-eight businesses either formed or moved to Dallas for the oil. Banks made loans to develop the oil fields, and Dallas became the financial center for oil fields in East Texas, the Permian Basin, the Panhandle, the Gulf Coast, and Oklahoma. After a lengthy campaign, the state of Texas chose Dallas as the site of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Dallas had a long history of hosting the State Fair of Texas. More than fifty buildings were built in Fair Park, and 10 million visitors came to see the $25 million spectacle. In 1948, a new trend in Dallas growth began. Chance Vought, now LTV moved its headquarters to Dallas. Other corporations followed suit, and hometown corporations were also making an impact. By 1974, more than 626 companies, including Texas Instruments, EDS, and Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc., had their headquarters in Dallas. The opening of DFW International Airport in 1974 helped the trend even more. Dallas continued to gain national attention. In 1960, Dallas was home to two professional football team: the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Texans. In 1962, the Texans were moved to Kansas City and renamed the Chiefs. By the 1970s, the Cowboys' success and popularity earned them the nickname "America's Team." In 1972, baseball came to Dallas with the Texas Rangers. The Mavericks brought basketball in 1980. Soccer came in 1984 with the Sidekicks. In 1993, professional hockey came with the Dallas Stars. November 22, 1963 brought a defining moment for Dallas and the nation. Near the spot where John Neely Bryan had first settled, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder. Two days later, Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, killed him. Dallas, and the nation, grieved, and then moved on. But Dallas never forgot. In 1970, the Kennedy Memorial was erected, and in 1989, the Sixth Floor Museum opened. Dallas soon began to look more toward its cultural heritage. In 1966, the Dallas County Heritage Society formed to save Millermore, the last antebellum mansion. Their efforts resulted in the creation of Old City Park. In 1973, Swiss Avenue was designated as Dallas's first historic district. The West End, an old warehouse district, opened in the '80s as a restaurant and entertainment area. Voters

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approved an arts district in 1979. The Dallas Museum of Art moved there from Fair Park in 1984, and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center opened in 1989. In 1983, voters approved a Dallas Area Rapid Transit service plan. Construction later began on a light rail system, which opened in 1996. The system has been successful, and DART continues to expand. The years of two major newspapers ended with the closing of the Dallas Times Herald on December 9, 1991. Dallas was one of the last major cities to have two newspapers. Dallas has come a long way in the last 150 years. From a town of two cabins to a city of more than a million people, Dallas's focus has always been growth and progress. In the coming years, Dallas will certainly continue to make history Case Studies In Values Assessment And Site Management Meeting in Quebec City, June 5-6, 2001 At the initiative of the GCI, representatives from Parks Canada, the US Parks Service, English Heritage and The Australian Heritage Commission met in Quebec City to discuss the Case study of Grosse-Ile, a National Historic Site owned and managed by Parks Canada. Two or three other case studies will be analyzed during the next twelve months, time and budget permitting. These case studies will be selected in each one of the partners’ countries. The case studies will establish a framework to understand how values are assessed, considered, incorporated, rejected and, prioritized. To make these studies accessible and useful, three or four key lessons learned will be highlighted in each case study and they will be well illustrated. The audience targeted by this activity is essentially heritage managers, policy professionals, partners in the project and, indirectly, students and teachers. The objective will not be to pass a critical judgement on the actions undertaken by the national agency responsible for the project, but to highlight what happened between the preparation of the management plan and its implementation and how a wide array of values have shaped the final outcome and still continue to shape the project years later. I will not dwell on the outcome of our meeting, but rather describe to you the case of Grosse-Ile. One of the reasons why Parks Canada suggested that we study Grosse-Ile is that it faced a powerful confrontation of values with representatives of the Irish community across Canada. Grosse-Île was a quarantine island from 1832 to 1937. In 1847 there was a massive immigration of Irish people to Canada. There was an epidemic of typhus and more than five thousand Irish died at Grosse-Ile. After preparing a conservation plan for this project that illustrates the theme of immigration to Canada and lengthy public consultations with the local population that included Irish descendants representatives, Parks Canada decided to hold public consultations in Montreal with the Irish community. This is when it was told that its interpretation of the tragic events that took place in 1847 was not correct and that the plan ought to be modified to reflect what had really happened. A campaign of letters was organized by members of the Irish community and more than 5 000 letters were sent to the federal minister responsible for Parks Canada, along with a list of signatures supporting their position that exceeded

Grosse-Ile in the middle of the St. Laurence River near Quebec City.

Irish emigrants to Canada

Irish emigrants to Canada

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100 000. This resulted in Parks Canada holding public consultations all across Canada and the site being renamed Grosse-Ile and the Irish Memorial. The other case studies that the partners hope to be able to study comprise Adrian’s Wall in the UK, Port Arthur in Australia and a site in the USA where the Native Americans played an important role in shaping the way the site management plan was developed and implemented. Grosse-Île

Grosse-Île is firmly anchored in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, approximately 50 kilometers below Quebec City. It is one of the 21 islands that make up the archipelago of Île-aux-Grues, between Île d'Orléans and Île-aux-Coudres. It stretches approximately two kilometers in length and 800 meters in width. The island draws its importance from the role it played from 1832 to 1937, as a quarantine station of the Port of Quebec, the longstanding main point of arrival for those immigrating to Canada. The immigration to Canada from the beginning of the 19th century until the First World War was important. Grosse-Île also commemorates the tragic events endured by Irish immigrants, primarily during the typhus epidemic of 1847. The Irish portion of Grosse-Île’s history is heartbreaking. In 1847, the worst year of the Great Famine, over 5000 immigrants, the majority of them of Irish origin, succumbed to typhus and were laid to rest on Grosse-Île. One speaks of the tragedy of Grosse-Île. That year, close to 100 000 emigrants left British and Irish ports and headed for the Port of Quebec. Only 90 000 made it to the Port of Quebec (that’s close to 10 000 deaths over the course of the ferry crossing and during quarantine). Six out of seven emigrants were of Irish origin. Two weeks after the opening of the navigation season, from May 14 to 19, 1847, the first four ships disembarked 285 sick passengers and 1200 healthy ones, thereby exceeding the accommodation capacity of Grosse-Île! This marked the beginning of an incredible and sinister procession… During the summer months, over 30 boats remained on standby in front of the quarantine station; an average of 1500 patients were treated there daily and some 12 000 passengers were constantly held in quarantine. Stirring and highly charged with history, the island has a wide variety of cultural resources: close to 30 heritage buildings, over 1000 archaeological remains,

The Irish cemetery where more than 5000 Irish were buried during the typhus epidemic in 1847.

The Celtic Cross monument at Grosse-Île.

The First Class Hotel.

The Second Class Hotel.

The Third Class Hotel.

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approximately 5000 ethnological collection pieces, three cemeteries and several commemorative monuments. In addition, this National Historic Site is witness to the works of Dr. Frederick Montizambert in the area of preventive medicine and public health in Canada. The Last Judgment Mosaic 2001 12-15 June 2001, Prague Castle, Czech Republic Let me begin by saying that I believe that this was a very successful symposium organized jointly by the GCI and the Czech Republic Office of the President. I was proud of everyone from the GCI involved with this project. I think that a great deal was accomplished by bringing together all those who participated to the research and conservation of this important 14th century mosaic. It certainly demonstrated that the conservation of such a precious artifact gains by having a multidisciplinary team working together. Art historians, architects, archaeologists, conservators, scientists and managers all contributed to the success of this project. It all began in 1992 when the Office of the President of the Czech Republic and the Getty Conservation Institute embarked on a collaborative project to restore and conserve The Last Judgment mosaic located on the Golden Gate of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle. The Mosaic, completed in 1371, is the finest example of monumental mediaeval mosaics in central Europe. After six years of research and three years of restoration and conservation, The Last Judgment mosaic displays its full splendor and merits the attention of both art historians and conservators. The goal of the symposium was to inform specialists in all fields related to mosaic research and conservation of the latest art historical research and developments in conservation technology made during the project. The symposium also seeked to stimulate further discussion on some unresolved issues related to the origin of the mosaic and to promote future research in conservation technology as needed for long-term maintenance of the mosaic. The technical challenge that the GCI faced with this project was essentially that the mosaic that was completed in 1371 was made out of glass tesserae (pieces). This in itself is not a problem, because mosaics have been made out of glass tesserae for a long time. But, the glass made in Prague for this outstanding mosaic contained potassium. When exposed to air and humidity, the glass oxidizes and a gray film appears on the surface. Therefore, a few years after the mosaic had been completed, it could not be seen anymore. It was cleaned many times, but again, only a few years after cleaning, it was covered over by this gray film again. The GCI teamed up with specialists in materials research from UCLA. They were doing advanced research at that time on coatings, some for the space industry. Together the GCI and UCLA developed and tested a new protection system made up of a protective layer and a sacrificial layer that must be replaced at regular intervals. Removing the sacrificial layer will not damage the original mosaic. Each little piece of glass was coated with this system and the mortar joints were left non-coated to allow natural humidity to migrate through the wall. • Jeanne Marie Teutonico made a well-illustrated presentation on the

methodology and principles applied by the GCI to conservation projects.

Travel from Grosse-Île to Quebec

Kate Clark from English Heritage in the small plane en route to Quebec City. Is Christopher Young the pilot?

Christina Cameron, Kate Clark & Randall Mason

Randall Mason, U. of Maryland & Christopher Young, English Heritage on the boat from Montmagny to Grosse-Île.

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• Dusan Stulik spoke about the research and testing done in the GCI labs. • Shin Maekawa explained how environmental data was gathered and

interpreted. • Francesca Pique and Rand Eppich described the documentation process.

Rand actually made a presentation of CAD drawings using his laptop and it worked without any glitch!

• Eric Bescher (UCLA) presented the research and development of the multi-layer coating system that was applied. The system is a three-coat, four-application system. In a nutshell, the coating system comprises a first coat of a new material developed specifically for this project, a sol-gel organic-inorganic material that is applied to the cleaned pieces of glass tessarae. Once dried, a coat of a cross-linked material called Lumiflon is applied and a gold leaf layered on it; then a second application of the same cross-linked Lumiflon is made and dried. Finally, a coat of non cross-linked Lumiflon is applied and cured. This last coat is the sacrificial coat.

Czech and international specialists also presented their work or research on this project. More that 90 persons participated to the seminar that was masterfully organized by Chris Seki. The symposium papers will be published later on this year.

Non-cross-linked LUMIFLON (sacrificial) Cross-linked LUMIFLON Gold leaf

Cross-linked LUMIFLON Sol-gel organic-inorganic material (methi-triepoxy-silane+glacidoxy-propotrietoxy-silane)

Mosaic glass tessarae

Prague Cathedral

The Last Judgment mosaic, central panel, three years after treatment.

The 209 steps we had to climb everyday to go to the conference location.

JM Teutonico, E. Fusikova, R.Eppich, J.Oddy,C.Seki,F.Pique,E.Bescher,D.Stulik,D.Michaledis, C.Seki

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Karlstein (Charles’ Castle) Our Czech colleagues organized a splendid visit to Karlstein for the participants to the symposium. Karlstein is the most attractive castle in Bohemia. Charles IV had the castle built in 1348-65 by two of the most important architects of the Gothic Age, Matthew of Arras and Peter Parler, who were also responsible for St Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague. Here, far from the capital and impregnable against outside attack, the emperor planned to keep the Imperial Jewels, the Coronation Insignia of the Bohemian Kings and the relics he had gathered together from all over Europe. The pious ruler, who was also a noted theological scholar, planned to meditate in peace surrounded by his religious treasures. Most interesting was the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. It is divided into two sections, in which remains of the original frescoes can still be seen. Of particular interest is the room next door, the little Chapel of St Catherine. This was the emperor’s private chapel, which no one but he was allowed to enter. He often shut himself in here for days at a time. Food and important documents were passed to him through a narrow opening at floor level. The walls are decorated with approximately 1,000 semi precious stones set in gold. On the altar, at eye level for the kneeling emperor, are portrayed Christ, the Virgin Mary and St John with companions. Above, in the altar niche, is the Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus, to whom Charles IV and his third wife, Anna von Schweidnitz, are paying homage. A drawbridge used to lead from St Mary’s Tower to the Great Tower, which contained the holy of holies, the Chapel of the Cross. This chapel is not open to the public and visitors must be content with video pictures of the interior. But our group was awarded the high privilege of being able to visit the Chapel. It was completed in 1365, was planned as a single vast treasure chamber, with decorations of artistic and material value corresponding to its precious contents. It is an extraordinary space. A gilt screen divides the twin-trussed chapel. The ribbed vaulting is also covered in gold set with stars of molten glass. The walls are set with 2,451 precious and semi-precious stones, including topazes, amethysts, jasper, onyx and chrysolite. No fewer than 1,300 golden thorns encircle the room like a ribbon, on which the candles shine. Through the quartz window, only subdued light from outside was able to penetrate. Master Theodorich, the most important Bohemian artist of the time, painted 127 exquisite portraits of saints, behind which the relics collected by the emperor were kept. He also painted the Crucifixion scene on the High Altar. Behind the golden screen beneath were the coronation insignia and the most important relics. During the Middle Ages, only the emperor, the archbishop and a few privileged people were permitted to enter the room. Even today, the chapel is only open to the public to a very restricted extent. A few anecdotes There were a few anecdotes along this trip. Let me share with you a few of them. • We were taken on a tour of the splendid rooms of the Royal Palace. The

lighting in these rooms was restored recently. Our hostess, Eliska Fucikova

Karlstein View from the Great Tower

Karlstein model of St-Mary's Tower

Karlstein Chapel of the Cross with its gilded ceiling and 129 original paintings of the 14th century.

Karlstein Chapel of the Cross painting; notice the over-painting on the frame and the location for the saint's relics at the bottom-center of the frame

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shared with us that financing of such work was expensive and it was necessary to look for donors. It so happened that the lighting engineer that they hired to design the new, more appropriate lighting scheme, was the same person who does the lighting schemes for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll band. He asked them if they would finance this project and Mick Jaegger agreed.

• After the meetings in Quebec City concerning the Grosse-Île case study project, I arrived at the Montreal airport only to be told that I needed a visa to go to the Czech Republic, something that our travel agency had overlooked. What to do…. The travel agency suggested I continue on to Paris and try to get a visa from there. It is late Friday afternoon. I have to wait until Monday morning for the Czech consulate to open. Tension, tension… at the Czech consulate I am told that it takes at least 4 days to get a visa, no exception. But the hero came through. Dusan Stulik talked to his colleagues in Prague. They sent a note to the French Ambassador on letterhead from the President of the Republic. I got the visa within 4 hours! Off I flew to Prague, in time for the opening of the Symposium.

• One of the symposium participants from Italy broke an ankle on the Prague sidewalks. Poor Chris, who had to deal with a thousand problems, had to cope with this one on top of all the others.

• Shin had prepared an impeccable slide presentation. He comes on stage, says all the appropriate introductory things, then pressed the remote button to activate the slide projector… his slides began rolling backward. After pressing the buttons five or six times, he called in the local technician to the rescue. He pressed the buttons, and the slides kept going backward. It took another few minutes to resolve the problem. This did not happen to anyone else… it must be a Japanese thing!

• John Oddy fitted so well with the GCI group that we gave him an honorary membership in the GCI!

• Dusan took great pride in describing to us what he thought was the first instance of “chemical warfare”. During the siege of Charles’ Castle (Karlstein) in the14th century, the enemy could not conquer the castle using traditional assault techniques. So their leader asked the soldiers to fill barrels with … guess what. Then, they catapulted some 1,800 barrels full of this stuff onto the castle. But in the end, even if it smelled pretty bad, they did not conquer the castle.

The City of Prague – A few facts Even the moon assured the great Czech writer Jan Neruda that “no other city can compare with the beauty of Prague”, whilst for Paul Valéry there was “no other place in the world where the magnificence of the whole is subordinated to so many precious details and cameos”. Virtually no other city has been praised across the centuries as continuously and effusively as Prague. “Prague the Golden” and “Prague of the Hundred Towers” are just two of its epithets, which seem as fitting now as they were in days long past. Anybody who gazes over the city from the parapets of Hradcany Castle must surely appreciate why. Prague is the most fortunate of all European cities; fortunate because its skyline was never touched by the ravages of war and because its essential appearance was never scarred by the addition of modern eyesores. Viewed from the Castle Hill, the historical center, whose hundreds of rooftops reflect the golden patina of the midday sun, clings to the gently curving bend in the River Vltava. Its banks seem to be only just held together by the

Charles Bridge Gate.

Bishop's Palace

Door to official building.

One of the most ancient water tower of Europe, built in 1489; it supplied water to houses and fountains of the Old Town until 1912

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filigreed constructions of its bridges: on the one side lies the Lesser Quarter and on the other the Old Town. Prague is the seat of the national president and the National Assembly of the Czech Republic. On 1 January 1993 the federal state of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. The revolution that swept the country in 1989 brought the old quarrels between the two republics once again to the forefront, and strong political movements in both republics negotiated the division of the country during the course of 1992. The Czech Republic has opted to go for more rapid change under a program of economic reforms based on the principle of the free market, and is making enormous efforts to establish the conditions under which it will participate actively in the European Community of the future. The population of the republic is over 10 million, and while the majority are ethnic Czechs, there remains a sizeable German minority. The city of Prague has a population of 1.3 million living over a total area of 497 sq. km. Historic Prague boasts over 500 towers and steeples. The region in which Prague stands today was inhabited during the Stone Age. In circa 400BC the area was invaded by a Celtic tribe, the Boii, who gave Bohemia its name. From the 9th until the 14th century, princes from the Premyslid dynasty ruled Bohemia without interruption. Emperor Charles IV ruled from 1346 to 1378. During his reign Prague experiences its most glittering Golden Age and becomes the largest city in Central Europe.

The Baroque castle of Troja