Julia Sybalsky, Lisa K. Elkin, Michaela Paulson, and Fran E. Ritchie
Abstract
Like many organic materials, keratin and biopigments found in feathers and fur are sensitive to light and ultraviolet exposure. As a consequence, history often dictates that caretakers of these collections inherit the responsibility of deciding whether and how light damaged objects should be displayed. In some cases, application of a colorant to an original surface or adding colored fills to compensate for fading may be appropriate. However, before arriving at that conclusion, many ethical questions require careful attention: what was the original intent of the artist, how is the object valued, are there cultural considerations to take into account. If recoloring is determined to be an appropriate approach, best practice must be observed, starting with a careful analysis of potential materials and techniques to be used, whether each alternative offers reversibility or the option to retreat in the future, and whether its application may cause damage to original materials.
With generous support from Institute of Museum and Library Services, the American Museum of Natural History Science Conservation staff have committed years of effort and investigation to developing best practices for restoring color to faded feathers and fur. In this talk, we will present key considerations in approaching these treatments, drawing on a decade of research guided by input from the professional community.
The scope of research at AMNH has focused primarily on colorants and application methods suitable for two approaches to restoration: 1) Direct recoloring of original feathers and fur through the application of the colorant onto the faded substrate and 2) Construction of naturalistic fills that are inserted among original materials to overlay those that have faded. We have relied on online surveys, consultations, and literature review to supplement our own expertise in identifying over 40 materials of interest to the community for these purposes. Subsequent assessment of their potential to create realistic outcomes in treatment, the range of colors available, their published lightfastness, sheen and opacity, ease of use for blending or creating crisp hard lines, reversibility, and how they interact with fur and feather surfaces, provided the basis for selecting a smaller number of promising colorants for extensive study, including solvent-soluble metal complex dyes (aka Orasol dyes), Wildlife Colors acrylic paint, PanPastel artist pastels, Golden’s QoR paints, and Kremer’s XSL pigments. This research identified good options for both approaches to restoration, but also showed that selecting the best method requires thoughtful attention to the condition of the keratin, and how the object will be used in the future.
Our presentation will include key observations and takeaways to guide those considering the use of these materials and techniques in other collections. Further, though research at the AMNH has focused specifically on strategies for restoring color in taxidermy, the approach developed here, in which alternative methodologies are identified with input from a wider professional community, and then evaluated against the ethical and technical criteria of importance to that community, can be adapted and applied to a range of other collections.