Category: Specialty Sessions

Posts on talks that were presented as part of the specialty sessions at AIC’s Annual Meeting

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting- Joint Objects and Archaeological Discussion Group Session, June 2, “Beyond the Field Lab: Emergency Conservation in the Granicus River Valley of Northwestern Turkey,” by Donna Strahan

The afternoon OSG/ADG session began with a fascinating talk by Donna Strahan, Conservator in the Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that very successfully demonstrated the importance of cooperation and flexibility in the preservation of cultural property. Donna began by introducing the site of Troy, where she has spent many seasons as a field conservator.  Troy is excavated by a number of international institutions, but a single conservation lab treats the finds unearthed from all of the excavations. The large site provides ample opportunities for education, functioning as both an archaeological field school and a place for conservation training for an international group of students.  Each season there are between one and six conservators and up to four languages spoken in the lab.  Although language barriers can pose some difficulty, the varied training and experience of the conservators facilitates the exchange of ideas and re-evaluation of conservation practice.

In addition to treating finds from the site—an impressive 500-700 per year—the Troy lab is also called upon to do emergency treatment at neighboring sites in the Granicus River Valley.  Donna emphasized that emergency conservation is about triage and compromise.  The needs of the objects must be prioritized, but the decision of what gets treated outside of Troy is often tied to local politics. The help of the Troy team is often sought in response to or in anticipation of looting, an example of which is the Dedetepe Tumulus, dating to the 5th c. BCE.   In the course of their work, the Troy conservators discovered, among other things, the fingerprints of ancient robbers on the marble sarcophagus, painted marble beds, and a shattered alabaster vessel with resides of Tyrian purple; the latter may provide direct evidence of a funeral ceremony that involved dipping ribbons into purple dye and tying them around a vessel.  Donna then went on to describe several other Granicus River Valley projects:

  • The Polyxena Sarcophagus, with associated remains of a funeral cart
  • The Parion necropolis, where they found a physician’s burial that included a medicine box with arsenic and lead-containing pills (“a Roman Dr. Kevorkian,” Donna suggested)
  • The beautifully painted Çan Sarcophagus with interesting examples of damnatio memoriae, which looters broke into with a backhoe(!).
  • The sites and artifacts receiving emergency care from the Troy team are not always associated with ancient cultures—at the site of the WWI Battle of Gallipoli, a leather shoe was found with the remains of a foot still inside.  Although Donna suggested reburial, the Gallipoli Museum wanted the “object” on view as a reminder of the horrors of war.  Although Donna, and probably many of us in the audience, would consider reburial to be a more ethical decision, she reminded us how important it is to be sensitive to the customs and desires of the country you’re working in.

These case studies were wonderful illustrations of both the difficulties and benefits of emergency conservation.  Emergency excavations, Donna said, are rarely scientifically excavated, there is rarely time to plan, and you’re often working with unfamiliar people and objects.  However, without this important work, the wealth of information contained in these sites and artifacts might be lost entirely.  The finds from Granicus River Valley projects are regularly published in the Studia Troica, giving these objects (which generally languish in storage or worse) a place in the archaeological record.  At the end of her talk, Donna showed a recent picture of Dedeteppe Tumulus, completely destroyed by looters—a powerful reminder of just how essential emergency conservation can be.

In the question period, Tony Sigel, Conservator of Objects and Sculpture at the Harvard Art Museums, said that his rule of thumb is to generally make any modern damage to an object as invisible as possible.  He asked Donna if she considered inpainting the damage done by the looters with the backhoe.  Donna replied that she would not choose to inpaint for two reasons: she did not want observers to think that the conservators were “repainting” the sarcophagus, and she thought it was important to demonstrate just how much damage looting does.

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Objects Session, June 1, “Deep Storage: Reburial as a Conservation Tool” by Emily Williams

During the archaeological-themed session of the Objects Specialty Group, Emily Williams spoke about her experience with a critical issue for archaeological conservators:  vast quantities of objects and limited storage space.  I have been tangentially involved in decisions to rebury large architectural marble columns in situ at the Etruscan site of Poggio Colla, so I was keenly interested in Emily’s approach.

Beginning in the 1970s there has been exponential growth in museum archaeological collections in America.  States have been forced to close facilities to incoming finds due to lack of cataloging resources or space, and the cost of storage facilities that meet modern conservation standards can be prohibitively high.  Emily made a fun and appropriate analogy:  can storages move like hermit crabs?  The answer:  not logically.

In America there is a trend to deaccession objects that no longer fit within a collection.  However, this is a risky undertaking for objects in archaeological contexts because of the interdependence of objects within a site.  Deaccessioning part of a collection could compromise reliable data sets or future analysis.  Disposal, sale, or transfer to another institution are equally problematic.  “No one wants rusty nails.”  Reburial is a tool that has been used for large-scale organics such as shipwrecks, and Emily cited the reburial of underwater material in Marstrand, Sweden.

At Colonial Williamsburg, the conservators are faced with a collection of 60 million artifacts (!), and over half of the historic area is yet to be excavated.  Emily discussed a project involving the transfer of the archaeological collection to new climate-controlled storage spaces, including 50 pallets of architectural material (brick and stone fragments non-scientifically excavated from the historic area in the 1930s and 1940s).  These pallets took up 5,000 cubic feet of storage and 45% of the total budget.  The material was mostly non-diagnostic, not requested or accessed, and attracting animal infestation (evidenced by prolific nesting of rodents and insects).  Given these concerns, the decision was made to re-bury non-diagnostic brick and stone fragments with the understanding that they could be re-excavated if necessary.

Very specific details were given about the re-burial choices.  For example, the fragments were bagged and placed in their original pine crates with Tyvek tags (written in both Sharpie and pencil).  They were grouped by site, only stacked 2 deep, and GPS marked.  The crates were placed in an existing excavated cellar within the historic area and backfilled with sand.

I am particularly grateful when speakers present positives and negatives of a given choice, and Emily outlined both.  Due to financial restraints, the original pine crates were used.  If she were to do this again, HDPE would be preferred, as the pine will eventually decompose and some of the archaeological context could be lost.  Individual fragments were not labeled due to time and the sheer number of small pieces, but this would have been preferred.  Ideally, they would have reburied the material in a trench outside the historic area in the event that the house would be rebuilt in the future.  The obvious lack of access to the collection was mentioned, and the concern that reburied collections could become “out of sight, out of mind.”

This method of reburial is not without ethical and spatial concerns, but given these limitations, there are vast preservation gains for the collection as a whole.  There is no correct answer for these difficult decisions, but I agree with Emily’s approach that we need to view archaeological collections in a “holistic rather than particularistic” way.

 

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Objects Session, June 1, “Recovering Painted Organic Objects from Ancient Mesoamerica: Strategic Considerations in the Field and the Lab” by Harriet F. Beaubien.

The first session of talks for the Objects Specialty Group focused on archaeological materials.  Fitting to the theme, Rae Beaubien opened the talk by picking up the headlamp near the computer (improvisation by the always-prepared Program Chair Sanchita Balachandran when the podium light was missing) and exclaimed “Oh good, there’s a headlamp!”  Then she proceeded to wear it long enough for the audience to laugh.  This welcome humor introduced a talk that focused on her extensive fieldwork experience in Mesoamerica and practical considerations for the recovery of fragile painted organic objects (you guessed it, the acronym is none other than POO).  I was particularly looking forward to this talk because of my interest in archaeological material and my awe and respect for Rae’s knowledge and treatment skills (introduced to me when she was an adjunct archaeological instructor during my conservation training at Buffalo).

These painted organic objects, typically made of gourds or wood, are often only detected if they are associated with an inorganic material like stucco, paint, or stone.  They were a significant part of ancient Mayan material culture during the Classical Mayan Period (3rd – 9th centuries C.E.) and are commonly associated with offerings and furnishings in high-status tombs.  Due to the incredible instability of the material, the prolific nature of these organic materials is only known through depictions on Mayan art, written descriptions from Spanish missionaries, and similar examples in use by modern cultures.

Rae illustrated examples of surviving objects from the sites of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Cerén in El Salvador, Copán in Honduras, and Waka’-El Perú in Guatemala.  The ability to successfully excavate this type of material is based on conservation involvement, as well as other factors:  How accessible is the deposit?  How much time is available?  Can the high-value materials be cleared first to prevent looting? Can conservation be done later?

Through images and anecdotes, Rae illustrated a number of conservation strategies and practical recovery methods  for a variety of excavation situations.  For example, a jumbled deposit of paint flakes, jades, shells, stone, and ceramics from Copán was collected within a grid pattern of 350 squares, stratigraphically if the layers were preserved.  If the surface required consolidation, it was photographed, then B-72 was used with a subsequent facing of Japanese tissue and methylcellulose.  The material within each grid square was transferred to a container and brought to the lab for a slow and careful excavation under the microscope.  Incredibly, they were able to identify a painted wooden burial platform from hundreds of lifted containers.  Other considerations were mentioned and addressed, such as:  Does it need pre-consolidation? Can you gain access underneath the object?  Can the floor be cut?  Is it resting face-up or down?  For objects resting face-up, can you clean and photograph them first?

Rae’s talk was peppered with clever terms, such as:

  • “articulated removal” to join groups of fragments using methylcellulose and Japanese tissue
  • “informational reconstruction” of a large object based on multiple lifted areas
  • “assisted lifting” (my favorite!)

For the most fragile objects, block lifts were performed to keep the fragments in their original alignment and to buy extra time for excavation in the lab.  Methods were used such as wrapping in plaster bandages and applying cyclododecane.  Extensive stabilization was required, as the objects had to be packed and carried on rough hiking trails two miles back to camp.

The talk ended with a reiteration that even failed block lifts can yield valuable information (through loose fragments to categorize, cross section, or use for pigment analysis) and that any effort to retrieve these fragile objects is worth it.  The talk successfully balanced an overall conservation strategy with practical treatment examples, and I came away with an increased knowledge of Mesoamerican organics, their fragility, and the conservation involvement that has played a crucial role in their recovery and interpretation.

Reproductions for Hamilton Grange: What Legs do We Have to Stand On? by Rian Deurenberg-Wilkinson

Hamilton-Grange, the only home owned by Alexander Hamilton is a Federal Style country house.  The current restoration is returning the home to the time period of 1802-1804.  The firm Fallon & Wilkinson, LLC has been brought on to reproduce 28 pieces of federal furniture.  The contract was also for the conservation of five of the original chairs in a suite of Louis XVI furniture.  The proposal was written based on photographs of what the reproductions would look like.  The reproduction contract included site visits to prominent collections of furniture, specifically those made by cabinetmaker Adam Hains and upholsterer George Bertault.  Upon closer examination of other furniture made by these makers, the Louis XVI furniture appeared inconsistent with the other furniture and upholstry by the same makers.  After consultations with the curator changes were made to the original proposal to better match the original furniture and the reproductions.

At the end of the talk the speaker mentioned that since the scholarship relied on more than photographs these are considered true reproductions and not re-interpretations.  I thought that was a good point and got across the incredible amount of research involved in making a true reproduction.

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting- Architecture/Research and Technical Studies Joint Session, The Basics of Recirculating Fountain Maintenance by Robert Krueger

This talk presented an approach to fountain care that is preventative, focusing on maintaining an ideal water chemistry to prolong the life of fountains and associated mechanical systems, plumbing and artwork.  Krueger presented a process for treatments to fountains, particularly when biogrowth is observed. Prior to treating water chemistry, Krueger recommended draining the water and mechanically cleaning the elements with a surfactant and clean water, taking care to rinse thoroughly.
Fountains must then be re-filled and if using a municipal water source it is likely that minerals and organic matter must be addressed, while a distilled water source may require addition of minerals. Krueger explained the concept of water saturation, and that unsaturated (soft) and supersaturated (hard) water both create problems either with leaching or precipitates. Water saturated of minerals is ideal, and pH and water temperature both affect saturation as well. Krueger recommended the Taylor Brand test kit, which is available at commercial pool/spa supply stores, to assist with balancing and monitoring water chemistry.
Regarding biogrowth, he explained that additives such as silver/copper, chlorine and quaternary ammonia all can effectively control growth but can cause issues such as staining, deterioration of mechanical systems and water foaming. Poly-quats act as blocking agents in swimming pools and ponds, and Krueger recommended its use for controlling bacteria and fungi. Filters help maintain water chemistry and control biogrowth by limiting nutrients available in water. Krueger explained that oligotropic water is ideal (trace amounts of minerals Ni, Zn and Cu), and that controlling phosphate levels is recommended to limit biogrowth.
A series of steps were presented for checking levels and making alterations to the water chemistry. 1- Make visual observations, as the presence of a slippery surface can indicate the beginning of growth. 2- Test water (phosphate levels, temperature, and level of polyquats which requires a special kit). If high levels of phosphates are found then it can be remedied by draining some water and refilling it (if under 125ppm) or using a chelating agent and then backwashing (if over 125ppm). To adjust alkalinity, sodium bicarbonate can be added in small quantities and checked every 24 hours. Then total dissolved solids (hardness) should be tested and followed by checking calcium carbonate hardness, keeping in mind that calcium hypochlorite should not be added to adjust, rather by draining some water and adding new. Finally the overall saturation should be checked. 3- Inspect mechanical equipment. Filters should be inspected per manufacturer’s instructions. Krueger shared that he is researching the practice of adding barley straw in water, as there is published data that supports or disputes its ability to eliminate algae by releasing peroxides in the water.

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Architecture/Research and Technical Studies Joint Session, June 3, Biodiversity and Control Methods of Phototrophic Colonization on Artistic Fountains, Oana A. Cuzman and Piero Tiano

This talk focused on research studies of biodiversity and treatments to control biogrowth on fountains, thus slowing the deterioration of stone. Cuzman explained several factors that affect micro-environmental conditions including: water regime (continuous or sporadic), materials (intrinsic properties), location (colonizers) and treatments (to water or fountains). Four fountains were selected in this study – two in Florence, Italy and two in Grenada, Spain (Patio de la Sultana and Patio de la Lindaraja). Microbial diversity of the colonized surfaces (green algae, cyanobacteria, and diatoms) was identified on the surface, forming a complex structure (biofilm); DNA sequencing was used to characterize sampled biofilms, and similarities were found between the two different geographic areas.
Regarding removal of biofilms, mechanical removal or water treatments can be effective. For this experiment a chemical treatment was also explored by adding an antifouling agent to a commercial waterproof coating (Wacker Chemie AG, SILRES® BS 290). Antifouling agents considered include: poly-alkyl pryidium salts, zosteric acid, capsaicin, and algophase.
Two fountains were selected for treatment (Tacca’s fountain in Italy and Patio de la Lindaraja in Spain), and both fountains were drained and mechanically cleaned. Afterwards, the modified waterproof coating was applied and allowed to cure for two weeks before adding water back to the fountains. Both fountains were visually observed, and at four months slow growth was observed, while at six months significant green growth was observed. Sample analysis from both fountains found a decreasing number of colonizing organisms, so even though growth was observed the diversity of organisms in the biofilm was affected. Cuzman found that the treatment only affected specific colonizers and that the unaffected ones flourished with less competition. Research on this subject will continue, perhaps modifying the antifouling agents (amount or types) added to the coating.

Ethical Considerations in Reproducing Furniture for Historic House Museums

David Bayne presented this paper on his experiences making reproduction furniture for display in historic house museums.  The rationale behind the reproduction of furniture is always to give a sense of wholeness to an interior, and in many cases there is sufficient evidence of what the furniture was like in the room to easily have the reproductions made.

However, in some cases the evidence is more difficult to find, for example the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House where the original furnishings were not well-documented.  It is very important to the interpretation of the space, but there will be some guesswork in the execution of these reproductions and the David Bayne was grappling with his role in this negotiation as the conservator.

This lecture reminded me of the the lecture about the ‘Frankenstein syndrome’ by Salvador Munoz-Vinas during the general session.  There are hard decisions we make as conservators and sometimes we just hope that our personal moral compass will guide us down the right path.  I admire David Bayne for his honesty about his personal struggles in the use of reproduction furniture in historic interiors.

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Changing Attitudes Towards Musical Instrument Conservation in Russia

Laurence Libin gave an overview of his impressions of the current state of musical instrument conservation in Russia. He visited St. Petersburg numerous times in the past 15-years and his interactions with museum staff and his knowledge of the history of the region have allowed him to come to some conclusions about musical instrument conservation in Russia.

Musical instruments are made to function and create music, and he sets this function as a rationale for the continued use of the instruments which may lead to their destruction.

He also cites the philosophical doctrine of fatalism, applied to musical instruments, means that the instruments, like people, are resigned to their fate and conservation is a lost cause. There is very little funding in Russian museums and many museum staff hold second or third jobs to make ends meet.

Even with these setbacks, there is a growing interest in musical instrument conservation in Russia and there is respect amongst museum professionals at the craft of the conservator. The ICOM International Committee of Musical Instrument Museums and Collections is helpful at creating appreciation and standards for collections. The speaker was generally positive about the future of musical instrument conservation in Russia.

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Research and Technical Studies Session, June 1, “The Macro, Micro, And Economics of Climate Control” by Dr. Fenella France, Library of Congress

Dr. Fenella France, Preservation Research Scientist at the Library of Congress, brought her expertise in preventive conservation to the topic of microclimates in cultural institutions, starting with the what, why, and where’s of microclimates, and ending with a presentation of an über-microclimate display and storage case: the “MOAC” (Mother of All Cases) for the iconic Waldseemüller map. Key points included:

  • A microclimate is a environment maintained in a small space that differs from its external environment. This might be at various levels of control within a building: the building itself, a room, a case, a box.
  • It is important to create specs for a microclimate based on an understanding of an object’s materials, history, and mechanisms of damage.
  • A specific object’s materials and cultural significance may dictate its need for a microclimate.
  • Issues which must be considered in planning a microclimate include the composition of the encasement, object access, environmental controls (active vs. passive), monitoring.

The Waldeseemüller map exemplified an object of highest cultural importance and value, which warranted an optimal microclimate for storage and display. Its fantastic encasement provided an anoxic environment, visibility of the object in storage and display, minimized handling, minimized oxidative and hydrolytic degradation, and access for monitoring of pressure, RH, T, and oxygen.  A few amazing stats about the case:

  • It was designed to maintain a 20-30-year seal.
  • It is a 2200 lb case within another case.
  • 92 bolts hold the tooled aluminum case together.
  • It has maintained 0-30ppb oxygen.
  • It has a flexible back to allow for changes in barometric pressure.

The encasement was an impressive, collaborative effort by conservators, engineers, architects, curators, and others. Although an estimated cost for the case was disappointingly not reported, I was impressed by the long-term planning that went into its design, as much as the elaborate, continuing monitoring and analysis conducted by the stewards of this object. Since the completion of the encasement in 2007, the durable case has proven to be effective and durable, as demonstrated by data generated by its monitoring systems. While I was duly wowed by the Waldeseemüller encasement, I would argue that France’s presentation of it as a “case study” was a little misleading. It was an exceptional feat of engineering and effort for an exceptional object. I was hoping for more discussion of more typical microclimate needs and solutions, probably covered in the Microclimate Workshop…

AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting- Objects Session, June 3, “Balancing Ethics and Restoration in the Conservation Treatment of an 18th Century Sewing Box with Tortoiseshell Veneer,” by Lori Trusheim.

Trusheim’s presentation clearly guided listeners through the processes involved with the treatment of a sewing box in a private collection. This talk addressed the main conference theme of the AIC meeting and explored how the Code of Ethics can be applied to aid treatment decisions. I particularly enjoyed how thoroughly Trusheim outlined the steps involved with procuring replacement materials, as well as how the owner’s expectations have influenced the treatment.