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THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION • NOVEMBER 2015 • ISSUE 61

Needing treatment: a WWI surgical field pannier

Also in this issue

Celebrating the Conservation Awards!

The aftermath of a fire

An economical storage solution

ICONnews NOVEMBER COVER 2015_01234 03/11/2015 16:43

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Get ready – Icon’s 2016 Conference is coming up!

Turn and Face the Change:Conservation in the 21st Century Looking towards future trends in conservation and discussingcurrent challenges faced by the sector.

Call for Papers out now!

October Deadline for Abstracts

NovemberBooking Opens

May Booking Closes

Icon 2016June 15–17 2016Conference Aston,Birmingham

With events at Thinktank Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

ICONnews NOVEMBER COVER 2015_01234 03/11/2015 16:43

inside NOVEMBER 2015 Issue 61

2 NEWSFrom the Chief Executive,studio space for rental, newsfrom Knole, conservation inputto Cathedral care, Group news

8THE CONSERVATIONAWARDS

14PEOPLE

17LESSONS LEARNED FROMA FIRETwo years on the NationalLibrary of Wales are almostback to normal

22AROUND AND ABOUTThe Hirayama Studio, Paisley’sGrand Fountain again and anaccredited thriller

25REVIEWSFrench upholstery, horologicalconservation, the latest OCCForum, paper history aroundWinchester

33IN PRACTICEEconomical storage is devisedfor rolled works of art and theemerging conservator onissues with a WW1 fieldsurgical pannier

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

T +44(0)20 3142 6799

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

Chief ExecutiveAlison Richmond [email protected]

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

ISSN 1749-8988

Icon NewsEditorLynette [email protected]

Production designerMalcolm [email protected]

PrintersCalderstone Design & Print Limitedwww.calderstone.com

Design Rufus [email protected]

For recruitment and all otheradvertisingJulia Jablonska02031 426 [email protected]

Cover photo:A No.1 Field Surgical Pannier fromWorld War I, with largely intactcontents, was recently made readyfor display at a forthcoming ScienceMuseum exhibition. See article onpage 35Credit: Kira Zumkley © ScienceMuseum / Science & Society PictureLibrary

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 January 2016 issue

Editorial 30 November 2015

Adverts: 17 December 2015

From the Editor The first issue of Icon News saw the light ofday in November 2005 and now here we areexactly ten years later with issue 61. I don’tknow whether it was serendipity or greatplanning that saw a round of theConservation Awards take place in Icon’s10th anniversary year but it was an inspired

move. Congratulations to all the winners and short-listedrunners-up and indeed all those who took part! Thanks arealso due to the many members of Icon and elsewherewhose sterling efforts in screening, judging, organising andsponsoring made it all happen. You can read about theevent on page 8 and, in her column, our CEO AlisonRichmond reflects on how the Awards mirror what Iconstands for.

Icon has a way to go before it catches up with the BritishMuseum’s Hirayama Studio, celebrating its 21st anniversarythis autumn. You can read more about this unusualconservation studio on page 22 and we send all goodwishes to the studio’s colleagues, friends, partners,supporters and generous benefactors.

The lessons of a library fire bring us down to earth, just incase we risk getting too complacent and self-congratulatory.

Lynette Gill

ICON NEWS • NOVEMBER 2015 • 1

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

IconNews NOVEMBER 2015 03/11/2015 16:23 Page 1

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From the Chief Executive

ICON TEN YEARS ONAlison Richmond ACR FIICon what last month’sAwards say about IconIt is exactly ten years sinceIcon was founded and wedecided to celebrate our10th anniversary with a largerthan ever awardsprogramme. You can read allabout the Icon ConservationAwards 2015 in this issue ofIcon News. Thinking abouthow successful the eventwas, it occurred to me thatthe Awards programme is amirror reflecting what Icon

stands for and is capable of.

• The Awards are a seamless whole, bringing together manydifferent conservation disciplines, conservation practice andresearch.

• The Awards are only made possible through partnership.We have worked for over two years with our partners andsponsors beyond our own sector.

• The Awards are able to attract significant amounts ofcharitable funding, sponsorship and in-kind support whichtogether cover the full cost of the whole programme.

• The Awards promote the highest achievements of ourwhole community – conservators, scientists, volunteers andothers – to audiences well beyond our own profession.

This is exactly what our founders had in mind when, in 2005,the five of the twelve conservation bodies on the NationalCouncil for Conservation-Restoration (NCCR) came togetherto form Icon. It was to be a new kind of conservation bodyand the new body would be greater than the sum of its parts.

At the time, the conservation community was spread acrossmany separate groups and organisations. There wasduplication of administration and governance, as well as ofmembership, with many being members of more than oneorganisation. With a critical mass of members, anticipated tobe around 3000, Icon would be the leading membership bodyfor the conservation community and it would be able toestablish economies of scale. It would represent members inall disciplines from both the public and the private sectors. Itwas also to accommodate the existing special interest groupsin its new structure.

Although we have not yet reached the original target formembership, (partially due to an over ambitious target), andconvergence has not always been smooth sailing, we havemanaged to build a bona fide professional association(according to the definition established by PARN* ) with theprerequisite governance structures, communications systems,

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professional updatecode of conduct, complaints procedure, and CPDrequirements. We also now have an administration team andsystems that are fit for purpose and effectively supportmembers and Groups.

From the outset Icon was to be inclusive and unite theconservation profession with the wider conservationcommunity. This was a very important concept to thefounders of Icon. Our new body wasn’t just for conservators, itwas for everyone involved in conservation. This is the rightapproach. Conservation is not an activity that is carried outonly by conservators, it is truly multi-disciplinary and, at times,requires the collaboration of others, including curators,owners, librarians, archivists, artists, craftspeople, teachers,scientists, structural engineers, art historians, architects,surveyors, and volunteers.

Nor should we want to reserve the right to conserve whenthere is so much heritage to look after, involving manystraightforward preventive measures, and so many peoplewho can benefit from volunteering – sometimes in life-changing ways. That is why, for the first time, the awardsrecognised projects in which volunteers worked with aconservator – the conservator ensuring that our ProfessionalStandards are at the heart of the project.

In 2005, the fragmentation of the sector was undermining ourability to influence policy and decision makers. With a sharedclarity of purpose and a strong, credible, cohesive voice, Iconwould be the lead voice for conservation and would be in aposition to influence decisions that affect heritage.

Having run this organisation for the last five years, there isabsolutely no doubt in my mind that we have only achievedwhat we have because we are taken seriously by others as theleader in the sector. One outstanding example is thesignificant role that Icon had as a witness in the House ofLords Enquiry into Science and Heritage in 2006/7 and againat the follow-up enquiry in 2012. To continue to be aneffective voice and to work successfully with our partners weneed to bring ever more clarity to our very small but overlycomplicated profession.

Icon has come a long way since 2005. Particularly in setting upa sustainable fit-for-purpose organisation. But there is muchmore to do. The trustees have set three strategic directions oftravel that will be developed in more detail over the nexteight months:

• Strengthen the support Icon gives to professionalconservators

• Raise the public and policy profile of Icon

• Increase a wider membership and supporter base

With these, we will be building on our success to date andmaking greater strides in fulfilling our founders’ aspirations.

* Professional Associations Research Network Professional Bodies: A UserGuide Professor Andy Friedman, in press 2015.



CALL FOR CONSERVATIONPROFESSIONALS To serve on the Church of England’s Cathedral FabricAdvisory Committees ChurchCare, the buildings division of the Church of England,would like to hear from experienced conservationprofessionals with an interest in cathedrals and the time andspecialist skills to serve on their voluntary Fabric AdvisoryCommittees (FACs). Works on and around the Church ofEngland’s forty two cathedrals are controlled by a statutoryplanning system, of which FACs form a critical part.

Each cathedral has its own FAC: a committee of eight to tenexpert members that provides the cathedral with advice onthe care, conservation and development of the cathedralbuildings, setting and contents. Each FAC is carefullyconstituted to contain expertise relevant to the cathedral’splans for its buildings and contents. We wish to build up a listof suitable candidates to serve on the FACs and are keen tobuild a strong conservation presence.

Expressions of interest are invited from competent andexperienced specialists, including professionals in the

conservation of buildings and/or objects, preventiveconservation and environmental management, museums andcollections management, and heritage management.

Although the role is voluntary, it presents a fantasticopportunity to contribute to the care and conservation of ourrich ecclesiastical heritage and is great for CPD.

For more information on the role of FACs, and to expressinterest, please visit: http://churchcare.co.uk/about-us/campaigns/news/931-expressions-of-interest-cathedral-fabric-advisory-committees or [email protected]. The deadline is 30November 2015.Janet [email protected]

A Burne-Jones window in Birmingham Cathedral

Medieval glass in Bristol Cathedral

A late 15thc misericord in the quire of Ripon Cathedral

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MAKING MORE OUT OF STUDIO SPACEConservation studio space rental at City of WestminsterArchivesFinding bench space whilst a freelance conservator can bedifficult. Colleagues with their own studios may offer space fora limited time but often there may not be long-termavailability. For freelancers who have not yet built a reliablecollection of clients, committing to studio rental and investingin heavier or bulky equipment, may not be a financiallyresponsible option. For me, a question posed during a laterplenary session of the 2013 Icon Conference in Glasgow hasquietly echoed in my memory: ‘Why can’t larger institutionswith empty benches rent out space?’

This echo grew louder for me during one of my recentprojects. Whilst providing maternity cover as a book andpaper conservator at City of Westminster Archives (COWAC) Imanaged and ran a pilot project to rent bench space in theirconservation studio. The goal was to match the archive’sincreased revenue requirements with a need from freelanceconservators for studio space available to rent on a flexiblebasis.

During the budgeting process for 2015–2016 and the futurethree years, the Conservative-led borough of City ofWestminster, in common with all local Councils, is facing achallenging financial climate and increasing income is a keydriver for all departments. The management team forCOWAC, including Adrian Autton and Mary Enright, werealready open to the idea of using the conservation studio togenerate income for the service and the budgetary

announcement lent added emphasis to exploit existinginfrastructure, both space and plant goods.

From the conservation perspective, a number of conservatorshad completed internships and a number of redundancieshad happened, thus creating a pool of people looking forspace in which to work until a longer term solution wasavailable. Additionally, a number of freelance conservatorswho would normally work in a home studio had projects thatrequired larger scale equipment like fume cupboards orwashing sinks. Therefore a group of people willing to try outour pilot scheme was approached to test the idea of rentingbench space.

With management approval, preparing to rent space in theconservation studio required implementing additional healthand safety procedures, agreeing security arrangements andsetting up a charging process, all of which involved the widerarchive team. Insurance for the renter and their objects wasalso evaluated and special procedures put in place forparticularly high value items.

Fortunately, the robust volunteer programme run by the

Alison Forsey, COWAC volunteer, working in front of bench spacebeneath windows used in pilot project

Meagen Smith, book and paper conservator, working in studiospace used in pilot project at City of Westminster Archive Centre

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archives over the previous years meant that many existingpolicies and procedures needed adjusting rather thancreating from blank, such as use of the non-public areas likethe staff kitchen or allocating parking space for delivery ofobjects to be conserved. Additionally, space allocation wasthoroughly planned by specifically allocating areas in thestudio to those who rented as well as providing securestorage within the studio.

Management of the rental scheme was organised in a way tominimise conservator time by using an online booking systemand providing a robust induction session so that clientsrenting studio space would be as self-sufficient as possible.

With all planning in place, Ann-Marie Miller, a bookconservator and owner of Codex Conservation, used thestudio for two weeks to help COWAC test the project. It wasdeclared a success from both sides. In her feedback Ann-Marie stated: ‘It was pretty much ideal as a temporaryworkspace. I was able to come in at my convenience’. Inaddition, Alison Forsey, a long standing volunteer said ‘It wasfascinating to see how another conservator works and addedto my experience in the conservation studio’.

Managers at COWAC rated the pilot a success and put plansin place to make studio rental an on-going part of thearchive’s portfolio of services when the permanentconservator returned after maternity leave. With the end ofmy contract in June, I was pleased to know I’d quietened theecho from the Glasgow conference and proud to know I’daddressed two very pressing requirements within heritage.

Meagen SmithBook and paper conservator

KNOLE CONSERVATION STUDIO It is now six months since Dana Goodburn-Brown and I wereappointed Knole Conservation Studio Manager as a job sharepost. The creation of the studio is part of the ‘Inspired byKnole’ project; the biggest conservation project the NationalTrust has undertaken, which has been designed to finallytackle some of the long standing conservation issues at Knoleand transform the visitor experience.

One of the legacies of the project will be the ConservationStudio, a permanent feature at Knole, which will continue tooffer conservation services, analysis, research andinvestigation, and promote conservation to the public.

To set up a studio from scratch is a daunting task; not onlydoes the space need to be multidisciplinary; it will also beopen to the public seven days a week. It needs to be aflexible space: for the first three years work will focus mainlyon the Knole collection and be funded through the project,beyond that the business must support itself and break even.

Both Dana and I recognise that this is a fantastic opportunityto demonstrate the work conservators do, whilst also carryingout much needed conservation work. We have theopportunity through the studio, to not only engage with thepublic, but also to offer work placements, skills training and

An architect’s view of how the studio will look once finished

A view of building work to the Knole studio at roof level

support for new conservators, students, interns andvolunteers.

Day 1 saw us getting straight into detail: we had to make adecision on where every plug socket needed to go in the newStudio – for those used to building projects, this wouldprobably be no surprise but considering we didn’t yet have abuilding to look at, this was obviously quite a challenge. Theadvice given by all was you can never have too many!

We have then embarked on a tour of conservation studioshere in the UK. It has been a fantastic experience for us butalso extremely useful for planning our space. The task ofplanning a studio from scratch that will enable different typesof conservation to be carried out, and also future flexibility, isconsiderable and we needed expert advice.

From Windsor Castle to the Science Museum, conservatorshave been generous with their time and knowledge. We havelearnt what has and hasn’t worked in their studios; what arethe vital pieces of equipment and what will sit in a cornergathering dust; how to work with architects and designers tocome up with a plan that keeps everyone happy; and do weneed a noisy pod or not! We have seen that conservators areextremely creative people who come up with ingenioussolutions to problems – who knew that massage tables,dentists chairs and motorbike jacks could be so useful in aconservation studio!

The results enabled us to plan in detail the layout of thePh

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Opening day is pencilled in for July and recruitment is due tostart in January so please be on the lookout if you think thiswill be the place for you!

Siobhan Barratt ACR

* Centre for Doctoral Training in Science and Engineering in Arts Heritage andArchaeology

NEWS FROM THE GROUPS

Book and Paper GroupThe Book and Paper Group is delighted to be working withthe Photographic Materials Group on a joint session for IconConference 2016. We recently sent out a call for papers andwe hope to receive submissions on a wide variety of topics sothat we have plenty to choose from!

Sadly, our Student Development Officer Joanna Baum will beleaving us in December. We wish Jo all the best and thankher for her initiatives and hard work in this position. Jo’s roleon the committee will therefore become available and theGroup will be issuing an Iconnect for applications imminently.Keep an eye out if you are interested!

New volunteers for the CTR Committee are also needed tohelp organise the CTR’s busy programme of events.Prospective volunteers should contact CTR Chair FrançoiseRichard ([email protected]).

The recent Group Chairs’ Committee meeting included adiscussion with Caroline Peach, one of Icon’s Interim Joint-Chairs. We discussed three new Task and Finish Groupstrands, as well as the areas of development that Icon wishesto expand. At the end of the meeting we had occasion tomeet the new Chair of Icon’s Board of Trustees, SiobhanStevenson, who is very keen to establish goodcommunications at all levels.

There are some great CTR events coming up and the Bookand Paper Committee recently voted to introduce a cap oncourse prices for members in order to make them even moreaffordable.

studio space and have given us some great contacts andsupport in the conservation profession. Knole, and the plansfor ‘Inspired by Knole’, continue to excite and interest peopleand this will build over the coming months leading up to thestudio opening in 2016.

Our next task is to build our team. We will need conservatorsto join us so we can fulfil our objectives to the HeritageLottery Fund and start to conserve the incredible collection atKnole. We also need to plan beyond this and start to build asustainable conservation business for the future. And we wantto continue to offer our visitors an interesting, informative andexciting experience.

We will be recruiting a team of conservators to work in thestudio, in the first instance focusing on furniture, frames,paintings and upholstery. There will be a strong emphasis onresearch and analysis whilst we unpick the secrets of Knole’scollection. We also want our team to share our passion foropening up the conservation profession to the public, tointerest people who may never have been to a museumbefore and share in the excitement of new discoveries aboutthe pieces we are conserving, as well as the skills andmethods we use to analyse, record, stabilise and prepareitems for display.

The Knole Conservation Studio aims to excel in work-basedlearning, training and support for up and coming conservatorsof the future. We will embrace innovation wherever possibleand are delighted that we have formed a partnership withSEAHA* University College London for a three-year HeritageScience PhD studentship – ‘Heritage Smells’.

The National Trust has established great partnership workingwith volunteers, and our new studio will continue and build onthis tradition of sharing skills and harnessing the interest,energy and enthusiasm that volunteers bring to working withheritage.

If you are interested, have any advice: ‘top tips’ / ‘do’s &don’ts’ for us, or would like to know more please do contact uson [email protected] .

One of Knole’s tapestries illustrates how vital the studio’s work will be

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Please check out our new Icon website, especially thecalendar that lists our upcoming events. The site looksfantastic, but of course suggestions for further improvementsare always welcome. If you have any suggestions, whether forthe site, or for ways in which the Book & Paper Group canhelp conservators, please do get in touch!

Isabelle Egan ACR Group Chair

Book and Paper CTR UpdateThe Book and Paper CTR is preparing an inspiring program ofworkshops and lectures over the coming months that willappeal to professionals across disciplines.

Historian Professor Richard Gameson and scientists ProfessorAndrew Beeby and Dr Kate Nicholson will give an eveninglecture on identifying pigments in medieval manuscriptsusing Raman spectroscopy. The lecture will take place at theWellcome Trust in London on 18 January 2016. Identifyingmaterials used in illuminated manuscripts reveals informationon both the technology of illumination and the evolution ofthe medieval palette. The speakers’ trans-disciplinaryapproach allows them to acquire specific data in a non-invasive manner, and interpret information gathered frommedieval manuscripts throughout the British Isles andNorthern Europe. The lecture will include a demonstration oftheir portable analytical equipment.

A series of workshops on bespoke housing for books andmanuscripts will start with a three-day practical workshop onmaking preservation boxes for scrolls. Conservators ClaudiaBenvestito and Veronica Zoppi will teach participants how toproduce a multi-function box that provides adequate roomfor storage, a safe surface for handling, and an ideal supportfor display. The course will take place at the British Libraryfrom 7 to 9 March 2016.

A workshop on parchment conservation will be held atCorpus Christi College, Cambridge from 22 to 24 March 2016.The workshop will cover both theory and practice. A variety ofthemes will be addressed, including: material transformationfrom animal skin to manuscript; codicology for conservators;recent developments in conservation science and theirinfluence on practical conservation; and how scientificresearch into historic parchment helps inform other areas ofresearch.

Detailed programs and booking information for each eventwill be released in due course.

Françoise Richard ACR (Chair, Book and Paper CTR)[email protected]

Metals GroupThe Metals Committee wishes to thank Rozemarijn van derMolen, who has stepped down from the Committee due to amove. Her place on the Committee has been filled by GatesSofer, Conservator at Tate. Welcome, Gates!

Photographic Materials Group The Icon Photographic Materials Group’s AGM and afternooncolloquium ‘Photography: A Victorian Sensation in Focus’took place in Edinburgh on 15 September 2015.The event,

which included an accompanied visit to the exhibition‘Photography: a Victorian Sensation’ at National MuseumsScotland, and talks by the conservators, curatorial andexhibition design staff involved, was a sell out. A review of theevent will be published in an upcoming issue of Icon News,and the chair’s report from the AGM is available for Groupmembers on the Icon website:http://icon.org.uk/groups/photographic-materials

By the time of publication, our second historic processesworkshop held in collaboration with the Icon Book & PaperGroup will have taken place.This second workshop at LuxDarkroom in London focussed on salt printing, and sold out inrecord time. We are looking to organise similar events outwiththe London area. If any of our members have any ideas forpossible venues, then please get in touch, and look out forfurther announcements as details are finalised.

Stone & Wall Painting Group ICON CONFERENCE 2016: Turn and Face the Change:Conservation in the 21st Century is Icon’s third triennialconference and takes place 15–17 June 2016 at AstonUniversity, Birmingham. The Stone & Wall Painting Groupsession at the conference aims to focus on the followingtopics:

• What are the current trends in treatment?

• How is the profession using new technologies, techniquesand science?

The Group has released a call for papers. If you would like topresent a paper please send a brief (approx. 250 word)abstract / proposal to: Lizzie Wooley or Lynne Humphries [email protected].

Textile Group There are two events planned for December. Due to itsprevious popularity there is another chance to do the‘Understanding Tapestry Back to Basics’ course. This is run byCaron Penney and is designed specifically for textileconservators wishing to understand more about tapestryweaving. It will enable participants to gain a deeper insightinto both contemporary and historical weaving techniquesthrough a practical workshop over two days. The course willrun on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December at the HeritageSkills Centre in Lincoln.

On Saturday 5 December there will be a visit to Whitworth ArtGallery with a behind the scenes tour of the textile store andcurrent exhibition ‘Art Textiles’ with textile conservator AnnFrench. There is also the possibility of a visit to Platt HallCostume Gallery and an evening social event, in conjunctionwith this.

Please contact [email protected] for further detailsof both these events and to book a place.

Further details of these events and upcoming events can befound on the website and on facebook


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A Conservation Awards ceremony isalways enjoyable and past occasionshave always generated excitementand enthusiasm. Icon, though we sayit ourselves, is good at this kind ofthing. The 2015 Awards were noexception. The sense of occasion waspalpable, with a terrific buzz ofexcitement before, during and afterthe ceremony. It started with the venue. The splendid HQ of the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers – a stone’s throw from the Houses ofParliament – was itself a winner, its elegance andsumptuousness adding enormously to the glamour and statusof the event. With her welcome to the evening, the tone wasset by our Chief Executive, Alison Richmond. Bounding (noother word for it) onto the podium, she warned us to ‘fastenour seatbelts for a whirlwind tour of some fantastic projects’.

Then there was the brilliant choice of host for the evening:Tim Marlow, Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Artsand a great broadcaster on arts topics. Enthusiastic, funny andinterested, with a light touch he kept the flow of ‘the Oscars

Conservation Awards 2015

Members of Group 199: the Award for Volunteering in theConservation of an Industrial Heritage Artefact made it allworthwhile

Tim Marlow: a terrific compere for the evening

Tate’s Patricia Smithen and Bronwyn Ormsby collect the AnnaPlowden Trust Award from Baroness Sharp

Jm Mitchell and the Paisley Fountain project leader Elaine Troup (r)with their Award for the Conservation of an Industrial HeritageArtefact. Isabel Pollock (l) presented it on behalf of the Institution ofMechanical Engineers.

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of conservation’ going at a great pace. With six awards andeach one with several entries, there were a great many visualsand descriptions to get through, yet the audience’s attentionwas held throughout. (Tim’s own vote for best title of thenight was for the Imperial War Museum’s project ‘War againstDust: space vacuums, air bazookas and duster drones’.)Reflecting on the projects at the end, he commented: ‘Whatyou do is heroic and rather humbling’ – high praise indeed.

If there was one aspect that distinguished this event from itspredecessors, it was the very welcome presence of peoplefrom outside the immediate conservation community –especially the volunteers, demonstrating a wider age-rangethan is usual for professional conservators – and the great and

the good from important organisations, such as HistoricEngland, the National Trust and NADFAS (the NationalAssociation of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies), all of whomwe hope were impressed by the quality of the work on show,not to mention the glitz of an Icon occasion.

It was also a distinct coup to have a statement of supportfrom HRH The Prince of Wales as the foreword to the printedprogramme. What better accolade could there have beenthan this extract: ‘I would like to congratulate all the winnersof the 2015 Awards, and those involved in all the othercompeting projects, as well as everyone who has played apart in organizing and supporting the Awards programmeand Icon’s 10th anniversary event’.

Deborah Cane holds the Pilgrim Trust Award for Conservation, withSimon Cane and Kayleigh Fuller. Georgina Nayler of the PilgrimTrust (r) made the presentation for the Staffordshire Hoard project

For Resurrecting the Coffin Works, Deborah Magnoler flanked bySarah Hayes and Simon Buteux of the Birmingham ConservationTrust display their Award for Conservation in the Community,presented by Carole Milner (r)

Triumph for a former Icon Intern! Gemma McBader of CardiffUniversity won the Pilgrim Trust Student Conservator of the YearAward

A team effort: Icon CEO Alison Richmond with Icon staff Katie Allen(I) and Julia Jablonska (r) who worked their socks off, as did all theoffice, to make the Awards a success

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First up was the Anna Plowden Trust Award for Research andInnovation in Conservation, where the winner was Tate’sproject to conserve the Rothko painting Black on Maroon –described by Tim Marlow as ‘sublime and important’ –following its vandalism with indelible ink. The presentationwas made by Baroness Sharp of Guildford, an indefatigablechampion over the past ten years for the preservation ofcultural heritage and the need for investment in training,research and new technologies.

The next two awards were sponsored by the Institution ofMechanical Engineers and were presented by its PastPresident, Professor Isobel Pollock OBE, whose commentsrevealed some striking parallels between engineering andconservation: ‘We think engineering is beautiful’ (and weIconites surely think that about conservation?) and ‘a keychallenge is how to retain and promote traditional skills andknowledge and contextual experience’.

The Award for the Conservation of an Industrial HeritageArtefact was given to Renfrewshire Council and Jim Mitchellfor the restoration of the Grand Fountain in Paisley. TheAward for Volunteering in the Conservation of an IndustrialHeritage Artefact went to Group 199, volunteers at theNational Museum of the Royal Navy, for their project – 13,000

Mark Rothko Black on Maroon 1958 (detail, before conservation,under UV light)

The state of the keel of Steam Pinnace 199

Steam Pinnace 199 back in action

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hours of volunteer work – to save the 1911 naval vessel SteamPinnace 199, the last representative of the 634 steam pinnacesoriginally built, which once exchanged hands for a fiver!.

The next two awards were made by The Pilgrim Trust, whichhas been involved in the Conservation Awards since 1999,and, as its Director Georgina Nayler noted, a supporter ofconservation going back to the 1930s, with many grants givenfor conservation projects over the years. The Trust, she toldus, are ‘keen to encourage people into conservation from awide variety of backgrounds and to encourage you topromote conservation to the public’.

From an invidious choice of terrific projects for the StudentConservator of the Year Award, the award was collected byGemma McBader for her work on a 19th-century Ethiopianemperor’s shield. (Cardiff University will begin to think theyhave an entitlement to the trophy as they provided the winnerat the last round of the awards in 2010!)

The Staffordshire Hoard team picked up The Pilgrim TrustAward for Conservation, which recognises excellence inconserving an individual or collection of cultural heritageobjects in the UK. Three of the four shortlisted projects wereon a grand scale and all were worthy projects. But the Hoardwas a popular choice because, notwithstanding our familiaritywith it, it has that ‘wow’ factor - what the judges rightlydescribed as ‘the pin-up poster project of the sector’.

The final presentation of the night was the Award forConservation in the Community, recognising just whatvolunteers can achieve working with conservators. It waspresented by Carole Milner, a founder and former Board

member of Icon, who noted that the themes of access andoutreach were close to her heart. Sharing, friendship and funwere to be had from volunteering projects, which ‘changeslives and communities’. Four inspiring projects wereshortlisted for this award and the winner was Resurrecting theCoffin Works, the rescue of a Victorian factory in Birmingham,where high conservation standards were allied with excellentcommunity engagement and public access where nonepreviously existed.

The formal proceedings were wound up by joint Chair ofIcon’s Board of Trustees Caroline Peach, who thanked all the

The Ethiopian Emperor’s Shield which won Gemma McBader the Student Conservator of the Year Award

Staffordshire Hoard objects before conservation

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participants in the Awards for the dazzling breadth ofprojects. The contributions of the members of the screeningpanels and the judges were recognised, as were thepresenters of the awards, the project managers CranberryMedia and the Icon staff team. She also expressed Icon’sgratitude to our partners in the Awards and the principal andcorporate sponsor Beko plc, whose commitment had madethe Awards happen.

Perhaps some ardent professionals amongst us might havecraved a little more detail, especially of the winning projects,but this was an event for everyone, and by steering clear ofthe minutiae we engaged with many more people – anapproach which maybe conservators and Icon need to adopton other occasions. After all, details, if you want them, areavailable from other sources including Icon’s and the winners’websites.

Perhaps the best parts of the event were the thank-youspeeches by the winners; their triumphant and eloquentproject leaders delivered heartfelt, genuine thanks and pride.Here are some snapshots:

• Tate’s Rothko project team referred to the amazing show of

support they had received. The project was ‘a wonderfulexample of what our community can do’ and demonstratedthe importance of doing research to understand newproblems and devise successful treatments.

• Renfrewshire’s Conservation Officer, Elaine Troup, relatedhow the restoration of Paisley’s Grand Fountain had given avery deprived community great pride. She praised JimMitchell’s commitment and passion for the project.

• Gemma McBader thanked Icon for introducing her toconservation through one of our internships in 2009.

• Deborah Cane thanked everyone who got behind theStaffordshire Hoard project and was especially proud ofSimon Cane’s achievement in finding the funding for thework and keeping the Hoard in the Midlands.

• Group 199 were ‘knocked out’ by their award. They hadstuck with their project through thick and thin andexperienced ‘the depths of despair. Tonight has made it allworthwhile. Thanks a million’.

• Deborah Magnoler spoke eloquently of the Coffin Worksproject’s importance to a small family museum and urgedus all to visit it!

Pommel caps from the Staffordshire Hoard

Volunteers gave new life to the Coffin Works, home of the Newman Brothers Museum, and won the Award for Conservation in theCommunity

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In short, it was a great evening and, if asked for Icon News’favourite project, we would have to confess to a soft spot forall those we have featured in articles – the Hoard, theFountain and the Swiss Garden. But winners and runners upalike were all fascinating, especially The Skeleton Crew.Simply because organising a team of volunteers at theCambridge Museum of Zoology to pack four millionspecimens would daunt the bravest of conservators but tojudge by the images and the time-lapse video (see it athttp://tinyurl.com/pojl7w9) they all had such fun!

CONSERVATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

A grant of up to £80,000 is available to a UK public institution to enable a Senior Conserva-tor (employed by the institution) to pursue a research project sabbatical for a maximum of 2 years with their post to be back-filled by an

externally recruited Junior Conservator.

The grant is for the salary and on-costs of the Junior Conservator, and the project costs of the

work undertaken by the Senior Conservator. Un-less otherwise advised, previously unsuccessful

applicants may reapply.

Closing date: 4 March 2016

See foundation.clothworkers.co.uk/fellowship for further details and application form.

Previous Clothworker Conservation Fellowships

Courtauld Institute of Art, £35,000, 6 month project - conservation and study of a painting by Manet

English Heritage, £37,500, 1 year project - improving the care and conser-vation of archaeological copper and stone

Tate, £80,000, 2 year project - study of early 20th century paintings by

Picabia, Picasso, and Ernst

Glasgow Museums, £80,000, 2 year project - research into, and conserva-tion of, 15th century stained glass windows from the Carmelite Church at Boppard-on-Rhine

British Museum, £37,600, 2 year part-time project - research into, and conservation and storage of naturally-mummified Nilotic human remains Pitt Rivers Museum, £80,000, 2 year project - conservation of objects in the Cook-voyage collection

Courtauld Institute of Art, £65,500, 2 year part-time project – conserva-tion and study of a major painting by Gerino da Pistoia

Tate, £80,000, 2 year project – conservation of and research on British paintings from 1530-1790

The 19thC factory known as the Coffin Works – positivelyDickensian

The factory courtyard – a unique setting for celebrations


14

We’d like to extend a verywarm welcome to all thosewho joined us in August andSeptember 2015. We hope tosee you at an Icon eventsoon.

Atara AbermanStudent

Ioanna AkritidouStudent

Antonia Carmichael-HarrisAssociate

Helen BaguleyStudent

Giulia BellatoThe University of EdinburghStudent

Curtis BobsinC Bobsin Organs, LLCAssociate

Jessica BylerStudent

Yuqi ChockWest Dean CollegeStudent

Rachel DavisBBC Music Library andNorthumbria UniversityStudent

Erica Foden-LenahanThe London LibraryAssociate

Nora FrankelStudent

Nelson GarciaNorthumbria UniversityStudent

Christopher GarrandChristopher GarrandConsultancy Associate

Rosy GladstoneSupporter

Sarah GrahamUniversity of GlasgowAssociate

Lynsey HaworthHistoric ScotlandAssociate

This spring, Icon memberFfion Howells joined themembership team on atemporary contract to helpprocess the flood of renewalforms that arrived with theintroduction of Icon’s newCode of Conduct. However,her role rapidly evolved andultimately extended to a fullseven months, as Ffiongraciously agreed totemporarily backfill the roleof Membership Officer,following Katherine Cresser’sdeparture, while recruitmentfor the post was underway.By the end of her time shewas responsible for all day-to-day membershipadministration and lookedafter the ConservationRegister.

‘It’s been very interesting togain an insight into Icon’soperations,’ says thefreelance conservator. With adegree from City and Guilds,Ffion relished the chance todelve further into the field.‘I’ve enjoyed getting to knowmany more of the membersand learning all about theirmany successes. It was alsosuch a delight to see names Irecognised coming across mydesk!’ Ffion has nowreturned full-time to her workas a freelance objectconservator. She will besorely missed at the Iconoffice.

Ella Swindells joins Icon asthe new Membership Officer.She writes:

I am delighted to have theopportunity to join Icon asthe new Membership Officer.After graduating in Classicsfrom Exeter University Ibegan my career workingwith the Royal CollectionTrust at Windsor Castle as afront of house representativedealing mainly with membersof the public. During my timeat Windsor Castle I alsovolunteered at the WycombeMuseum and graduated toan administrative rolesupporting staff with the vastrange of minor tasks requiredto keep a local museum onits feet. I continue to supportthe Wycombe Museum andparticularly enjoy making adifference at a local level.

I am delighted to have beengiven the opportunity to bepart of such a dedicatedteam at Icon and lookforward to the opportunity oflearning more about heritageconservation and to meetingmany of the Icon’s membersat upcoming events.

Ella’s normal working dayswill be Tuesday to Friday.She can be contacted byphone at 02031 426 786, oremail [email protected]

peopleNew Icon staff Departures

Anthea HentonTwelveQuartersAssociate

Jacqueline JohnsonAssociate

Sophia Jordan-MoweryAssociate

Paige KeithStudent

Courtney KemnitzStudent

Sarah KnightonAssociate

Laura KolkenaUniversity of AmsterdamStudent

Natasa KrsmanovicQueen’s UniversityStudent

Neil MahrerJersey HeritageAssociate

Monika MeyerAssociate

Kim MulderAssociate

Tanya NakamotoStudent

Bevan O’DalyStudent

Jess OrrScience UK LtdAssociate

Marie PoisbelaudAssociate

Sarah PounderAssociate

Nancie RavenelShelburne MuseumAssociate

Branwen RobertsAssociate

Kimberly RocheStudent

James RospoPierra Restoration Limited Associate

Welcome to these new members



Diana SavovaAssociate

Jerrod SeifertAssociate

Michelle ShererStudent

Isana SkeeteStudent

Rupert StevensAnthony Beech FurnitureConservation & RestorationAssociate

Julia TaubeStudent

Meredith ThomasStudent

Paul TurnerBowes MuseumStudent

Ula Gabriele VaiciunaiteAssociate

Tina Velasco RodriguezAssociate

Nick WebbAssociate

Matthew WebsterMessenger ConservationAssociate

Patrick WhifeIcon Staff

Thomas WicksAssociate

Alice WoodwardNorthumbria UniversityStudent

The sudden death of SallyCheyne in September hasrobbed conservation inScotland of a passionate andhighly skilled practitioner.Her work, however, lives onin many places throughoutScotland. This short piececommemorates herimportant contribution to justone of those places,Dumfries House in Ayrshire.

In June 2010 the DumfriesHouse Trust invited SallyCheyne and Owen Davisonof The Conservation Studio,Edinburgh, to uncover a ‘lost’decorative scheme which hadonce covered the walls andceilings of the PewterCorridor in the House. Theintricate polychromaticdesign had been paintedover with grey oil-based paintin the 1960s. Sally and Owenwere appointed on thestrength of their considerableexperience in easel andstructural painting and, incarrying out the complexwork, made the first majormark in the large scaleconservation programme,which has seen DumfriesHouse revitalised since.

The painstaking andmeticulous removal of thetop layer of paint took threemonths gradually revealingthe original wall painting in

its full detail, which formedthe basis for the subsequentdramatic reinstatement of thepattern in the rest of thecorridor. Exposed to thepublic touring the housethroughout the project, Sallyand Owen managed to makevisitors feel part of thishistoric ‘excavation’ bygenerously sharing someinsights into their work.Today this completed sectionstands as a great example ofconservation forming thescientific and scholarly basisfor an ‘authentic’reconstruction of the pastand adds an invaluableeducational dimension to anytour of the house.

The Conservation Studiowent on to clean andconserve important paintingsat Dumfries House. Sensitiveand effective conservationtreatment has not onlycontributed to a much betterunderstanding of thepaintings, but has restoredtheir visual and aestheticintegrity to a very highdegree. A carefulintervention on the paintedVictorian ceiling decoration inthe front hall and thereinstatement of an originalpaint scheme on a set of 18thcentury needlework-coveredchairs followed.

Whether there was ‘moreSally’ or ‘more Owen’ in anyof the projects in this variedjob portfolio, their workconsistently involved an openand ongoing dialogue withthe client and with oneanother which was informedby their professionalcompetence and the sharedlove for their chosenprofession. The results havebenefitted greatly from thisdynamic relationship andSally as an individual andprofessional will be sadlymissed by all.

Having held Sally in highprofessional and affectionatepersonal regard I can takesome consolation from thefact that her imprint on justthis house will exist for many,many years to come and thather name will be mentionedalongside Owen’s togenerations of future visitors.

Charlotte Rostek, Curator ofDumfries House

In memory

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[email protected]

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGNotice is hereby given that the 11th Annual General Meeting ofthe Institute of Conservation will be held on Monday 30thNovember 2015 at 5.00 p.m. at the St. Bride Foundation, BrideLane, Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8EQ, to consider thefollowing business:Ordinary Resolution 1: To receive the Trustees’ Annual Reportand Accounts for the year ending 31st March 2015.Ordinary Resolution 2: To authorise the Trustees to appointthe auditors to serve until the end of the next Annual GeneralMeeting and to authorise the Trustees to decide theremuneration to be paid to the auditors. A member of the Institute of Conservation who is entitled toattend and vote at the meeting (being a paid up Accredited,Associate, Graduate or Student Member) is entitled to appointa proxy, who need not be a member of the Institute ofConservation, to attend and vote instead of them. Proxy formsmay be appointed via the web portal or to the registered officeso long as they are received before 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 26thNovember 2015. Those received later will not be counted. Proxy voting forms are available on-line via our electronic votingsystem or if you do not have an email address, please phonethe office at 0203 142 6785.We will advise you of any changes or additions to the Agendaas soon as they become available.Members are invited to stay on after closure of business for aglass of wine. So that we can estimate numbers for catering please let usknow if you are planning to attend by sending an email [email protected] Simon Green, Company Secretary1st November 2015



Dealing with the aftermathof a fire

THE FIREFriday 26 April 2013 will be etched in the memories of NLWstaff for years to come. As we evacuated the building thatfateful afternoon, most of us thought that the fire bells wouldsoon stop ringing. But, once outside, we could see whitesmoke billowing from the roof of what is known as the ThirdLibrary Building (TLB) – the last major extension built at theLibrary in the 1990s. From the car park, the main assemblypoint at the southern side of the building, we could seeflames spreading quite rapidly along the roof ridge of the TLBoffice block. The fire was caused accidentally by an externalcontractor using a blow torch to carry out roof repairs abovethe Acquisitions Unit. This has been the only major fire at theLibrary in its hundred-year history.

The emergency services responded quickly and two or three

fire appliances were at the scene within ten minutes.Unfortunately, it took some time to solve a problem with thewater supply, and with this in mind, you can imagine the panicamongst us as the fire took hold. It was a traumaticexperience for members of staff, readers and bystanders alike.Many were in a state of shock, and most of us felt quitehelpless as we could do nothing but watch the unfoldingdisaster.

We were obviously concerned about fellow members of staffand visitors, but we were told quite early that all members ofthe three hundred strong staff and all the hundred or soreaders (and roof contractors) were all safe and accounted for.Our concern was then diverted towards our iconic buildingand its unique and irreplaceable collections.

With the situation still in the hands of fire officers, our internal

Iwan Bryn James ACR, Conservation Unit Head of the National Library ofWales, discusses the 2013 fire at the Library from a conservator’s perspective

The roof ablaze above Acquisitions

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emergency response/salvage team had time to get togetherto assess the situation. This team is an important part of theLibrary’s detailed Emergency Plan and consists of aboutfifteen NLW staff, mainly from Conservation. Because wesubscribe to Harwell Document Restoration Services, thearchival salvage experts, they were also contacted during thistime so that they could begin to plan their long journey toAberystwyth.

THE DAMAGEIt took fifty firefighters four hours to get the fire fully undercontrol. By then, the top floor of the TLB office block hadsuffered serious fire damage and an extensive part of the roofhad caved in. The five floors directly below the gutted topfloor suffered severe water damage so that over seventypeople lost their offices. Over two years after the fire manymembers of staff are still working in makeshift and temporaryrelocated offices.

Fortunately, because the affected area was an office block,only a small percentage of our collections were damaged inthe incident. However, there were a number of newly-acquired items being processed in the Acquisitions Unit. Theitems acquired by this unit are not the brand new publicationshot from the press, but newly bought or donated ‘older’printed books, manuscripts, photographs, archives, maps,paintings, or any other object or archival collection deemedto be of cultural significance to Wales.

THE SALVAGE OPERATIONOnce the blaze was under control early that Friday evening,our salvage team was allowed into the Preventive Unit toprepare that area (in anticipation) for the sorting and drying ofwater-damaged items. No other staff members apart fromsecurity staff were allowed in at this time – having too many

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The damage from above.

people is dangerous and difficult to control and monitor. Wegathered as many drying materials and as much equipment aswe could find – blotters, absorbent papers, drying felts, trestles,fans etc. (we have six disaster trolleys full of useful items). Wealso used this time to acquire as many trolleys as we couldfind to transfer damaged items from the affected areas.

At around 7 pm, in the company of fire officers, we wereallowed access to the top floor where our first priority was thecontents of ‘y Gawell’, or ‘the Cage’, which is a holding areafor processed new acquisitions situated next door to theburnt-out offices. Although the roof and attic space above theCage were badly damaged by the flames, the Cage itselfescaped direct fire damage. Luckily, the hundreds of itemsheld in this area had already been processed, and had beenhoused in new archival boxes.

These new boxes, although wet on the outside, protectedmost of their contents from the worst effects of waterdamage, and under the supervision of fire officers, oursalvage team was allowed to remove all these items on theevening of the fire. We formed a human chain to carry overone hundred cratefuls of items to safety down three flights ofstairs (all the lifts were out of action) and along Book Stack 1to Preventive Conservation on the other side of the building,where they were successfully dried and re-boxed over thefollowing days. If left wet for a longer period of time, thesematerials would have become mouldy. Amongst the itemsfrom ‘the Cage’ were works from the Gwyneth Lewiscollection, works and papers by the artist Maurice Sheppard,Super Ted cartoon transparencies from the early days of S4C,and large framed paintings (unboxed) by Kyffin Williams.

Later that evening, after emptying the ‘Cage’, we wereallowed to enter the water-damaged offices directly beneaththe gutted top floor. Water was seeping through all theceilings, and all the carpets were soaking wet. All items thatwere on the floors were placed on desks, and we covered



bookshelves, PCs and many other items with plastic sheets inall the sixy or so affected offices. I have estimated that weused 1km of plastic during the night, and this action savedmany items from becoming even wetter than they were.These items were mostly office materials, but water did findits way into parts of Book Stack 2 and other storage areaswhere many oil paintings had to be moved to safety on theFriday night.

THE SALVAGE WORK CONTINUESWater also affected some Ordnance Survey maps stored inthe Bibliographical Unit office on the second floor. Thesemaps were successfully dried at NLW between large dryingfelts. Priority was given to volumes and magazines printed onart paper as these pages have to be separated before theydry, otherwise they will congeal into one inseparable mass. Allthe affected offices were emptied during the following weekby our salvage team. This was a massive and heroic taskinvolving the relocating and drying of thousands of items. Oursalvage team also filled one hundred and forty crates withhundreds of the worst affected items from the gutted topfloor. These were taken away by Harwell DocumentRestoration Services and were successfully dried in bulk intheir large drying chambers before being returned to theLibrary at a later date.

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The main IT office situated on the ground floor was also badlyflooded, and many computers were water damaged. Thesewere dried using dehumidifiers over the following weeks, andmost of their data was saved. It is also worth noting that thehard drive from a melted PC on the gutted top floor was stillin working order when it was inserted into a new PC.

CASE STUDY OF ONE BOOKAlthough the vast majority of items affected by this tragedywere office materials, there were a number of newly-acquiredunique archival items that were listed as lost or seriouslydamaged in the fire. One of these items was a rare bookprinted in 1595 called ‘Six bookes of politickes or civildoctrine’ by Justus Lipsius. When the fire bells rang, thisvolume was being processed by our Gifts and ReceiptsLibrarian and was left on his desk in his office on the top floor.Because of the severity of the fire it was taken for granted thatthis volume had been completely destroyed.

However, during the following week, after a structuralengineer had deemed the top floor safe enough to enter, oursalvage team (wearing PPE) were able to recover a charred,distorted and totally soaked black object from the remains ofour Acquisition Librarian’s desk that was covered with rubblefrom the collapsed roof. Due to the severity of the situationwith thousands of other objects in need of rescuing, the

Inside the Acquisitions Unit


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remains of this rare volume were vacuum packed and frozen(at the NLW) to enable us to dry and treat the item at a laterand more convenient date.

The item was defrosted at the end of 2013 – a good sixmonths after the fire. The package was carefully opened,revealing the wet charred remains of the volume. Althoughthe original limp vellum covers were badly burnt, shrivelledand distorted due to high temperatures and the use of waterto extinguish the fire, the paper pages within the volume werein a surprisingly good condition with only the first and last fewpages, and the edges of most pages, exhibiting burn orscorch marks.

Elgar Pugh, one of our most experienced senior conservators,successfully dried the volume before cleaning all the pageswith a soft brush. The pages were then washed, resized, andrepaired and strengthened with a compatible archival qualityhandmade paper (and a transparent Japanese tissue) adheredwith gelatine.

The repaired sections were then sewn together on atraditional sewing frame before being bound in a new limpvellum binding. Although the original covers were damagedbeyond repair, only a very small percentage of theinformation held within this volume was lost. Surprisingly,about 95% of this volume is still readable, and this proves thateven in the worst fires, all is not lost.

ANOTHER LUCKY ESCAPEAnother item listed as being completely lost was an 1873Enclosure Map of the Capel Iwan area in Carmarthenshire.The scorched remains of this large rolled map werediscovered in its metal container the week following the fire. Itmeasured 1.20 by 4 metres, and comprised eight large piecesof Whatman Wove paper pasted onto a linen backing.

Two members of the NLW Conservation Unit, Dilwyn Williams(ARA Cert.) and John Jenkins (ARA Cert.), used smokesponges to dry clean the paper sections before separatingthem from the damaged linen. They were then washed on asuction table to remove water stains before being adheredwith wheat starch paste onto a new linen backing on our largewallboard. Lost areas were infilled with a compatible hand-made paper. Scorched areas were also consolidated with 2%Klucel G in IMS. Once again, as with the conserved rarevolume, 95% of the information held on this map is stillaccessible, and once treated, it was possible to scan the itemand produce a digitally enhanced copy.

TWO YEARS ONAt the beginning of 2015, almost two years after the fire, thetask of defrosting and cleaning thousands of water damagedvolumes and documents was successfully completed by BillHarries and Emma Thomas from our conservation cleaning

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Salvaging items from a burnt office

Damaged 1595 volume 'Six bookes of politickes or civil doctrine' by Justus Lipsius

Members of the NLW salvage team



team. Some prioritised items are still in need of furtherconservation treatment but, at last, some sense of normality isbeginning to return to the Library. The burnt-out top floor hasrecently been renovated and is now home to the relocated ITdepartment. By the end of this year, the remaining water-damaged offices will also be ready for other members of staff.

LESSONS LEARNEDMany lessons were learnt from this disaster. Not only is adetailed and tailored emergency plan essential for allinstitutions, relevant staff must be prepared and trainedbeforehand to carry out any salvage operation. Health andsafety is of utmost importance, and personal protectiveequipment and other materials necessary to deal with adisaster must be at hand.

In an archive or any other office or workplace where valuableitems are being processed or catalogued, the amount of suchitems kept on your desk at any one time should be kept to aminimum. Unique artefacts should be returned to their cells orstorage areas once you have finished with them, and shouldnot be kept in offices overnight or over weekends. It wasnoticed that items kept in closed cupboards or cabinetsescaped the worst effects of the NLW fire. Therefore, if youdo need to have valuable items in your office, it would beadvisable to store them in appropriate closed cabinets whenyou have to go elsewhere, even for short periods of time.

As we know, boxes offer physical protection and amicroclimate that will extend the life of a book. Following theNLW fire it was observed that thousands of boxed items hadescaped the worst effects of fire, smoke and water damage.

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Boxing your collections is therefore of paramount importance.

In the worst of fires, all is not lost. Even a charred black,distorted and saturated volume can still retain 95% of itsoriginal information. Therefore, if you are faced with a similardisaster think twice before throwing a burnt object into theskip. Many unique and valuable damaged items that could beclassed as beyond repair can, in fact, be saved by experiencedarchive conservators. It’s very difficult to burn a book!

After treatment: the 'Six bookes of politickes or civil doctrine'

The 'Six bookes of politickes or civil doctrine' in a new limp vellumbinding


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around and aboutCongratulations to theHirayama Studio!This Autumn the Hirayama Conservation Studio for EasternArt on Paper and Silk at the British Museum is celebrating its‘coming of age’ twenty first anniversary.

The Eastern Art on Paper and Silk Section is dedicated toconserving the British Museum’s East Asian pictorial artcollection. Drawing on expertise from both Japanese andChinese Master scroll mounters, the Hirayama Studio is one ofa few studios of its kind in the West, using traditional EastAsian techniques and materials combined with best practicein modern silk and paper conservation.

We are unique in having both Japanese and Chinese expertsworking closely together, who are also proactive in passing ontheir invaluable experience through training others in thiscomplex field. We also work closely in collaboration withvisiting scroll mounters from both Japanese and Chineseinstitutions.

Situated in the bespoke Hirayama Studio, our conservatorswork on objects from Japan, China, Korea, and many otherAsian countries. Objects worked on include hanging scrolls,handscrolls, folding screens, fans, albums, books, panelpaintings and prints, as well as Indian and Middle Easternpainted miniatures. Nearly all our tools and materials areimported from East Asia, from our brushes and pigments, toour tatami flooring and huge scroll mounting benches.

Professor Hirayama opening the studio in 1994

Recent Hirayama Studio staff (l-r) Valentina Marabini, Keisuke Sugiyama, Qiu Jin Xian, Mee Jung Kim & Carol Weiss

Recent major projects include conservation treatment of, andscientific research into, the world-famous Admonitions Scrollin preparation for its redisplay in the British Museum, as wellas comprehensive remounting treatments in preparation formajor British Museum exhibitions such as Shunga and Ming.

There is lots more information and nice images on our recentblog post:

http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2015/10/14/coming-of-age-the-hirayama-studio-celebrates-21-years-conserving-the-british-museums-magnificent-asian-paintings-collection/

Hirayama Studio Staff



A not so grand looking Fountain before conservation work began

A detail of the Fountain in all its new found splendour

The people of Paisley gather to enjoy their newly-restored Fountain

A Triple CrownConservation Awards are obviously a lot like buses: you waitfor ages and then three come along at once!

So it is for Jim Mitchell ACR, who, as you surely remember,was the author of our serial about the resurrection of theGrand Fountain in Paisley. He was the winner in ourConservation Awards last month in the category for theConservation of an Industrial Heritage Artefact. Earlier thisyear, he won the Conservation Category in the Museums +Heritage Awards for Excellence 2015 and now the news hasjust come through that he has won this year’s Marsh Awardfor Excellence in the Conservation of a Public Sculpture orFountain.

This Award is run in partnership with the Public Monuments &Sculpture Association (PMSA) and recognises an individual orgroup responsible for the restoration of a public sculpture forthe benefit of the wider public. Jim follows in the footsteps ofRupert Harris Conservation which won the Award last year.

Jim told Icon News that he is of course delighted with all of

these awards but the one that means the most to him is theprofessional recognition that comes from winning in ourConservation Awards. (Icon News of course feels rather smugabout having the prescience to see what a great story theFountain was and to publish it as the work unfolded, fromissue 48 in September 2013 through to issue 54 a year later.)


24

Lucy Branch at work on a statue of Red Rum at Aintree

Branching out If you enjoy a good thriller and like the idea of a heroine whodoesn’t wait for a male to come along and rescue her from atight spot and who, moreover, uses her knowledge ofmaterials science to get out of that tight spot, then you willenjoy A rarer gift than gold. Why this sudden interest at IconNews in thrillers? Because heroine Abigail Argent, a bronzerestorer and patineur who gets caught up in the classic mythof alchemy, was created by Icon member Lucy Branch ACR,herself a conservator of sculptural and architectural bronze.Icon News set out to learn more.

Lucy, it turns out, is the managing director of the sixty-yearold family firm Antique Bronze Ltd. She is proud of the factthat it is a true family business with her parents, husband andseveral cousins all working alongside each other every day.During her time at the helm she has steered the company tobe part of the conservation community. ‘When I beganworking, our company was fairly isolated from it. I was proudof our work and the care we took with the objects but I hopeI’ve added an interest and a dialogue with the outside worldwhich has made us better conservators’.

But that is not the end of the story. Lucy is also the mother ofthree children and she acts as an assessor for the PACRaccreditation scheme. If you wonder what kind of asuperwoman has time to write a novel as well, rest assuredshe comes across as reassuringly human. Asked when shefinds time to read – she has written a book review for us onpage 25! – she responds that it’s ‘mostly while cleaning myteeth and while cooking, which is why dinner is always burnedin our house’. She also noted wistfully the desirability of amute button for children.

As for when she found time to write, it all came about duringa period of illness about four years ago. ‘For a while, I wasvery restricted. I had to lessen my commitments and reducemy workload significantly. I struggled with this change in paceand began to think over a story I had sketched out in my earlytwenties. It was very rough and had considerable flaws but the

main thread, I felt, had somemerit. It took about two yearsto rewrite between my poorhealth, part-time work and ayoung family. Mostly, Iworked at night after the kidswent to bed. I did not letmyself sit on the sofa – thatwas fatal as it was nearlyimpossible to get up again! Ialways made myself a cup oftea, and went straight to thecomputer’.

She attributes to AlisonRichmond, Icon’s CEO, thediscipline of this routine.Alison was her personal tutorwhen she studied for a

Masters degree on the RCA/ V&A postgraduate conservationprogramme a few years ago, something she decided to do asa structured form of professional development. ‘Betweenwork and being a mum, studying at night was my only freetime. Both back then and now, I manage about one and a halfhours per night. I give myself Friday and Saturday night off. Itis amazing what you can achieve by totting-up smallincrements of time’.

The novel has had a great reception and it generated a lot ofinterest from the press in her work as a conservator. ‘For me’,says Lucy, ‘this has been win-win because even if I don’tmanage to hook a reader, conservation is being promotedanyway.’ Time Out featured her as a conservator, sheappeared on Radio 4’s Midweek and the BBC World Servicevisited some of the sites where she is working. She also did amini-documentary on her work on the statue of Charles I inWhitehall.

It is not a plot spoiler to reveal that a big loose end remains atthe end of the novel and this obviously prompted thequestion whether Lucy was planning a sequel: ‘My first bookhas whetted my appetite and I have two books drafted atpresent. One is a spin-off of A Rarer Gift Than Gold ratherthan a direct sequel, but I think the plot that has me mostexcited at the moment is a murder/mystery with a ceramics’conservator as the central character’. Watch this space!

Lucy has two copies of her novel to give away. So the first tworeaders to email Icon News ([email protected]) will be thelucky recipients. Please put A Rarer Gift than Gold in thesubject box. Other readers will have to ask for a copy in theirChristmas list or may find it a useful present idea for others.Lucy’s passion for metals shines through, the chemistry isinteresting (truly) and the combination of alchemy andskulduggery makes for a great read.



reviewsBOOKS HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES IN THECONSERVATION OF WORKS OF ART ONPAPERMargaret Holben Ellis, ed.Getty Publications 2015ISBN: 9781606064320 608pp

This is the seventh volume in the GettyConservation Institute’s series Readings inConservation, which are conceived as aselection of seminal writings on conservationaimed at beginners in the profession. Thethemes of the book are brought to us via ablend of articles, letters, poems, fables, andanecdotes. Editor Margaret Holben Ellissteers the reader through ninety-fivereadings, which form a repository and historyof reflections about art on paperconservation practice and are combined withpresent day readings in each of the eightparts of the book.The history of western handmade papers isoften overlooked, along with the shatteringimpact that the mechanisation ofpapermaking had on the trade and on thequality of paper. Part I, entitled The Powersof Paper, rectifies this by taking us to theearly days of the papermaking trade – preboth Fourdrinier and Louis Nicolas Robert –with its world of apprentices, journeymenand masters, and the skills they brought tothe making of paper. Eden Phillpotts’scharming tale, ‘Storm in a Teacup’, focuseson the sheer degree of skill required by thevat man, who, in this story, loses his ‘shake’under the spell of love. Part II is entitled The Mastery of Drawing,Printmaking: Multiple originals, anddiscusses printing methods, as well ascovering debate on the authentic touch ofthe artist found in prints. Paper is Part of thePicture examines the physicality of paper,watermarks and optical brighteners, whileDeterioration and Change: Paper “Yellow’dwith Their Age” has the inspiring Henk JPorck’s questioning of the absolute validityof accelerated ageing. Deterioration andChange: Media “Even in Their Partial RuinMarvelous” contains fascinating detail on theadulteration of media and pigments andreminds us of the sheer magnitude ofcomponents used in inks. Treatment: Limitsand Limitations has fewer historical writings,but has introspective papers on treatmentsand – refreshingly – does not shirk fromaddressing sensitive issues such asretouching and restoration, notably throughJane McAusland’s paper on the deludedideal of reversibility for all treatments. Thefinal part, The Paper Conservator: Goingbeyond the Bench, reflects thoughtfully onwhere conservation is today. A consideredpiece by Salvador Muňoz Viňas places theconservator as the keystone for maintainingand reinforcing meaning in objects. The historic pieces in this collection are

THE WOODEN WALLS OF THERMOPYLAENick BrownClink Street Publishing 2015ISBN: 9781909477612 342pp

This is a book which will particularly appealto archaeological conservators thoughanyone who enjoys good historical fictionwill like it too. Although it is the second in aseries by Nick Brown, an academic inarchaeology and ancient history, it can alsobe read as a stand-alone novel. Written as amemoir set in Ancient Greece, it continuesthe story of a boy, now a man, whose life asa soldier is forced upon him. Known as theLuck Bringer, the main character is a witnessto the political strife leading up to the battleof Thermopylae where the Spartans, hugelyundermanned, faced an invading Persianarmy. Brown is an author so thoroughly at home inthis era that he presents the reader with anenvironment which is effortless to imagine.The story is fast-paced with a graphicstoryline, but the author’s historicalknowledge radiates through his writingbringing the scenes that the main characterwitnesses to life and giving them a veryauthentic feel. Not a paragraph goes bywithout him dropping some divine detailabout the fabric of the ancient world: howthe objects would have looked, how thehoney-cakes would have tasted and how thebitter-herbs would have smelt. The main character, Mandrocles, thoughflawed, is very likeable and guides usthrough the experience of how life musthave been at a time where control of yourown destiny was almost impossible for menlike him. It is a story about cut-throat politicsand cruel battles but it’s also about oneman’s loves and regrets. Lucy Branch ACR

often responses to some pivotal change inmanufacture, whether of paper or media(such as watercolours and inks) and are noless interesting than the more modernwritings. The surprise is that a lot ofapparently recent considerations inconservation are in fact not new. The authorsof many of the readings from unexpectedlyearly sources come from varying professionsand trades, which perhaps reflects the hybridthat is today’s conservator. Some readingsmuse upon the pencil as the tool of thinkers,planners, drafters, architects and engineers(and dare I add the conservator?), and how ithas often been preferred to pen and ink.Derrida’s Paper or me, you know... showspaper as the projection of the mind and apart of the creation process, while Biasi’s AParadoxical Substance argues that we oftenignore the role of paper in the transmissionof knowledge throughout history.The inclusion of introductory notes to eachpiece and an introduction to each part bythe editor is one of the great strengths ofthis book. These provide the reader with theperspective and historical context of thereading, along with commentaries frommore contemporary sources. The editorialvoice at no point sinks too far into thebackground and it maintains a clear structureand direction. Even old stalwarts ofconservation, such as Chris Caple’sdiscussion, Conservation’s Skills: Judgement,Method and Decision Making, arecommented upon with a fresh perspective.The book ably sets out and succeeds inestablishing the antecedents of modernconservation practice and sets themilestones for on-going study. Part I perhapsdwelt overlong on historical articles andincluded a poem that went on too long, butthat is purely a personal preference. A full listof further reading as well as a very helpfulindex at the end of the book are alsoincluded in this pleasurable andsophisticated ‘pick and mix’ of writings onconservation. Isabelle Egan ACR (IndependentConservator)


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Librarian Richard Foster points out library treasures to BAPH members

CONFERENCES

PAPER HISTORY AROUND WINCHESTER26th Annual Conference of the BritishAssociation of Paper Historians Winchester 2–4 October 2015

Although the British Association of PaperHistorians (BAPH) is a purely voluntaryorganization, over the last two decades ithas built an enviable reputation for theacademic quality of its journal The Quarterlyand the half dozen meetings and visits itorganizes every year, supplemented by avery useful newsletter. This year twentyseven delegates assembled at the renownedOverton Mill in south Hampshire; now partof De La Rue plc, which is the world’s largestcommercial banknote printer and passportmanufacturer. The oldest part of the modern business hadhumbler beginnings when Henry Portal, aHuguenot refugee from France, founded thepapermaking business when he obtained thelease of Bere Mill (near Overton) in 1710. In1724 he gained a contract to make paper forBank of England notes. For many yearsPortal were based at Laverstoke Papermill,also nearby, which is now splendidlyrestored as the headquarters of BombaySapphire Gin (which I felt obliged to visitthough hors de conference). The present Overton Mill was built in 1922and remains arguably the leadingmanufacturer of banknote paper in theworld. Because of the need for security, visitsto Overton are strictly controlled and a milltour is a rare privilege. A number of staffgave us an excellent tour starting with themould workshops where the water marks aremade, via the No 3 paper machine to theconversion department which adds manysecurity features and includes highlyautomated methods of assuring quality. The conference itself was based in the verycomfortable Winchester Royal Hotel.

a visit. The Quarterly is indexed up to 2014and non-members can buy individual copies.However the smart way to receive theQuarterly is of course to join!Simon Barcham GreenPapermaker & Icon’s Business Manager

BHI CLOCK & WATCH CONSERVATIONAND RESTORATION FORUMBritish Horological InstituteUpton Hall, 5 September 2015

Following a welcome from Kenneth Cobb,Alison Richmond ACR, Icon’s CEO, gave thefirst talk on The Conservation Profession inthe UK in which she explained the formationand purpose of Icon and its status as both aprofessional body and a charity thatchampions high standards of conservation ofcultural heritage. She went on to discusshow Icon administers the ProfessionalStandards in conservation and how theseform the basis for the ProfessionalAccreditation of Conservator-Restorers(PACR), for the entry-level qualification(Conservation Technician Qualification) andthe work-based learning framework forinternships and placements. Alison reported that the accreditedprofessional is now recognised by theheritage industry and valued by employersand commissioners and the attainment ofACR status is underpinned by a CPD reviewevery few years. Looking ahead, Icon needsto continue to influence the heritageconservation market by leading sector widestrategies, marketing its members’ skills,continuing to engage the young,underpinning workplace learning schemesand supporting its members and theirsalaries. Addressing Conservation Training andEducation in Horology, Matthew Read ACRnoted that current horology courses teachstudents standard practices to acquire theskill set needed by leading repair,

In Winchester College Fellows’ Library,Simon Green was fascinated by the thintransparent sheet, processed from naturalhorn, covering the coat of arms on thisc.500 year old book

Following the AGM, a highlight was a visit tothe Winchester College Fellows’ Library,hosted by Dr Richard Foster. His main roleis as a history teacher and it is amazing thathe can also care for the library, which ishoused in nine separate rooms spreadthroughout this historic building connectedby numerous stairways. The College has nineGrade I, four Grade II* and eighty Grade IIlisted buildings which are themselves aconservation challenge, as they also have tofunction as a modern school. WinchesterCollege claims to be the oldest school incontinuous operation in the UK dating backto March 1394. From the earliest days, itsFellows built up a remarkable collection ofbooks as well as retaining an extensivearchive. Dr Foster had laid out severaldisplays of treasures which we were allowedto observe closely with much examination ofwatermarks.Papers were presented to delegates onSunday morning. These included afascinating talk by Irene Campden: ‘Textbook washing carried out on ‘Emblemator’by Andreas Alciati (1492-1550)’. This was abest seller in its time and well used so it wasdirty and needed some repair. As apapermaker, I never fail to be amazed athow paper, and in this case a whole book,can be safely immersed in a bath of waterand washed. As an aside,www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/conservation has a lot of detailed case studies andis worth a visit. Peter Bower gave afascinating talk on Winfred Knight’s use ofpaper, which should be of interest to paperconservators and art historians.I have tried to give a light-touch review ofthis event. No doubt some of the talks willappear in the Quarterly. BAPH is a small andfriendly organisation. Historically it wasmainly run by and appreciated by those fromthe ever shrinking British paper industry.Increasingly it has attracted paperconservators. www.baph.org.uk/ is well worth



At the BHI event: (r to l) Icon CEO Alison Richmond, Oliver Cooke, Matthew Read, KenCobb, Keith Scobie Youngs, Chris McKay, Jonathan Betts

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restoration and conservation firms.Conservation needs a quality assuredcomplementary skill set which fosters thecritical thinking that challenges acceptedhorological processes and practices. Theconservator is accountable for an assessmentof the object’s holistic condition andtreatment proposals that may includeaddressing compromises to bench craftpractices and customer requirements. Onceproposals are agreed, undertaking thetreatment and recording it in detail are allpart of a conservator’s responsibilities.Matthew discussed Icon’s CPD as there is nosuch requirement for BHI membership. Healso noted that few professionals can take ayear out to train as a conservator yet there isa demand for accredited horologicalconservators. He finished by inviting theaudience to assess an object: a cheap 1920s’clock covered in a 1960s’ patterned stickyback plastic sheet used to ‘tart it up’. It was auseful exercise addressing the issues ofobjectivity and the heart.In his presentation on Managing DynamicObjects in Museum Collections, OliverCooke, MBHI and Clock Curator at theBritish Museum, queried the purpose ofmuseums. At the BM it is to ‘illuminatepresent and future generations’ withexamples from the past and present. TheClock and Watch department has over tenthousand items all accessible to the public.The new World Conservation & ExhibitionCentre houses the Conservation andScientific Research Department, whichprovides conservation services for themillions of items in its care through arecently introduced Collections CareStrategy, including a programme of activeenvironmental monitoring. However, the BM’s clocks and watches aredynamic objects, so intrinsic wear is a majorfactor to be addressed. With the focus onpreventative conservation, the strategy fordeciding whether a clock should be active isdetermined by a risk assessment survey,balanced with, for instance, educationalneed. Oliver ran through a simple riskassessment about winding a clock, wherebyskeleton clocks with a removable glass domewere seen as having a high risk of damage.Oliver also introduced the issue of runningreplicas to demonstrate principles, wherebythe original is still on view but is kept intactwith fewer future intervention processes.Chris McKay FBHI addressed the topic ofConservation of larger objects (TurretClocks). He started with an example from theAustralian War Museum where problemswere posed by the treatment of a wartimeDodge truck used on patrol in the Sahara. Atruck with a gun mounted on the back wasrestored to new – just like the real thing.However, the public expectation wascompletely different so the exhibit waschanged to a Dodge and gun that had seen

Heritage Sector, Jonathan Betts, MBE FBHIpointed out that conservation practices differfrom conventional horological practices. Thelatter, along with traditional tuition, craftskills and knowledge lead to reliable anduseful timekeepers with polished cases andclockwork that show off a practitioner’s skills;the time spent and work undertaken lead toobjects that look like new. These attributesare encouraged by collectors and dealerswho place a value on a nice looking antiqueand pass this expectation on to the owner. Clocks and watches are documentsreflecting the past. We should explain whythere should be an interest in preservingthem, since they embody a complex mixtureof history, use and social history. Jonathanargued that, although restoration has itsplace (for instance to replace broken ormissing parts), it is the removal of a clock’shistory and other changes, in pursuit of anormalisation process that is going on in therestoration world. He went on to discuss theNational Trust’s philosophy ‘to preserveobjects for the future’ and ‘forever, foreveryone’. With these in mind, many of itsclocks are not going. But the Trustrecognises that it needs to meet the visitor’sexpectations and to this end some clocks arekept running. Others, however, would not bewound because, for instance, a glass covercan easily be broken when winding.Jonathan ended with a plea to wake up toheritage conservation as the way forward. Thanks are due to all the speakers for athought-provoking day with someinspirational presentations. The BHI are tobe congratulated on hosting a successfulForum.Kenneth Cobb C.Eng. & Icon PathwayForum organiser

a number of years of action with littlemaintenance. Although non-horological, theexample is useful in illustrating real issues.Chris used a series of ‘before’ and ‘after’illustrations to discuss encountered issuesand justified treatment methodologies. Hereviewed modern adhesives, the use ofwaxes and recipes for lacquer that was ofinterest to those who work on domesticclocks. Finally, Chris addressed health andsafety from the conservation viewpoint with alist of guidelines.Keith Scobie-Youngs FBHI ACR works in thetower clock business where planning andcoordination with key trades is a principalrequirement. His talk, Working with Others,started with the obvious: yoursubcontractors’ standard of work needs tobe as good as yours. This comes aboutthrough the development of relationships. On-site meetings are important both withthe client, contractors and yoursubcontractors, and Keith stressed the needto go prepared. Quotations and reportsshould include as much relevant detail aspossible, as they serve to show yourprofessionalism and give the clientconfidence in your management andultimately your work. Risk Assessment andMethods Statements (RAMS) are an essentialpart of a conservator’s work and the clientwill be expecting them too. Keith discussed a number of problems butpointed out that they were all used aslearning points within his business.Conservation reports are of paramountimportance and include condition, treatmentand methodology all backed up withdrawings and photographs. Finally, heensures that the conservators involved workwell as part of a team, that the project isdelivered on time and on budget, but mostimportantly that it is finished to the higheststandard possible.Speaking on Horological Practice in the


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For our next presentation we moved fromtextiles hidden in collections to an archivespecifically for the study of textiles, in thiscase carpets. Kathy Clough, ArchivesAssistant for the Beattie Archive at theAshmolean Museum, introduced us to theremarkable May Hamilton Beattie, a scientistby training but a distinguished scholar in thefield of carpet studies by choice, and hermany-layered archive of ninety carpets,carpet and fibre samples and supportingresearch material bequeathed to theAshmolean Museum in 2000. In this very personal collection, Kathyshowed us the detailed structure of Beattie’sresearch, with carpet samples beingsupported by evidence of fibre and dyeanalysis, written and photographic recordsand published material. Whilst it wasimportant to maintain the original order ofthe collection, set in place by May Beattie, it

was clear that the preservation needs ofsome items were incompatible with theirpresent physical position in the archivematerial. Kathy took us through the cataloguingand preservation methods she had used tomaintain the clear connections within thecollection, and with the intelligent use ofhousing had ensured minimal separation ofitems from Beattie’s original schema. The story of the Beattie Archive was furthercontextualised by Sue Stanton, TextileConservator at the Ashmolean Museum, whoused the introduction of the archive into themuseum’s textile collections as an exemplarof how new acquisitions can impact onexisting items in terms of pest management.Sue outlined the freezing and isolationprocedures introduced to manage the pestrisk from the Beattie Archive, a processwhich is ongoing as Kathy discovers furthertextile elements.

ENWROUGHT IN GOLD AND SILVERLIGHT: Textiles for beauty and functionThe Oxford Conservators’ Group 5thConservation Forum, Oxford 6 October 2015

This year’s Oxford Conservators’ Group(OCG) Conservation Forum was the finale ofa cluster of textile-related events enjoyed bymembers. These included our first grand dayout, where a small group of membersjourneyed into rural West Berkshire to seethe magnificent seventeenth century Wintourvestment exhibition at Douai Abbey nearNewbury. Immediately prior to the Forum,colleagues at the Ashmolean Museumpresented two drop-in textile viewing sessionsto enable members to see at close hand theintricacy and beauty of both the textilemakers’, and the textile conservators’, art.Each year, the OCG Forum aims to providethe widest appeal to our diversemembership, bringing together allconservation disciplines. The use of textilesboth as objects and components seemed tocross many conservation borders, and theshort papers presented at the Forumdemonstrated how textiles had beenincorporated and recreated to formremarkable archives, hidden surprises andexceptional individual objects. There wasalso time to address some of theconservation issues surrounding theirongoing use and care.Our first speaker was Liz Rose, TextileConservator at the British Library, who tookus around the world in four collections. Liz isthe British Library’s first textile conservator tobe appointed with the specific aim of findingtextile objects in a collection of over 150million items, and once discovered prioritisethem for treatment. Using the structure of the collection areas ofthe library – Asian and African,Contemporary British, Western Heritage andEuropean and American – Liz picked outsome of her textile discoveries to show thediversity of the objects she found in what isostensibly a book-based collection. Therange was remarkable: from a fourth centuryBuddhist silk fragment from Miran to anineteenth century Burmese, talismanictabard via t-shirts and teddy bears. Thecollection rationale behind these textileobjects was the importance of the writteninformation they contained and the securingof the integrity of the collections.Liz’s role has been to conserve and re-house

items to allow readers to access thisinformation and ensure safe storage whennot in use, a considerable challenge giventhe fragility and size of some of the items. Lizconcluded her presentation with aphotographic time-lapse of her work on aproject to conserve two flags from the EastIndia Company Records, degraded to suchan extent that they were the ghosts of theobjects they once were.

Photograph of May Hamilton Beattie attached to a travel document

Textile binding from Henry VIII’s library: MS317 before treatment



A shared interest and appreciation of thework of other conservation disciplines was aconstant thread in our next jointpresentation on the treatment of textilebindings from the library of Henry VIII. JaneEagan, Head of Conservation at the OxfordConservation Consortium, and Sabina Pugh,Senior Book Conservator at the BodleianLibrary, described the investigation of agroup of medieval manuscripts thought tohave been recovered in velvet on entry intothe royal library at the time of Henry VIII, andthe conservation treatment of onemanuscript in depth. Jane Eagan began by outlining thecharacteristics of the velvet covering,drawing on her conservation treatment ofthree manuscripts belonging to The Queen’sCollege. She then showed evidence of there-covering process, and the removal ofearlier binding elements, still visible beneaththe current bindings. Sabina Pugh then gavea presentation of her treatment of one ofthese manuscripts from the Bodleian Librarycollection. In general, whilst the originalmedieval binding structure was largelymaintained, the manuscripts had been re-covered in a hardwearing mixed linen andwool velvet textile know as fustian in thesixteenth century. Both presenters had both workedcollaboratively with textile conservator andhistorian Maria Hayward, who repaired theTudor textile covering material. Bothpresentations revealed tantalising hiddenclues to the original medieval bindings thathad been removed or adapted by theHenrician binders, and demonstrated thespeed and economy with which the binders

worked when recovering. This was sharplycontrasted with the meticulous andthoughtful work of Jane, Sabina and Maria toreturn sympathetically these remarkableobjects to functionality.For our final presentation, Sue Stantonreturned to speak about her work to shedlight on some of the fascinatingconstructional details in the Ashmolean’s

seventeenth century embroidery collectionsuncovered by microscopic and x-ray analysis.Using objects from the Mallett and Fellercollections, Sue led us through the complexconstruction techniques employed by thenon-professional embroiderers who madethese beautiful objects, using a variety oftextile media including metals, pearls,feathers, bone, and both human and animalhair. She compared the current and historicconservation and preservation approachesto the two collections, based on herknowledge both of their provenance and ofthe previous treatments that individualobjects had undergone. As these collectionscontained items for display and research, theimportance of enabling access to all areas ofthe objects was clear. Using her treatment to remount one of theembroideries, Solomon and the Queen ofSheba, as an exemplar, Sue showed how theuse of non-invasive repair techniques hadreinstated losses without impacting on theoriginal object and clever re-housing hadrevealed areas previously concealed by theoriginal mount. Her work also enabledaccess to the noticeably less light damagedreverse of the embroidery, showing the truenature of its significantly more vivid originalcolour scheme.As both a visual feast and a showcase forlearning through collaborative working,innovative conservation techniques andimaginative handling, housing and displaymethods, this year’s OCG Forum did notdisappoint. Victoria Stevens ACR

Detail from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, WA 1994.142. From the Ashmolean’s 17thcembroidery collections

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MS317 after treatment


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COURSES

FRENCH UPHOLSTERY Icon Furniture and Wood GroupBuckinghamshire New University 20–24 July 2015

‘What I dream of is an art of balance, ofpurity and serenity devoid of troubling ordepressing subject matter – a soothing,calming influence on the mind, rather like agood armchair which provides relaxationfrom physical fatigue.’ (Henri Matisse)The experts in French Upholstery are ofcourse the French themselves, and withLaurent Laine, the former head of theupholstery programme at Ecole Boulle – oneof the leading furniture schools in Paris – wehad the exciting opportunity to learn fromthe best in the field.The National School of Furniture at BucksNew University hosted the recent FrenchUpholstery course, organized by Dr ErnestRiall from Icon’s Furniture and Wood Group.As an MA Furniture: Conservation &Decorative Arts student, I had the privilegeto take part in this course, which wasdefinitely an eye-opening experience withinthe highly regarded realms of FrenchUpholstery.The French attitude to the upholsteryprocess tends to be very sensitive, or shouldI say very ‘organic’. Despite the fact that thewhole process is planned to the final details,they also use their ‘feel’. The webbing issized in ‘palms’, the tack-lifter is called a‘Bambi foot’ as its shape inspires such animage. In short, there is a raw, instinctiveemotional involvement in the process.Laurent is an enthusiastic French upholsterer;he is absolutely absorbed in this work, andtakes the art of upholstery seriously with theutmost respect and dignity.Speed is of vital importanc, but should notcompromise quality. Laurent guided uspersonally on every step on the way, makingsure that we utilized new methods anddeveloped our skills, teaching us purposeand importance in every part of the process,particularly: using the correct and wellprepared tools, planning, measuring andmarking. With tools at the ready, it isnecessary to examine your piece of furnitureand plan ahead. Think, don’t rush, measure,measure again, and mark. Best results areachieved if you get the right balance;bottom to top, from webbing to the topcover.Starting from the bottom, one of the wellknown differences between French andEnglish upholstery is the webbing: theFrench webbing is wider and is interlaced ina similar way to English, but with no gaps inbetween the rows of webbing. Thebuttoning process is one of the mostplanned processes in the FrenchUpholsterer’s work. As balancing is very

important and the layout does not alwaysallow for easy buttoning, you very oftenneed to adjust the placing accordingly,leaving a clear frame of two centimetresaround the seat without losing the balance.When a placing decision is made, we trace itonto the calico, which will then be sewn by amachine accordingly and carefully. Another significant difference is the Frenchstitching method. As the French like theirseat to be much stiffer and taller, the finalhorse hair stitching is designed to keep itcondensed and relatively high. The intensive five day course allowed us todevelop a project of our own or undertake astool project. I happily re-upholstered theseat of a French armchair, and was extremelypleased with the results, as well as the newtechniques and skills we had been taught.Other students undertook the stool project

and fully covered them; others did theirs incross- section, so that you could see thelayer structure. Above all, it was a fantastic opportunity tobe exposed to the traditional furnituremaking of another culture, which will be ofthe utmost importance to me whencompleting my final MA project – a FrenchLouis XVI Settee. Special thanks should go to Paul Tear MBEfor providing tools and materials andsupporting and encouraging us allthroughout the week. Finally, my specialthanks to NADFAS (the National Associationof Decorative & Fine Arts Societies) for theirfinancial support, which allowed me toparticipate on the course.Atara AbermanMA Conservation Student at Bucks University

Laurent Laine explaining the setting out of the springs

The final French upholstered stool in cross section (without the top cover)

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in practice

Fig.1 The rolled works on paper as they were previously stored

Fig.2 One of the flattened art works

Fig.3 An example of the damage caused by flattening

ROLLED PAPER STORAGELaura Cronin, Collections Assistant at the HornimanMuseum, describes an inexpensive solution to alongstanding problem storing rolled paper artworks

Introducing the problemAt The Horniman Museum Study Collections Centre, we havearound one hundred and fifty rolled paper items. Historically,these were stored in far from ideal conditions, but we recentlyundertook a project to improve their storage and accessibility.

The rolled objects had been placed in polythene tubing whichsuccessfully protected them from dust, but meant that manyhad become flattened; particularly at the ends where thetubing was stapled together. This issue was aggravated bythe fact the items were stored on shelves, stacked on top ofeach other within narrow shelving (Fig. 1).

This storage system also made retrieval difficult andhazardous to the objects. We either had to pull all of themout where wooden shelves had warped and were stuck, orreach in, potentially putting pressure on other rolled items.Over time, this had added to the flattening process,particularly in the case of those made from delicate Japanesetissue, which was not strong enough to resist these pressures.Some had become so flattened that they had creases alongthe edges and thus were more folded than rolled (Figs.2 & 3). The slippery nature of the plastic tubes had also meant that

some items had fallen off their shelves onto those behind, orhad even slipped between shelves, making them difficult tofind. Though this was an ongoing area of concern, we had notyet come up with a solution for improvement given ourresources.

A solution emergesIn 2013 we had a team away day to The Ashmolean Museumin Oxford to see their new Jameel Centre. This is an area forthe study of Eastern Art, where collections have been madeaccessible to the public by appointment. It includes brandnew storage areas with an impressive array of novel solutions.The highlight, for me at least, was a section of steelhoneycomb, created especially for rolled paper.

It wasn’t until months later, when we were yet again havingtrouble locating a rolled artwork that we finally decided toimplement our own version of the wonderful honeycombstorage. I thought it might be possible to make a muchcheaper, but effective version by using cardboard tubes. Toimplement this, we had one staff member in myself and onestudent placement, who could assist one day a week.

Preparatory steps Our first action was to remove all of the rolled paper andtemporarily store them in stackable trays (Fig.4). We thensorted them into size, then geographical area. This confirmedhow many rolls we needed (as we did not trust the numberlocated in this area on the database). We also added extra toallow for future acquisitions. After discussions withConservation, we started with the most delicate paper objectsthat had been crushed and carefully rolled them onto Melinex


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(Fig.5). This offered them some support and hopefully willease the creases over time. This was the most expensivematerial we used, but we felt it would be worth the extraprotection; it seemed counterintuitive to put the crushed

Fig.4 Rolled works being sorted and temporarily stored in bakers’trays

Fig.5 One of our placement students, Charlotte Mayhew, rollingJapanese tissue onto Melinex

Fig.6 Half of the cardboard tubes, glued together and placed withinthe racking

paper into a new storage area. Making them more rounded,would also ease their removal from the tubes.

Making our cardboard honeycomb As acid-free rolls are still relatively expensive, we opted forstandard cardboard tubes from a non-museum storagesupplier. The rolled paper was to be stored with a barrier in-between, either the Melinex, or polythene tubing (for lessfragile items), so that they would provide a level of protectionfrom the acid. Rolls were ordered that would just fit the depthof our mobile racking and would accommodate the majorityof our rolled artworks.

The rolls were glued together in rows using a glue gun, andglue which had been Oddie tested to prevent off-gassing. Wemade the stack in two sections, as the rolls began to get quiteheavy when glued together. These were then placed directlywithin one of our mobile racking units, (Fig. 6) one on top ofthe other. Clearing the space for all of these tubes was not aneasy task, even with all the rolled paper removed andtemporarily stored in trays, there was still a lot of movingaround to be done within our ‘art on paper’ section.

We ordered the storage tubes with closures for the front, butas they were backing onto the inside of the racking, we leftthem open at the back to allow for air circulation. The frontclosures were then individually numbered, so that each tubehas its own container number on our database, making formuch easier retrieval (Fig.7).

Designing the retrieval systemAs the front plastic closures were very tight within the tubes,we decided to make handles from cotton tape for easierremoval. For this, we came up with multiple ideas and had



other staff members test them for the most effective and fool-proof method (Fig.8).

Our final solution, incorporated a strip of cotton tape glued tothe inside of the closure, which was then stapled to thebagging of the artwork stored within the tube (Fig.9). Thisprevents shorter items being pushed too far within the tubethat they cannot be retrieved. It also means that when an itemis removed, the tube number is taken away with it andreturned with it, hopefully reducing the risk of it being putback in the wrong place.

Dealing with the larger itemsAs we had initially sorted our rolled papers by size, we knewthat not all would fit neatly within our standardised main‘honeycomb’ area. To accommodate these, we planned touse longer, wider rolls, which we glued together in smallernumbers, and fitted along the length of an adjoining rack.

These worked in exactly the same way, but with closures atboth ends so that the papers would not fall out. We piercedholes in one end of the closures to allow for some ventilation.Each of these units was then fitted with handles, to allow easyand safe removal from the racking (Figs. 10 &11).

The fact that these need to be removed from the rackingbefore objects can be removed, means that they functionmore like boxes. However, the benefit is that the rolled paperitems are more protected as they are not piled on top of eachother and do not need to be searched through to find theone we are looking for.

With these rolls, we ordered a wider diameter since some ofthe longer pieces were also much wider when rolled. As someof the papers were long but narrow when rolled, some of the

tubes were able to accommodate several items within them.In this case, we did not attach each item to the lid as we didwith the main set, as only one item may need to be retrievedat a time. Instead, we attached a length of cotton tape to theplastic or Melinex cover of each roll. On the opposite end ofthese, we fitted a piece of Velcro to the underside andmarked the top with the object number. Each of these werethen attached to an opposite piece of Velcro, which weattached to the inside of the tube. This allows us to open atube, identify which object we want according to the numberon the tape, and then retrieve this by unsticking and pullingthe cotton tape (Fig. 12).

A satisfactory outcome Though this project was not simple in many ways, it hasallowed us to use very little of our general materials budget togreat effect. We have managed to store the vast majority ofour rolled paper items in this way, with only a few very longitems left to be stored in an oversize box. They are now allsupported and stored safely without any further risk ofdamage from flattening. Gone are the days when we need to

Fig.7 All of the tubes within the racking. Each lid was numberedindividually

Fig.9 Our chosen closure and removal method

Fig.8 Staff members trying out different closures to find the mosteffective method


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rummage through piles of papers. Whilst re-rolling many ofthem, we also saw some beautiful artworks, which reinforcedwhy this was a very worthwhile project.

Fig.11 Larger rolls removed. The handles were only gluedunderneath, so the grip can move from the front to the top,allowing for smooth retrieval

Fig.10 Collections Officer Helen Merrett removes the larger rollsfrom the racking

Fig.12 A view inside one of the larger tubes. Each object has anumbered length of cotton tape attached, to make them easy toidentify

Lovely works of art enjoyed as we worked

SuppliersCardboard postal tubes www.essextubes.comOddy Tested glue stickshttp://www.williamhayes.co.uk/home/3m-products/3m-adhesive-products/3m-hot-melt-adhesives/3764qMelinex- PEL



CONSERVING A WW1 FIELD SURGICALPANNIERLouise Stewart Beck discusses the treatment of a complexobject for an upcoming exhibition at the Science Museum,LondonPassing through the conservation laboratory at the ScienceMuseum recently was an English Field Surgical Pannier fromthe First World War. This kit is a particularly completeexample of its type, with extensive contents in nearly unusedcondition. However, the hundred years between itsmanufacture and the present day had taken their toll on theobject and there were several parts of it in poor condition.The aim of the conservation treatment was to stabilise theobject and ensure that it would be suitable for display in anupcoming temporary exhibition. It was very important that theoverall appearance of the object reflected its age and that ithad seen war-time use while maintaining stabilisation andlegibility as the over-arching goals of the conservationtreatment.

MANY PARTS, MANY PROBLEMSThis particular surgical pannier still contains more than eightyfive of its original parts, including unused consumables suchas sterilised suture thread suspended in an iodised liquid.Each of the parts was documented and condition checked atthe start of treatment, but most did not require anything morethan a light surface clean in terms of conservation treatment.The two main focuses of the treatment thus became thedegrading leather trim on the case itself and one specific partof the object which the curators were particularly interestedin: a hot water bottle.

THE CHALLENGE OF RESHAPINGThe hot water bottle at some point in its history had beenrolled and folded, a position which it had adoptedpermanently due to hardening of its rubberised canvassurface. One of the most important treatment aims was tofind a way to make the hot water bottle legible to visitors andappropriate for display. The initial response to the curator

who asked for the object to be re-shaped was that it wouldbe unlikely, as once rubber has oxidised there is little that canbe done to restore flexibility.

However, an article from 2000 by Flora Nuttgens and ZenzieTinker (The Conservation of Rubberised Textiles: Two CaseHistories) provided some hope. In this article, Nuttgens andTinker discussed the possibility of using heat to re-shape arubberised object, which can be successful if the hardening ofthe rubber is due to crystallisation rather than oxidation. Thehot water bottle was rather robust in addition to beingmisshapen, but in its initial state was barely recognizable as ahot water bottle. As such, it was decided that this approachhad benefits which would outweigh the risk.

The heating and reshaping process was done in under anhour, proving not only successful but fairly quick. The objectwas placed into the pre-heated laboratory oven at 60°C forfive minute intervals, then removed and the shape gentlymodified by hand before being returned to the oven. Theworking time after each heating was only approximately thirty

the emerging conservator

The re-adhered corner of the leather trim. The hinges are not visiblein this image but can be spotted when the lid is open The hot water bottle before treatment, rolled and folded

A No. 1 Field Surgical Pannier from World War I, manufactured1915-1916 and with much of its contents intact

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seconds, as the rubber quickly returned to an inflexible state.This process was repeated six times, the point at which nofurther re-shaping could occur.

It proved possible to unroll the hot water bottle to its fulllength, but was not possible to unfold the canvas completely.The previously unexposed folded surface had some areas ofloss and friability which did not respond well to an attempt atunfolding. This may indicate that a second and irreversibleform of rubber degradation, oxidation, was present on theseareas of the object.

Despite the incomplete reshaping of the object, thetreatment successfully increased the legibility and improvedthe display potential of this part of the object.

CONSOLIDATION & STABILISATIONFurther treatment was carried out on the leather trim of thecase itself. The trim has degraded significantly and is subjectto a bad case of red rot. The leather trim was thoroughlyconsolidated with three applications of 2.5% w/v Klucel G inisopropanol.

Part of the trim around the hinged lid of the object had comecompletely detached, but was easily relocated. Adhering it inplace once located was another issue, however. The fragmentonly had one edge which made contact with the rest of theleather and was too friable to be adhered directly to the case.The join needed to be able to withstand some flexing as thecase lid is opened and closed. A Japanese tissue hinge wasconsidered, but dismissed due to the amount of bending andflexing that it would have to withstand.

The eventual decision was to use goldbeater’s skin, a type ofgut parchment, to create a series of small hinges. These wereadhered across the join between the two pieces of leather

using 30% w/v Paraloid B72 in acetone, which provided astrong bond that did not cause staining in the leather. It wasonly necessary to add hinges on the flesh side of the leather,as the joint was strong and flexible enough and does notchange the external appearance of the object. When the lidto the object is open, the hinging material is slightly visible,but does not detract from the overall appearance.

TREATMENT CONCLUSIONSThe overall success of this treatment and the methods used ispromising for other similar objects within the Science Museumcollections. Both treatments were novel to the museum’sconservation department, and in their experimentation haveprovided a better understanding of the materials andmethods available for the treatment of degraded rubber andleather objects.

FIND OUT MOREFurther information about forthcoming exhibitions at theScience Museum can be found athttp://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/coming_soon.aspx. Follow the Science Museum blog athttp://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/insight/ for behind-the-scenes information from curators and conservators.

Two views of the hot water bottle after treatment, showing one side fully reshaped and one side with remaining folds

From July 2014 to July 2015 Louise Stewart Beck was aconservation intern at the Science Museum in London, workingtowards an upcoming exhibition about WWI medicine

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