AIC Blog Archives: Conservators Converse
Former Blog of the American Institute for Conservation
Mix coffee, curiosity, and a high power microscope and scientists now know why coffee rings have clearly defined, darker edges. Listen to the full story on NPR’s website or read the article and learn more about the implications this may have on the development of inks and paints.
Read the full July 20, 2011 press release about the conservation treatment, re-encasement and public display of Magna Carta conducted by National Archives senior conservators Terry Boone and Morgan Zinsmeister. The project manager is supervisory conservator Catherine Nicholson.
A short documentary video produced by the National Archives chronicles the document’s conservation treatment during which ultra-violet photography revealed previously illegible writing in the text of the document that had been obliterated by water damage at some unknown time in the past.
Artifex Equipment, Inc is conducting a survey of humidification methods and the applicability of Zorbix in those projects. Zorbix sheets are thin, reusable sheets that absorb up to 50 times their weight in water. Once water is absorbed into a sheet of Zorbix, the water can only be released as vapor–even under pressure. Zorbix can be placed directly on materials with no need for a vapor barrier such as Gore-Tex.
Zorbix can be dampened all over and the sheet does not wick sideways, allowing the practitioner to apply water to a specific zone for humidification in one area such as a creased corner. With the rest of the Zorbix sheet dry, this creates an effective method for controlling humidification to one spot.
Volunteers will be given free samples of 10 inch x 12 inch Zorbix sheets to test in their humidification projects and will be asked to describe their current humidification methods, test Zorbix as a replacement material, compare their results and provide feedback to Artifex Equipment, Inc. on their experience. (feedback is requested by September 1, 2011)
If you would like participate in the study and receive free samples in exchange for your impressions of the product, please fill out the Survey Monkey version of the questionnaire at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MZZK89H or request a Word version of the form by contacting Nicholas Yeager at 415-329-5809 or
nicholas.yeager [at] artifexequipment__com
If only conservation treatments actually happened so quickly! Watch this time short lapse video of the National Park Service’s conservation treatment of Colonel William Prescott at Boston’s Bunker Hill Monument in June 2011.
Over the course of 4 days, National Park Service conservators cleaned the bronze statue with water and an anionic detergent (Step 1); applied protective coatings of hot wax (Step 2); and buffed the hot wax into the bronze with clean white cotton cloths (Step 3). For more information, please contact Boston National Historical Park. Video by Saving Daylight Productions
The increase in conservation project and archaeological excavation blogs has been a wonderful tool for promoting and informing the public and other professionals about our field. Do you want to promote your involvement in an archaeological project, but don’t want to set up a blog?
A Day of Archaeology on July 26, 2011 is an excellent method for public outreach and promotes preservation within archaeology. The goal of the project is to promote the various aspects of archaeology (including conservation) and to chronicle one day of activities.
For more information, see the website at http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/about-the-project/ Please consider submitting a short blog so we can enhance an understanding of what conservators do and how archaeological conservation contributes to a site.
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections have joined forces on the ultimate reference book for museum professionals: Health and Safety for Museum Professionals, edited by Catharine Hawks, Michael McCann, Kathryn Makos, Lisa Goldberg, David Hinkamp, Dennis Ertel, and Patricia Silence.
This comprehensive volume is treated in three parts:
The nineteen chapters were written by top specialists in their field. This hardcover book is nearly 650 pages and is sure to be heavily used at your museum!
Purchase the book by July 31 at a promotional price of $80. Starting in August, the price will be $95. The book is for sale through University Products.
At the largest annual meeting of the American Institute for the Conservatiom of Historic and Artistic Works in 20 years, 1100 conservators met in Philadelphia during the first week in June to discuss ethical principles and critical thinking in conservation. Traveling from as far as Japan, they included staff of major museums (the National Gallery of Art, British Museum), conservators in private practice, and many students in training. They compared standards historically, across different types of artifact and from one country to another. The meeting included conservation scientists, who analyze materials of artworks and historical artifacts, and conservators specializing in paintings, archives, books, maps, video art, historical computer hardware, artifacts of contemporary performance art, ethnographic work that retains ceremonial use, architecture, fountains, historical toys and even boats.
NEW YORK (AP)The Metropolitan Museum of Art is announcing Thursday that a network of wireless environmental sensors designed to prevent damage to the collection is being tested at its Cloisters branch.
Read more about the new monitoring program and the need for climate control for the collections in the June 8, 2011 Associate Press story by Jim Fitzgerald on the AP website.
The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia has rehoused over 400 bark paintings using this innovative system developed by Associate Curator and AIC member Dominique Cocuzza.
Watch their 5 minute video Preserving Aboriginal Art at the Kluge-Ruhe Collection which oulines the project and takes the viewer through the assembly process with step-by-step instructions. Then download the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Bark Handout for additional details.
Over 50 AIC members have generously volunteered their time and energy to blog about talks, workshops and tours from the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Institute for Conservation. We hope that these posts will allow colleagues near and far who are unable to attend the conference a chance to learn a bit about the papers, understand the context in which they were given and taste the flavor of the meeting.
AIC members have repeatedly asked for a platform in which they can discuss issues and topics in common – beyond the divisions of our specializations. The new AIC blog is just one of the new tools we are rolling out to facilitate these conversations – hence the blog title – Conservators Converse. We hope that the migration to this new, more user-friendly WordPress platform will also encourage discussion on the posts. It is easy to comment and we look forward to hearing from you.
