Test conservation history

Maheux, A.E., 2001. “Crossing Boundaries: A summary of Recent Interdisciplinary Developments in Paper Conservation”, The Paper Conservator, Vol. 25, Issue 1. Pp. 125-131.

Maheux discusses some of the advances in conservation, which may now be taken for granted but back in 2001 when the article was written, the materials truly changed the course of paper conservation treatments. She discusses the introduction of synthetic fabrics, for example Gore-Tex and Hollytex, and the invention of the ultrasonic mister, which was initially created for the consolidation of ethnographic objects, but found very useful when consolidating friable pigments on paper due to the very gentle and even application of the adhesive. Another development was the application of PVA adhesives in the conservation treatment of paper, which was not very common in traditional paper practice but more so with objects. The author also discusses the invention of the suction-table which was first used by paintings conservators in the 1950s and was then more recently adopted by textile conservators for washing.

Spande, H., Edt., 2009. Conservation Legacies of the Florence Flood of 1966: Proceedings of the symposium commemorating the 40th anniversary, Villa La Pietra and the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. London: Archetype.

A collection of articles written by a number of conservators who assisted in the conservation of the books, paintings, frescoes and sculptures of Florence, following the devastating flood in 1966. The book is incredibly insightful because not only does it document verbally and photographically the conditions the works of art immediately after the flood, but its also gives details about the materials used to conserve the works and describes the advances in conservation that were made in response to the natural disaster.

Accounts are written by some prominent figures in conservation, illustrating their personal experiences with detailed descriptions of the situation. The images really give a sense of what it must have been like working on hundreds of thousands of severely damaged objects, with no proper conservation set up where there was no electricity, during the initial rescue of the artifacts, and mud covered the floor and walls. Some of the authors also described how they divided the workforce and prioritized the conservation treatment of objects. Many volunteers from all over the world came to Florence to help out with the rescue and conservation of the artifacts. The authors discussed the simple everyday problems they faced like the language barrier, and how they overcame it by coming up with a symbol system so that everyone could document and assess the objects.

Roy, G., 2001. “A review of some of the main trends in training and education in paper conservation in the UK, 1970–2000”, The Paper Conservator, 25:1, 37-43.

This article offers an insight into the development of paper conservation courses in the UK from 1970-2000, looking at the courses offered at Camberwell College of Art and Gateshead Technical College (which became Newcastle Polytechnic and is now the University of Northumbria). The structure of the degree programmes have changed a lot over thirty years, but what has changed the most is the status given to the academic programmes. The programme at Gateshead Technical College started as apprenticeship while Camberwell College initially offered a Certificate in Archive Repair (1970) and then a one-year Diploma in Prints and Drawings conservation (1976). In 1986 Newcastle Polytechnic started the MA in the Conservation of Fine Art with two specialist areas, oil paintings and art on paper, and in 1988 Conservation staff at Camberwell were asked to prepare the curriculum for a BA (Hons) and an MA at the same time. In 1996, Camberwell won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Excellence and to broaden the scope of the BA (Hons) they decided to include the study of organic materials. It is interesting to see how over the last four decades conservation has gained a respected status within the academic world, and the changes in the curriculum that is being taught to conservation students.

Webber, P., 2006. “East and West: A Unified Approach to Paper Conservation”, The Paper Conservator, Volume 30, Issue 1. Pp. 43-56.

It was only in the late 1970s that Eastern and Western conservators started sharing their techniques. The author describes learning from a Japanese conservator, on an exchange at the V&A, how to make a kiribari (drying board), learning about wheat starch pastes and other adhesives such as funori, as well as a wide range of Japanese papers, brushes and other tools. Western conservation developed more uses of synthetic materials such as Tyvek, Melinex, Bondina and Gore-Tex, as well as equipment such as the leafcasting machine and the suction table. The exchange of knowledge between East and West has proven to be a key factor in the development of conservation treatment, providing very varied options for techniques and materials.