National Newsletter

Australian Institute for the Conservationervation of Cultural Material (Inc.(Inc.)) ISSN 1834-0598 No 110 March 2009

President’s Report

I fi nd that early January is a good time there are fi nite resources in our world… Contents to clear the overfl owing in-trays and we have to act responsibly and create President’s Report ...... 1 catch up on a bit of professional reading. organisations which are in every sense Two papers which surfaced as a result sustainable. If we don’t do so, we will From the Editors ...... 2 of my annual tidy up were so thought forfeit public trust and ultimately the provoking and timely that they warrant public investment and public funding State in Focus – SA and NT ...... 3 noting. Released in November 2008, that helps us pursue our activities”. Lab and People News “It’s a material world – Caring for the Along similar lines Maurice Davies of NSW ...... 9 public realm”, was commissioned for the Museums Association, noted that VIC ...... 12 the Demos Foundation in London, as “in endeavouring to preserve collections a result of the proposed closure of the almost perfectly for future generations, ACT ...... 15 Textiles Conservation Centre (TCC) we must not contribute inadvertently to SA ...... 16 by the University of Southampton. Co- making the planet more uninhabitable An Interview authored by John Holden and Samuel for those same future generations”. The Catherine Nunn ...... 19 Jones, the paper is a “call to arms” and a Editorial in this issue of the AICCM “blueprint for the future” of conservation. newsletter addresses this issue. General News Underlying the recommendations is the One of the issues raised by the debate on Stories from the files ...... 21 challenge to the conservation profession climate change and museum collections “to widen its scope, to look at the broader NSW Division News ...... 22 is that of environmental specifi cations. role conservation plays and embrace The Search for Alternative Calls to relax conservation “standards” public engagement”. By coincidence, Funding ...... 22 with respect to light levels, temperature one of the authors, John Holden, was and relative humidity parameters, Conference News recently in Australia (February 2009) duration of exhibitions etc, have forced ICOM-CC 15th Triennial and gave a presentation on the report the role of risk assessment to the fore. It Conference ...... 23 at Art Gallery of South Australia. It is therefore timely that the Preventive Course Announcement is to be hoped that the meeting will Conservation Special Interest Group SOIMA 2009 ...... 23 stimulate further discussion in the next is hosting a seminar at the Melbourne newsletter. GCI Conference News ...... 24 Museum in early May 2009 on “Risk Repairing Art Damaged by The second paper, “Climate Change management as a decision making tool”. Natural Disasters ...... 25 and Museum Collections” presented Graduates of the ICCROM course on the results of a forum hosted by risk management, Catherine Lovelock Special Interest Group the International Institute for the and Eric Archer, will be key presenters. Co-ordinators ...... 26 Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) in September 2008. In Tamara Lavrencic Conservation Matters the words of the Director of the Tate, – What do YOU think?...... 27 Sir Nicholas Serota, “public museums exist by virtue of having established a public trust. Without that public trust, we cannot maintain our position in society”. He cautioned that “at a time of climate change and recognition that

No 110 March 2009 1 From The Editors

From The Editors

Well, it certainly is interesting times! As Collections’ forum, in London, • The in-depth interview with we read of how the way the world does reported on in the last edition of the Catherine Nunn, paintings business is going to change, we need to AICCM newsletter (December 2009), conservator who is now in be aware that this is bound to have an highlighted the role conservators can Melbourne after four years working impact on the conservation profession. play in leading this debate. in the U.K. Specifi cally the private sector in which Much relevant work is already underway • More tales from the archives almost half of us are engaged are going within various state and national from our investigative reporter to see tougher times – unfortunately collecting institutions, but there is a extraordinaire, Ian Batterham. a proportion of that work is seen as great opportunity for the conservation discretionary spending. Luckily the • Repairing art damaged by natural profession to step to the fore in Australia. private museum is an unusual entity disasters – an interesting perspective We encourage all conservators to make in Australia, unlike the USA where from main stream journalism at the themselves familiar with the issues, and museums funded by philanthropic Wall Street Journal. start leading the debate. We plan to trusts are doing it tough, resulting in discuss this in more detail in the June predictions of signifi cant numbers of • A new topic under ‘Conservation edition. museums closing. Matters – what do YOU think’ – do read and comment back to us. Meanwhile, in this edition, look out More broadly the cost of running for: museums is going to be increasingly We look forward as always to your ongoing support and input. scrutinised. That means energy • The state profi les of South savings are going to be looked for at all Australia and the Northern Fiona Tennant and Julian Bickersteth levels from storage to administration Territory, as we continue our areas. This at least means that the state by state focus on the local environmental and ethical desirability conservation activity. Next edition of such will no longer be the only we shall be focusing on Victoria and reasons to implement savings. The Tasmania, with ACT to follow in recent ‘Climate Change and Museum the September edition.

2 AICCM National Newsletter State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

State in Focus – SA and NT

In focusing on the conservation masse effi ciently. We observed that the Mary Jose now runs Fabric Of Life, a profession in South Australia and remedy was to treat what was obviously business which has grown and developed the Northern Territory we wanted to damage fi rst, without prior preparation out of her previous conservation emphasize the diversity and wide-ranging or consideration for side affects. It lead only business, Mary Jose Textile activities undertaken by conservators us to discuss more thoroughly treatment Conservation: here. of a work from start to fi nish, including After working in conservation for nearly spot testing, surface cleaning and In particular we want to show something 20 years I decided to expand my business backing removals to minimize staining of the many international projects and and indulge my love of textiles. I have and damage from solvent and aqueous partnerships undertaken by Artlab continued to offer textile conservation treatment used while removing stains. Australia and Fabric of Life in Adelaide, services to public and private clients Working to a tight time schedule is a and the Museum and Art Gallery but in addition to that I also sell and diffi cult challenge in all conservation Northern Territory in Darwin, and to exhibit fi ne hand made textiles from facilities, however the thorough care give you an idea of the vibrancy and various parts of the world. Although we of the work is just as important and vitality our many visitors bring to the sell both old and new textiles our major became some what of a mantra during scene, whether they be students or focus is on fi ne quality hand made fair our practical sessions. interns like Abby, Filipa and Song, trade textiles. Each year I travel to meet interviewed below, or the pre-eminent The cultural experience was invaluable. with artisans and to select fi ne quality scholar and lobbyist John Holden who The Singaporeans were very generous hand made textiles to be used for interior recently gave a presentation of his report in their hospitality, ensuring Anne decoration or to wear. It’s a material world, caring for the public and I were comfortable, well fed and We hold exhibitions from time to realm to conservators and curators at the entertained for the week. We were able time. There are a number of steams Art Gallery of South Australia. to visit the newly furbished Peranakan to this and I will start with the closest Museum and the Singapore Conservation Let’s start with Jodie Proud, Senior to home. Since 2004 we have been Centre before celebrating our visit with Paper Conservator at Artlab: working very closely with Ernabella Arts a relaxing (but pricey!) Singapore Sling Inc particularly in relation to their batik In September 2008 Anne Dineen and I at the long bar in Raffl es Hotel. work. I phoned Ernabella and asked if were invited to the National Archives in they would like to work with me to hold Singapore to deliver a workshop on stain an exhibition of batik scarves and Raiki reduction from paper items. The three Wara (long cloth) for the Adelaide day workshop comprised of lectures in Fringe Festival in 2004. The response the morning and practical treatments in was come up and visit and we’ll see if the afternoons with fi fteen participants we like you. I travelled up to Ernabella from the Archives and Singapore’s and spent a few days sleeping on the art Conservation Centre. The week started centre fl oor and met the artists and the with advice on preventative measures co-ordinator at that time Hilary Furlong. and long term care of paper based I got the tick of approval and we held collections. We thoroughly discussed Anne Dineen and students surface cleaning. our fi rst exhibition together at Fabric mould prevention as the high humidity of Life I February 2004. Since then we of the region is problematic to the have held may exhibitions together and museum environment, and removal also a “tjanpi” basket making workshop of mould stains from paper even more with three of Ernabella’s best fi bre artist so. Other types of stains discussed and sitting under the trees in the Adelaide treated included tidelines and foxing, Parklands. We have also sold work to tape removal and tape stains. many Museum collections including We found the approach to collections the Art Gallery of South Australia, care quite different to our own previous The National Gallery of Australia, experiences. A few conservator the Powerhouse, The Queensland Art technicians raised their concerns about Gallery, the National Gallery of Victoria pace and time and doing treatments en Jodie Proud demonstrating stain reduction and National Museums Scotland. The treatments at the suction table.

No 110 March 2009 3 State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

success of these exhibitions has helped Foundation and Asialink, Kristin meetings of the ICON Accreditation ensure the ongoing creation of batik at has recently conducted storage and committee and the ICON publications Ernabella. conservation workshops at the Museum committee – she remains a member of Batik in Pekalongan, Indonesia, also both of these committees. Vicki can be The other major stream is the collection funded by the AII, and more recently in contacted by email on humphrey.vicki@ of textiles from India. I have travelled Guwahati, Assam, India in conjunction googlemail.com. to India several times and developed with Vinod Daniel of the Australian relationships with a number of Sue Bassett, Senior Conservator at Museum in Sydney. traditional artisans who excel in the MAGNT gives us all the news from production of their crafts. Some of these This was funded by AusHeritage with a Darwin and Dili: It’s been quite a while artisans sell their work through Non grant from the Australia India Council. since Museum and Art Gallery Northern Government Organisations and others Territory (MAGNT) contributed to the work from their houses. Most of these AICCM Newsletter and if there has ever artisans are practicing skills which have been a time to make the assumption that been passed down through their families ‘no news is good news’, this is probably for generations. They are embroiderers, it. tie dyers and weavers. My focus has been The Materials Conservation Section of on the textile arts of Gujarat, Rajasthan MAGNT occupies a very compact lab and West Bengal. In these areas artisans space on the Fannie Bay beachfront are producing work of exceptionally fi ne in Darwin, where the main institution quality that I have rarely seen in new sits and virtually all of its collections work. I hope that by promoting their Kristin at the Batik Museum are housed. Alice Springs’ Museum work I will help in a small way with of Central Australia is also part of the survival of these traditions. The MAGNT, and the broader umbrella of slow development of Fair Trade and the Museums and Art Galleries NT covers appreciation of traditional Indian textiles Alice’s Strehlow Research Centre and by the growing Indian middle classes are Araluen Cultural Centre too, but the helping to strengthen the appreciation of Darwin facility has the only conservation this work and increase the desire to help lab and the only conservation staff in it survive. We also stock textiles from the Northern Territory (the closest South East Asia, Africa, and Central being Townsville and Adelaide). The Asia. team is part of MAGNT Research and The combination of exhibiting textiles Collections – along with Collections Kristin in India and providing conservation services has Management, and History and Culture meant that I am able to advise clients As we write, Kristin is back in Yogyakarta and Natural Sciences branches – and and how to best care for their textiles carrying out Counter-Disaster Planning has responsibility for the care of the and also prepare works for display using workshops with Joanna Barkman and very diverse art, craft, material culture, conservation practice. It has proved a Sandra Yee of the Museum and Art historical, archaeological and scientifi c good way of promoting the need for Gallery Northern Territory. collections (including wet and dry appropriate care of textiles to ensure natural history specimens). The team their survival. We are also providing a Vicki Humphrey has recently also provides support (predominantly in shop front for customers to get advice returned to South Australia after 5 the form of advice) to the community about conservation of all materials and 1/2 years as Head of Conservation at and to the regions, as well as to other are able to refer people on to appropriate the British Library and has recently divisions within our NTG Department specialist conservators. been contracted to provide quality of Natural Resources, Environment, The assurance advice over a three year Arts, and Sport, which includes the NT Kristin Philips, Head of Textiles period on the safety and preservation Library, NT Archives Service and NT Conservation at Artlab, has also been of the National Library of New Herbarium. very active in India and South East Zealand’s Heritage Collections during Asia. Following on from workshops and their building redevelopment and The MAGNT conservation team conservation treatments carried out relocation. (see http://www.natlib. comprises three permanent positions: with Renita Ryan at the Sonobudoyo govt.nz/about-us/current-initiatives/ the Senior Conservator (currently Museum in Yogyakarta over the last building-redevelopment) Vicki will also objects/metals), and two Conservators two years, and funded by the Australia be travelling to the UK in Feb to attend (currently objects and paintings). Recent Indonesia Institute, the Gordon Darling incidents and circumstances have led to

4 AICCM National Newsletter State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

signifi cant changes and developments in occurred in April 2008. Five were Leste, to design and construct crates and at MAGNT such that we also currently stolen and recovered a short time later to clean and pack the loans for freighting. have a Temporary Conservator (paper/ in nearby scrub, and the perpetrator was Delivered as on-the-job training for DNC preventive), and may also soon recruit apprehended and charged. The incident staff, there were clear benefi ts for both to a shared Technical Assistant position, resulted in Arts Minister Scrymgour organisations – DNC staff worked with making it the closest we have ever come announcing special government funding a conservator and display technician to to having a full conservation skills set in for this extensive conservation and develop skills and sustainable collection the Northern Territory. Hurrah! consultation project, which is proposed management practices at their end, and to culminate in an international touring MAGNT staff gained experience working Past years have seen us all working as exhibition. Provision has also been made with a very interesting collection while generalists and largely in a reactive for upgraded storage systems for future building professional capacity to work capacity, supporting a demanding and housing of the collection. in Southeast Asia and in a cross-cultural unrelenting in-house and travelling context. exhibitions program, assessing new Our temporary position was created as a acquisitions and preparing outward result of Lisa moving to this project, and The joint exhibition of Timor-Leste art loans, and keeping up as best we could is held by Tharron Bloomfi eld, paper/ and material culture, Husi Bei Ala Timor with basic collection maintenance. preventive conservator, who joined us Sira Nia Liman – From the Hands of Our Future scheduling and planning promises from Canberra late last year. Tharron Ancestors, opened in November 2008 and new opportunities and now includes a is clearing a backlog of paper-based was the result of a long-term relationship very welcome collection-based research items requiring treatment and, with his and very successful partnership between component for conservators, with extensive hands-on cyclone recovery DNC and MAGNT. The relationship appropriate resource allocation and a experiences following Cyclone Heta in goes back to the early 1990s and, with review of staff numbers! More hurrah! Niue, sharing his expertise on a range UN, UNESCO and AusAID support, of issues related to disaster preparedness has involved salvage of the looted Dili Lisa Nolan, our paintings conservator and management, as well as all things Museum collection by MAGNT staff in (and our fi rst ever specialist in that preventive. Tharron’s projects will also 2000, and post-independence capacity- fi eld), joined us at the end of 2007. After include an assessment and upgrade building assistance for DNC in the fi nishing her current task of preparing of storage of MAGNT’s secret/sacred form of staff seminars and the provision the outgoing paintings loans for 2009, holdings and development of an IPM of intensive Darwin-based training of Lisa will be the fi rst to launch into a plan for the NT Herbarium. personnel in museum development, major project. She will spend the next 12 procedures and practices. The MAGNT months or more exclusively conserving MAGNT conservators were previously conservation team contributed to this MAGNT’s very signifi cant collection quite active throughout the NT, training which, together with the of 225 early Papunya-Tula boards. regularly presenting a variety of resultant exhibition, has had positive Collected in the 1970s and mounted workshops for regional museums and outcomes for preservation of the cultural and framed in ways that seemed fi ne at community groups, and running public heritage and identity of Timor-Leste, and the time, this collection has remained conservation clinics in most regional to nation-building. The documentation, largely untouched with much of its centres. This involvement has ceased treatment, preservation and publication identifying labelling and information while the Regional Museums Support of a signifi cant component of the obscured. It will benefi t enormously Offi cer position is temporarily vacant, national collection of Timor-Leste has from the systematic deframing and but outreach programs have continued been realised and, on its return to Dili, the level of research, community with a wider regional focus together this material will form the basis of the consultation, documentation, analysis, with MAGNT Curator of Southeast developing National Museum of Timor- stabilisation and professional attention Asian Art and Material Culture, Joanna Leste. and consideration it is about to receive. Barrkman. The development of the Western Desert Sandra’s other overseas activities Sandra Yee, our objects conservator Art movement was sparked by the include delivery of a training program in who also takes responsibility for textiles, production of paintings on boards in the Indonesia in January and February 2009, travelled to Dili with Joanna and Central Australian Papunya community, together with Artlab. The two-week another MAGNT staff member last year and MAGNT’s collection includes the workshop is funded by the Australian to borrow 47 objects from the national earliest consignments of these boards. By International Cultural Council, collection of Timor-Leste for a joint way of background to the project, a small Department of Foreign Affairs and exhibition with MAGNT in Darwin. number of these works were conserved Trade. It is being delivered to members They worked in collaboration with staff and were on display in MAGNT’s of the Yogyakarta Museum Association of the National Directorate of Culture Indigenous Art Gallery when a break- and staff of the Gadjah Mada University (DNC), Democratic Republic of Timor-

No 110 March 2009 5 State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

at the Sonobudoyo Museum, Yogyakarta, And each year between December and dedicated to the idea of coming here! and will cover museum disaster May there’s that ever-present threat of Abby has always been interested in preparedness and relevant aspects of a destructive cyclone. But most of these working with ethno graphic collections collections management. issues have been resolved or are being and felt that the best place to get that addressed, systems are being upgraded experience was in a country that had Sandra also proposes to travel to Dili and improved, outcomes are positive, its own Indigenous population. The in late March 2009 to provide practical opportunities lie ahead, and high-level dialogue which surrounds conservation training to Timor Aid and the Alola strategic planning for the future of the and treatment of ethnographic objects Foundation on care and management NT museums sector is underway. has long fascinated Abby. She also felt of textiles, and to design and implement that it was diffi cult to work between the storage systems appropriate to local All news is good news! strictly defi ned conservation disciplines conditions and resources. in the UK. Back at Artlab we spoke to interns, Lisa and Sandra are also in the process Abby, Filipa and Song: of developing a collaborative research An outline of the treatment Abby project with Joanna Barrkman to Volunteers and interns constantly fl ow enjoyed most while working at Artlab investigate natural dyes and their through the different specialty areas Abby most enjoyed working on a application to handwoven textiles in of Artlab. They carry out invaluable collection of seven Papua New Guinean Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The pilot work, research, and are often able to costumes. The Asmat costumes had all project will commence in March 2009 benefi t by broadening their skills and been made by men and worn during and involve travel to West Timor to exposure to various types of objects. mortuary feast celebrations. The document mud and indigo dyeing Three conservators who have recently construction techniques are considered techniques with the Yayasan Tafean Pah spent time at Artlab were interviewed secret, which raised the issue of whether weaving cooperative. to help us learn a little bit more about Abby should be working on the costumes what motivates this vibrant section of at all. After discussions with the curator Sue Bassett is the Senior Conservator the Artlab workforce. which resolved these issues, Abby devised (objects/metals). Sue is in the fi nal stages a method of approach which took into of preparing a Disaster Management Plan Abby Maxwell-Bowen completed a account the brief and resources of the for MAGNT, and has been stabilising a four week mid-career placement in the client, and the time she had available. variety of objects (metal, wood, ceramic) Objects lab during December 2008. This She assessed the object in terms of its recovered during dredging for the is her second trip to Australia. requirements for storage and display. Darwin waterfront development. She Working on the textile’s ‘knitted’ surface also recently assisted the Department of Abby’s conservation training and was unlike any other experience she had the Chief Minister by coordinating the background had in England. display of the painting Earth’s Creation Abby originally trained in conservation by Utopia artist, the late Emily Kame through an apprenticeship in the UK. What is Abby doing with the Kngwarreye, in Darwin’s Parliament She remained with the London based remainder of her time in Australia? House. Earth’s Creation, comprising four private conservation company where panels totalling 6.3 x 2.7 metres, was she completed her apprenticeship and Apart from taking out a year-long gym part of an NMA exhibition of works by has been working there for 17 years. membership, Abby plans to travel and Emily Kame Kngwarreye that travelled The company Abby works for takes on work voluntarily in Sydney, Melbourne, recently to Japan. all types of work and Abby has vast Perth, Auckland, possibly Wellington, experience working on outdoor and then return to Artlab. Her ultimate Some of the big challenges in recent years monument and sculptures. Abby objective is securing paid conservation have centred around the management described her work as being 60:40% work in Australia. of a very heavy workload, overfl owing conservation: restoration. storage areas, and an old and unreliable What did Abby like about being in air-conditioning system. Managing Why did Abby come to Australia and Australia? risk associated with the servicing, more specifi cally, Adelaide? The attractions of Australian life are fl ushing and upgrade of the old wet-pipe For Abby the main attraction in Australia huge for Abby and mostly come under sprinkler system and a major carpet- was Artlab. After unsuccessfully applying the heading ‘lifestyle’. Not having to beetle infestation were up there too, as for a bursary, Abby moved home and commute 2 hours twice a day to her work is preserving our maritime collection of lived with her mum so she could save place rated very highly with Abby, as did deteriorating historic vessels displayed the necessary funds to fund her time in our abundance of sunlight, space, high- fully rigged in an uncontrolled tropical Australia. It is clear that she was very quality affordable food, and the genuine environment just metres from the sea.

6 AICCM National Newsletter State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

people she has met. Professionally Abby Why did Filipa come to Australia and also experiencing diffi culties securing has been excited to go to work every day more specifi cally, Adelaide? work. Volunteering is a really good in Australia; the experience has reignited Filipa originally came to Australia for a way for Filipa to keep her hand skills her passion for working in conservation. holiday. Whilst still in Portugal Filipa highly tuned, and stay in touch with the looked at the Artlab website and felt profession. that the company adhered to the same principals as she was taught in Portugal. What does Filipa like about being in So Filipa contacted Artlab and organised Australia? to visit us while in Australia. The work The quality of life is much better in that was immediately available in Australia than Portugal according to Portugal was more ‘restoration’ than Filipa; there are many more opportunities ‘conservation’ and Filipa wanted to focus to work and live the way you want, on developing her conservation skills. not to mention better pay conditions. Filipa emphasised that conservation Filipa has loved volunteering at Artlab practice in Portugal is not generally because of the variety of work she has Abby ‘restoration’ based. In fact they have the been able to undertake. In Portugal working on woven same principals as Australia. Filipa ended people tend to be confi ned to their area ceremonial up staying in Adelaide, and eventually of specialty. costume married here. Filipa and her partner plan Sangouansinh Phrasavat, (or Song as to stay here for a few years. she is affectionately known), is currently Filipa Quintela has been working completing her internship in the Paper An outline of the treatment Filipa for nearly one year as a volunteer in enjoyed most while working at Artlab Lab. This is her third week with us, and the Objets lab at Artlab, she has also although she is inundated with work and undertaken some paid work with the A treatment Filipa enjoyed and felt new experiences, she was able to give us Projects team. she learnt a great deal from was the a few minutes of her time to discuss her conservation of a woven plant fi bre hat. conservation experiences. Filipa’s conservation training and There were many elements in the open background style of the weaving that had snapped and Song’s conservation training and Filipa completed an undergraduate compromised the shape and structural background. integrity of the form. Filipa spent many degree in conservation in Portugal in Song entered conservation for the love of hours fi xing fi ne strips of dyed Tyvek in 2007. A nine month internship formed art. She studied art, but eventually came place with Beva fi lm. part of her course work, Filipa completed to the conclusion that she would prefer this with a furniture conservator/restorer. to work with art, rather than create it. What is Filipa doing with the Filipa has continued to expand her remainder of her time in Australia? skills while volunteering at Artlab Song has completed four years of her undertaking a diverse range of jobs such Filipa plans to continue to volunteer paper conservation studies at the Ecoles as: repairing ceramics, box making, a at Artlab, with a view to getting more de Conde’ in Paris, France. Her fi fth year furniture cleaning treatment, polishing paid work here. Although this is a of study is devoted largely to internships, chrome at the National Motor Museum, somewhat tenuous situation to be in, she and for the most part will be conducted working on ethnographic plant fi bre says that her Portuguese colleagues are in Australia. Song will be with us in objects, cleaning accretions of an Adelaide for two and a half months intricately carved door, and working before heading up to the Gallery of on ships models. Some of the paid work Modern Art, Brisbane. Filipa has undertaken with the Projects team includes waxing and patinating large bronzes, and working on stone monuments.

Filipa working on a plant fibre hat

No 110 March 2009 7 State in Focus – South Australia and the Northern Territory

Why did Song come to Australia and What is Song doing with the more specifi cally, Adelaide? remainder of her time in Australia? Song has always wanted to visit So far Song has been concentrating on Australia, especially since she has family her internship and studies, and will try here (situated in Queensland). While to travel the country’s expanse after she in Australia, Song is curious to observe has fi nished her placement at the Gallery different approaches to conservation of Modern Art, Brisbane. between the French and Australians. One difference already noted during this What does Song like about being in interview is nomenclature! Song is used Australia? to ‘Conservation’ referring to rehousing Although it is aggressively hot at the and storage preparation, and ‘Restoration’ moment, Song quite enjoys the warmer to practical treatment. She is also weather and she loves the Australian interested in learning our approaches to landscape. She is testing her taste buds environmental factors with collection with local produce and is enjoying South care, particularly as they are so different Australian wines. Australia wide – and it appears she has come at the right time as Adelaide is in a very hot and dry period and Brisbane in a more humid time of year.

Favourite paper based items to conserve. Song is currently working on backing removal of silver gelatine prints, which Song she is enjoying as she hasn’t worked on working on photographs previously. She is also in a backing treatment with a lithographic poster removal of a silver from the Art Gallery of South Australia gelatin which has thus far required removal of photograph. the cloth lining, tape and tape adhesive removal, humidifi cation and fl attening Enjoying South Australian wines – and tear repair. She will complete the it seems like a good place to fi nish. job with a new rag mount and framing. As Song is relatively new to the profession, she confesses to enjoy most conservation treatments and is very open minded with any paper based item that requires attention.

8 AICCM National Newsletter Lab and People News – NSW

Lab and People News

the display cases to simplify installation with objects outside of exhibition New South Wales time at each venue. So developing spaces. I believe this concept has great mounting solutions with the safety of the potential, and would like to see greater objects foremost is one of the challenges. direct access achieved in Australian Australian National Another is selecting a suitably shaped collecting institutions. Maritime Museum mannequin for the exhibition and adjusting it to fi t each costume. State Records NSW Lab News People News Victoria Bramwell-Davis is in the middle Kathryn Yeates – Last September I Lab News of a frame conservation project. The 19th attended the IIC Congress in London A change in the State Records NSW century gilt frame houses the portrait of after a three week holiday in Europe. lending policy to include standard Sir John Franklin (a British Royal Navy The theme of the 22nd biennial IIC processing charges and to begin charging offi cer and 5th Lieutenant Governor of Congress: Conservation and Access for exceptional conservation treatment Van Diemen’s Land) belonging to the offered a broad spectrum of presentations work has seen a spate of requests fl ood collection. The painting will be displayed ranging from the familiar subjects of light in before the new charging regime along with many other interesting objects damage & exposure times, the effects of commenced on January 1st. We are in the forthcoming March-August 2009 vibrations on objects during travel, and preparing loans for 9 exhibitions at exhibition “Charles Darwin – voyages and the expanding roll of conservators as present…. This increase also refl ects a ideas that shook the world”. The treatment interpreters, negotiators, and cultural growing knowledge of what is held in our so far has involved the removal of bronze intermediaries. The more challenging collection by others across the heritage paint, a dense shellac layer, as well as a subjects of allowing researchers, art sector, something which State Records is later gesso application. This slow, labour history students and school children pleased about. intensive cleaning process has taken to have hands-on access to collections three months. Currently gesso putty reinforced the concept that physical Elizabeth Hadlow has commenced a infi lls and replacements are being crafted access to objects can be greatly increased survey of all the photographic holdings in and then the loss areas will be in-gilded without adverse effects to collections – the collection so that we can ascertain our and distressed to match the original gold if suffi cient will, thought, resources and storage requirements prior to purchasing fi nish. supervision are available. or building cold storage facilities in the coming year. The photographic holdings Caroline Whitley has also been preparing One idea that made a strong impression at State Records are dispersed among a paper-based collection items for the on me and which I would be interested diverse range of record series and it can Darwin exhibition, which is marking the in seeing discussed and developed be diffi cult to estimate quantities and 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and further by the profession, is the concept formats accurately. Separating these the 150th of the publication of his famous that if light damages an object over time intrinsic photographic materials from evolutionary theory On the Origin of and this is accepted and managed, why their parent record can also be diffi cult as Species. These collection items will add not similarly manage the damage to it creastes tracking and additional storage to many other objects loaned to us by an object caused by handling? This is issues. We will be grappling with these various UK and Australian institutions currently a highly theoretical debate. issues as we build up a more accurate for this fascinating show. The idea is based around being able to picture of our photograph collections. quantify how many times an object can Sue Frost is preparing swimming be handled before a noticeable change costumes for the forthcoming traveling Our Reader demand has not diminished, occurs in its condition. Why not allow exhibition on the history of swimwear. and this continues to see a steady fl ow robust objects to be handled? As with The exhibition will showcase the of items to treat before allowing them light levels, acceptable handling levels ANMM swimwear collection. and will to be accessed in our Reading Room. would have to be defi ned and parameters also include some interesting objects We continue to treat many probate set, but it would mean that collections from other institutions and private and insolvency fi les damaged by water could be accessed to a greater level. collections. The design concept is to and mould. We are presently using Scholarly access could be increased, as travel as much material as possible on a combination of ‘copy and destroy’, could programs that allow interactions pre-prepared supports mounted within consolidation with Klucel, and lining

No 110 March 2009 9 Lab and People News – NSW

and repair techniques to make the Y-wing starfi ghters, the Rebel Blockade in this reaction but that contaminants information accessible for our Readers. Runner Tantive IV and the Royal in the air are responsible – or is it the Jill Gurney and Dominique Moussou Naboo Starship. Costumes of some of age of the paper or amount of lignin? have been kept very busy with these of the unique Star Wars characters include Usually the solution is to not use Mylar® late. Wookiees from Kashyyyk, snowtroopers at all or to cover the entire page with a from Hoth, and Jawas from Tatooine sheet of Mylar®. After some discussion Sarah Bunn has been treating an plus an original yoda puppet. with staff, and Elizabeth Hadlow from interesting collection of tracing paper State Records NSW, Sue Gatenby and Dave Rockell and Skye Mitchell maps of the Darling Downs and Teresa Werstak will further investigate fi nished preparing objects for the touring Murrimbidgee River Districts drawn by this issue by running a series of simple exhibition, Great Collections, which they the Surveyor Townsend in 1852. This experiments. will also install and dismantle at fi ve collection appears to be unique in its regional galleries in NSW. Organised Gosia Dudek has been busy working format, as most other surveyors used and presented by Museums & Galleries on the Bosdyk dolls house, which was fi eld books and other paper formats to NSW, Great Collections offers an acquired by the museum in 2006. A record their fi ndings. The plans and unprecedented look at the history of great example of the art of the miniature maps are wonderful in their detail and collecting in Australia. Objects include showing extraordinary attention to are beautifully drawn. Sarah has been the fi rst botanical specimens gathered detail characteristic of traditional Dutch humidifying and encapsulating the forty- by Sir Joseph Banks on Captain Cook’s dolls houses, it was made by Dutch some plans so that one of our readers can voyage of 1770 (from the National immigrants Frans and Christina Bosdyk complete his book about the squatter Herbarium of NSW) and a 2006 parody in Picton, New South Wales, between holdings and farming properties of that of a celebration of Cook’s landing by 1997 and 2006. It has 20 rooms on fi ve era. Aboriginal artist, Daniel Boyd (from levels and contains over 1,000 pieces of the Museum of Contemporary Art). miniature furniture, household items, People News The exhibition is a display of over 115 musical instruments, ornaments and Dominique has has increased her days to rare and signifi cant art, objects and dolls. documents from a number of institutions two per week for the start of 2009. We Gosia is preparing the dolls house including the Powerhouse Museum. The were sad to see Sarah leave us to take up for display at the museum. The work exhibition has now been dismantled a position at the Art Gallery of NSW at involves cleaning the house and its from the fi rst venue, Campbelltown Arts the end of 2008 – but we wish Sarah well contents and attaching as many loose Centre and re-installed at the Tweed Jill pieces as possible following the original in her new endeavours! is continuing Regional Gallery in far northern NSW. her part-time contract and Carol Marsh set-up. During this process she has come is returning to us after a long break in the Teresa Werstak prepared and installed across a few surprises – for example a tiny UK visiting family and friends. Elizabeth 110 objects for Living in a sensory world: bible with microscopic text, beautifully is still feeling overwhelmed as the only stories from people with blindness and low made 10mm long leather shoes and full-time permanent conservator in the vision. This exhibition gives visitors grandma’s dentures hidden in the top team at present! an understanding of the world of the drawer of her dresser. blindness and low vision community, Kate Chidlow has been working on the and their achievements. It features Australian Dress Register which the objects from Vision Australia’s heritage Powerhouse Museum launched with a Powerhouse Museum collection, compelling accounts and seminar called “Behind the Seams’. It examples of new technologies that is an online resource, similar in concept Lab News are increasing the independence of to the National Quilt Register. The thousands of Australians. The Exhibition team was kept busy prior register will document signifi cant men’s, to Christmas preparing and installing Sue Gatenby and James Elwing have women’s and children’s dress in NSW objects for Star Wars: Where Science been investigating the damage caused to dating up to 1945. It is aimed at helping Meets Imagination, an exhibition a book displayed using Mylar® strips to museums and private collectors recognise developed by the Museum of Science, secure the open pages. Underneath the and research their dress collections. It Boston, USA and Lucasfi lm Ltd. The Mylar® strip the paper was of uniform will also offer support for better care and exhibition includes over 80 models, pale paper colour as opposed to the other management. It is hoped to record this props and costumes from all six Star sections which were darkened. What has information while it is still available and Wars fi lms and highlights real world caused this damage? – does the Mylar® within living memory. technologies that are rapidly making the act as a fi lter or cause differential fading? Kate is also involved with planning Star Wars fantasy a reality. What part does the light play in the the annual preservation day at the process? Some have suggested refl ection The team assisted with installation of Powerhouse Discovery Centre, which of the light from the Mylar® strips. Luke’s original landspeeder from Episode will be held on March 14. The event was 1V A New Hope, scale models of X- and Others believe that light plays no part

10 AICCM National Newsletter Lab and People News – NSW

very successful last year, with conservators People News a snowfall caused avalanches and broken stationed at four advice banks in the As mentioned in the last edition, in rails! display store. Members of the public are 2007 Jennifer Edmonds was fortunate invited to bring along objects and seek Jennifer’s report has been submitted enough to be the inaugural recipient to the Churchill Trust and will advice about preserving their treasures. of the (NSW) Offi ce of Rail Heritage- This year, conservators will be doing be available on their website sponsored Churchill Fellowship. (www.churchilltrust.com.au) in the treatment demonstrations, a lecture on In July last year she embarked on a near future. The fellowships are open to paper preservation and the advice banks, three and a half month tour of 39 all Australians over the age of 18 who as well as a children’s workshop. organisations in fi ve countries, studying wish to develop skills or knowledge in how steam locomotives are interpreted Nadia McDougall, Margaret Juraszek their professional fi eld of endeavour. and conserved in museums, and how and Frances Fitzpatrick have been kept Information and applications are operational locomotives are maintained busy working on a variety of outgoing available through the website. and refurbished (or restored) at heritage loans. One problematic loan was of 4 railways. Jennifer was particularly Charles Aisen sculptures to the Jewish interested in collecting policies, object Museum of Australia in Melbourne. care philosophies and how different SLNSW There was a high risk of damage to these organisations determine which objects fragile tin pieces in transit, but was will be conserved and displayed and thankfully prevented by the combined Lab News which will be operated as part of their efforts of registration and conservation Steve Bell, Cathryn Bartley, and interpretation. in the crate fi t out. Cecilia Harvey recently prepared and To this end Jennifer visited a number installed material for the Library’s Rebecca Main and Chris Brothers have of heritage railways that are purely Heritage Collection 2009 display. This been working on an as yet undated, very commercial operations run entirely by year a diverse range of material ranging dirty and faded early daguerreotype of paid staff, some run solely by volunteers from artists’ books, the collection of PL Collins Street Melbourne. Very little of and others with a mix of both. She met the image was visible to the eye, or with Travers (author of Mary Poppins) and with branch-line railways as well as main- straight photography, before treatment. historic fi rearms will be on display. line operators, museums that have only Rebecca documented its condition and static rolling stock, museums that operate Tracey Golds, Anna Brooks, and now disassembled the packaging, cleaned the their own rolling stock and operators Nikki Ellis and Cecilia Harvey have daguerreotype plate with a photographic with their own museums. She also visited been working on the Great Collections of puffer to remove loose specks of dirt a number of steam locomotive and/or New South Wales. This exhibition offers and small fragments of paper, removed boiler manufacturers and repairers, to an unprecedented look at the history corrosion from the metal matte, view the kinds of equipment they have of collecting in Australia and is a joint cleaned the glass and leather case, and available to them and the kinds of work venture between several museums and reassembled it all. they are able to produce – work that is galleries of NSW and has been organised currently impossible in Australia due to a by Museums and Galleries NSW. It is a Chris Brothers took photos and details lack of space, skills and equipment. remarkable display of over 115 rare and of the image in negative and positive signifi cant art, objects, documents and which were photo-shopped to produce Jennifer spent a number of days at some curiosities from some of the country’s a composite image, revealing the whole of the world’s greatest railway museums, image clearly. such as the National Railway Museum oldest, most unique and most important at York (UK) and the California State public collecting agencies – and a Curator Geoff Barker will now be able Railroad Museum (US), where she met fascinating look at the business of public to determine the date of the photograph with collections staff, toured workshops collecting in Australia. The exhibition by studying previously unseen details and stores and was treated to their will be touring regional NSW galleries of the image and maker’s marks on the wonderful interpretative displays. Other for most of the year. plate. highlights included a day out on the Assistant Conservators Cathryn Rigi rack railway in Switzerland – where Rebecca, Chris, Tasha MacFarlane Bartley, Martin Bongiorno, Martin staff spoke no English and much of the and James Elwing will continue to Polkinghorne, Martina Muller, Aileen communication happened through photograph, condition report, treat Dean-Raschilla and Jessica O’Donnell and re-house using zeolite containing miming – the Talyllyn Railway in Wales – have been treating and rehousing materials, about 60 more Daguerreotypes where the staff and volunteers treat their 300 bibles. The bibles are from the and Ambrotypes which are part of the 140-year-old locomotives with enormous Richardson collection and form part early photographic collection. care and respect – and a seven-hour trip on the Durango & Silverton Railroad in of the electronic records (e-records) Colorado that stretched to 12 hours after project. The e-records project aims to

No 110 March 2009 11 Lab and People News – NSW

electronically catalogue the Library’s workshop on? Please contact PA with your stainless steel for the Royal Botanic existing card catalogue. Cath, Martin suggestions. Gardens, the City of Sydney and in B, Martin P, Martina, Aileen and Jess various private collections. The melding of conservation expertise have also been treating and rehousing with archival products continues to 78 WWII posters – newspaper headlines People News provide innovative ideas and product from 1940 -1941. lines. This includes the development of Fiona Tennant welcomed a new a specialised sleeve with a multi purpose addition to her family in January, a baby People News use. Named the Jordan-Jones (after girl named Chloe. Both mother and In mid November last year Trish Megan Jordan-Jones who designed the baby are doing well, and we are having Leen, Martin Bongiorno, Catherine sleeve while at the AWM) this sleeve great diffi culty keeping her away from Thomson, Guy Caron and Andrew has been in production for awhile now, work! Meanwhile, back in the lab, we Lamoreaux contributed to the State and is primarily aimed at storing medals, have also had the pleasure of working Library staff exhibition Unclassifi ed. badges and coins. Details will soon be on with Melbourne University intern For the fi rst time, more than 30 State the website. Laura Curtis, who has helped out in all Library staff will be displaying personal departments, but was primarily working creative work in foyers, corridors and with the Objects team. cases around the Library. Unclassifi ed is International Conservation on display until 1 February and includes painting, sculpture, jewellery, graphic art Services Victoria and photography. Lab News Anna Brooks recently welcomed Edward Brooks into the world and is currently on The Paper lab has been focused on maternity leave. cleaning a substantial part of the National Gallery of Victoria University of Sydney Library’s rare book collection, with Felicity Turner Lab News utilising a wonderful team of vacationing Preservation Australia In Photographs Conservation students. Belinda Gourley has developed a Preservation Australia continues to The Paintings Lab is preparing for the new hinging system for the display expand and we are very pleased to cleaning of the murals in St Helen of works by American photographer announce that Tegan Anthes is staying and St Constantine’s Greek Orthodox David Stephenson for display in the on for another year. Church in Perth, for which we have exhibition Shared Sky which opens We are also pleased to announce that convinced Adam Godijn to return from at NGV Australia in March. In Paper the revamped website was launched at his trek in the Himalayas to be joined Conservation Ruth Shervington is the AICCM NSW AGM in September by Anna Diakowska-Czarnota, Arek treating iron staining on two William last year. A full product price list is now Werstak, Matteo Volonte, Noel Turner Hogarth prints and Louise Wilson available to be downloaded and all the and Melissa Harvey. is treating a pen and ink drawing by Giambattista Tiepolo in preparation for products are listed with images (well, At the same time, in the Textiles lab, the exhibition Satirical Eye which opens most of them), prices and information. Skye Firth has been working on a large at NGV International in February. We have also just put up our seminar and theatrical kimono, as well as preparing a workshop calendar for 2009. large collection of wool tapestries for the In the Paintings Conservation studio During the last few months of 2008 Department of Education. there are a number of major projects still in progress: Raye Collins is working on Tegan and Kay were busy visiting It was a day of mixed emotions this month Fred McCubbin’s Melbourne, 1888, John various institutions around Australia when Oliver Hull and Kat Edghill of the Payne and Carl Villis are carrying out – if we haven’t visited you yet we are Furniture department bid farewell to the consolidation on Giambattista Tiepolo’s on our way! We discussed some of Hamilton Inn sofa, which has returned The Finding of Moses, and Michael our exciting new products and the to its TMAG home, following extensive Varcoe-Cocks is cleaning Theodore possibility of developing some mid- conservation works (and much debate) Rousseau’s Landscape with a clump of career conservation workshops for 2009. over the last year. We have a few ideas of international trees. Karina Acton and Wendi Powell guests that could run very interesting The Textiles lab is now busy working on continue to brave the summer heat to sessions on their specialities. Is there an textiles for two exhibitions Persuasion: clean outdoor sculptures in bronze and area of conservation that you would like a Fashion in the time of Jane Austin and

12 AICCM National Newsletter Lab and People News – VIC

Dressed to Rule, an exhibition of Chinese has been proposed as a wall covering for discovered portrait of Lucrezia Borgia Imperial Robes. Solitaire Osei, Christina an upcoming exhibition. Made of PET it (c.1518) by the Ferrarese painter Dosso Ritschel and Kate Douglas are busy is marketed as useful for desk partitioning. Dossi. Carl is also continuing a scientifi c working to get textiles conserved to meet Tests for acidity were negative and Ian research project with Deborah Lau and the exhibition catalogue photography Batterham has kindly taken receipt of Peter Lynch of CSIRO on Dosso Dossi’s deadlines and Annette Soumilas has some for testing at NAA so the results unusual imprimitura layers, a project been working part time to produce should appear on their helpful table carried out at the ALS synchrotron in display underpinnings for the Persuasion of materials soon. If it is stable/viable, Berkeley, California. For this project costumes. The large quilt by an unknown perhaps it will be the fi rst of many new cross-section samples of Dosso paintings maker from 1840’s which the lab worked ‘green’ products to be presented for a from the National Gallery in London, the on in October and November is now conservation tick by Exhibition Design. National Gallery of Art in Washington installed at Federation Square and has and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles attracted a lot of attention through People News have been analysed and compared. visitor numbers and interest from the In November 2008, Helen Nodding Press. was employed on a six-month contract MaryJo Lelyveld has been removing brass by the National Gallery of Victoria Heritage Victoria particle paint covering the surface of the (NGV) as their Conservation Project 2008 was an extremely busy year for the original frame for the painting Quatre Offi cer. Her role is to assist the Head Heritage Victoria Conservation Lab as Bras by Elizabeth Butler-Thompson, of Conservation in reviewing existing Isa Loo can attest to. Among her many dated 1875. This unique frame features NGV conservation policies and drafting other conservation duties since joining delicate incised decoration, naming new ones. Helen came to the NGV from Heritage Victoria, Isa coordinated the famous battles fought by the regiment, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum initial treatment phase of the Pentridge within broad matt water gilded passages. where she had pioneered a new role as Prison leather and textile material that MaryJo used a Wolbers gel to remove the the Condition Reporting Administrator, was unearthed – in all there were over bulk of the paint, while retaining the reviewing and overseeing their condition 300 items that required treatment in that original ormolu surface coating on the reporting process. An article about her stage. Isa was ably assisted in this huge gilding. The remnants of paint required work will be published shortly in the job by several University of Melbourne neat solvent compresses and more active V&A’s next Conservation Journal. conservation students; Sheldon Teare, mechanical techniques. Ingilding has Paper Conservation intern Elisabetta Stuart Fuller Sarah Babister, Jen been undertaken using Plextol B500 to Polidori is currently in Florence treating Fortune, Kate McLaren, Reyhane ingild the gold leaf, followed by toning a series of Chinese paintings for the Mirabootalebi, Charlotte Walker and with Orasol dyes in a matte MSA Pitti Palace. Whilst in Italy Elisabetta is Vanessa Pitt. Thank you to all students varnish. Suzi Shaw is investigating the also carrying out research into the blue for both your time and your efforts; dating and originality of various pieces paper used by both Giambattista and this is greatly appreciated by Heritage of furniture. With advice received from Giandomenico Tiepolo for their chalk Victoria. the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she has drawings to assist with the attribution of confi rmed the originality of the caned a Tiepolo drawing recently acquired by Susie Collis returned to the lab at the upholstery on Day bed by Giles Grendy the NGV. start of January 2009 after completing a c. 1735-40. Ruth Goris has repaired the secondment elsewhere within Heritage frame on a horse painting by J.F. Herring Kate Douglas and Solitaire Osei’s abstract Victoria’s and is looking forward to which was missing the entire top edge has been accepted for the NATCC being back in the lab. She is currently ornament. In researching frames for (North American Textile Conservation supervising CCMC student Mel paintings by Eugène von Guérard, Holly Conference) Quebec, for September 09 Wilkinson during her work placement. McGowan-Jackson has noted several and they will be writing a presenting a Susie, as the newly appointed lab team frames that appear to have been made by paper on the work carried on the NGV’s leader will be co-ordinating the day the same Melbourne frame maker during Black in Fashion exhibition. to day operation of the conservation the 1850’s and early 1860’s. The frame The specialist knowledge of our paintings laboratory. maker is yet to be identifi ed. The frames conservators is being put to good use with For the latter half of 2008, Heritage have scrolling or c-curve strap work John Payne co-curating the exhibition Victoria’s senior conservator Jenny ornament, decorative corners, and such Bugatti: Carlo, Rembrandt, Ettore, Jean Dickens assessed a record number of distinctive structural features as a butt- while Michael Varcoe-Cocks is co- applications for the object conservation jointed bevelled baton at the back edge. curator of a major exhibition on Eugene and collection management grant Catherine Earley has been evaluating a von Guérard. Carl Villis is writing a program for Heritage Victoria. Jenny ‘green’ product called Echopanel. This book about his research into the newly also supervised Sheldon Teare for his

No 110 March 2009 13 Lab and People News – VIC

conservation internship which was website for further information. gained some experience in the world of based in the lab and provided guidance www.culturalconservation.unimelb.edu.au private conservation in the US, working to Isa Loo in setting up the treatment in Houston, Texas for Whitten and Amongst the usual array of private project for the Pentridge Prison leather Proctor Fine Art Conservation Studio. and University collection treatments, and textile objects. Isa and the many paintings conservators (Caroline Fry, volunteer students were very fortunate to Vanessa Kowalski and Catherine gain some insight into specifi c aspects of Nunn) have been undertaking research NAA Melbourne archaeological conservation from Jenny into a collection of paintings on unusual who shared her expertise on several Australian supports from a regional Lab News occasions in the latter half of 2008. Victorian collection. The results of the The lab’s ‘Conservator on Duty’ program Finally, it is with sadness that we say research on these unique artworks will be continues to provide plenty of items for goodbye to Isa Loo, who has decided published in the next Melbourne Journal treatment from our Reading Rooms at to go west and take up a position at the of Technical Studies in Art, which focuses North Melbourne; this will ensure that Western Australian Museum in their on Supports. This will be the third in the section is kept busy on an ongoing Department of Materials Conservation. the series, the fi rst two journals having basis. Thank you Isa for your excellent work focused on frames and underdrawing. at the lab over the past year, you will The repackaging team have been working In late 2008, paintings, paper and defi nitely be missed but we wish you all on sorting and repackaging images from frames staff (Catherine Nunn, Olivia the best for the move and for your new our ABC collection, including a number Cranstone, Kellie Slape, Libby Melzer, position. of offi cial press stills of celebrities and Briony Pemberton, Jordi Casasayas and prominent people dating from the 1960’s Sean Loughrey) worked on a series of – a defi nite trip down a red-carpeted Centre for Cultural oil portraits and drawings of Australian memory lane. In addition to this, the poets and writers by artist Louis Kahan team have been undertaking work on a Materials Conservation, AO (1905-2002). The drawings are part large amount of HMAS Sydney related The University of Melbourne of the Baillieu Library Collection at the fi les, and have just begun work on the University. These works are on display at last of the Wool Board series, which will the Ian Potter Museum of Art until mid Lab News complete project work that has been April. ongoing for several years. Staff are preparing for the beginning of the 2009 Academic Year commencing In December Jude Fraser treated three The Preservation Digitisation Team has in early March. This year we again cardboard models, c. 1860, of St John’s been working on some interesting items, have a strong interest in the Masters by Church, Hobart and the two adjoining including promotional material from coursework and minor thesis. We are orphan school buildings, buildings the Board of Trade, and original plans running the very successful Chemistry designed by Tasmanian architect John for GPO buildings. They have recently Bridging Course in February. The course Lee Archer in the 1830’s. The models, fi nished scanning the plans for the Fort is recommended for students who lack attributed to Tasmanian convicts, were Building at Queenscliff. a background in chemistry or who wish treated on-site in the church as they As part of the Immigration Museum’s to revise its basic concepts and practice. were too fragile to travel. Cleaning and ‘Customs’ and ‘Getting In’ galleries, The course has been specifi cally repair work were undertaken, frequently the NAA were able to loan a number developed to teach the fundamentals of with the accompaniment of the church of interesting objects for their display, chemistry to those entering the Master of organist who was practicing on the 1896 including some fi ne crafted historical Arts in Cultural Material Conservation. William Hill organ. measuring devices such as hydrometers. Also in February, three subjects for Sarah Gubby and David Parker had the the Postgraduate Certifi cate in Arts People News privilege to prepare these objects in time (Photographic Conservation) are being In January we welcomed back paintings for their install before Christmas. offered; Preventive Care of Photographs conservator Jocelyn Evans, who and Film, Photographic Materials has been overseas since July 2007, The National Archives are presenting and Techniques, and Duplication, undertaking an advanced fellowship a series of ‘The Constitution Founders’ Archiving and Preservation. These at the Strauss Conservation Centre at lectures. The most recent presentation, three subjects are being presented by Harvard Art Museums, Boston. Her held at the Supreme Law Court in Clara von Waldthausen, an experienced fellowship research project focussed on Melbourne, was titled “Andrew Inglis photographic conservator and educator the technical investigation of a 16th Clark – The man and his legacy” and based in Amsterdam. See the CCMC Century Italian panel painting. She also was delivered by The Hon Justice Peter

14 AICCM National Newsletter Lab and People News – ACT

Heerey. Debra Parry and David Parker that are already run by the University After a very busy 2008 the Objects Lab is were involved in preparing selected items as part of other heritage and museum looking forward to a quieter year in 2009, for display and to assist on the day. courses. The second year of the course with the opportunity to catch up on some will involve practical conservation work outstanding tasks, such as condition People News that will take place within the Federal reporting and the identifi cation and There is plenty to report on Staffi ng cultural institutions. The University correct storage of radioactive and news. Firstly, all the repackaging staff has appointed a Course Convenor but pharmaceutical collection items. unfortunately they do not commence have been converted to non-ongoing Bridie Kirkpatick, Jessie Firth, and work until June 2009. The fi ner details of NAA contracts. Congratulations to Sarah Clayton with Tessa Ivison how students will be taught conservation Luke McKay on the birth of his baby guidance are broadening their skill by skills is still to be ironed out and will son Thomas and to Sarah Gubby for learning about the conservation of the be documented in MOUs between the completing her current Cert IV in taxidermied animals in the AWM’s University and the Institutions. Training and Assessment. Equally, a big collection. Many of the animals are going well done to Amy Bartlett and Alexa on display in the travelling exhibition McNaught-Reynolds for completing “A is for Animals”. the course work for their Masters of Arts Australian War Memorial in Cultural Materials Conservation. Large Technology Objects (LTO) If this wasn’t enough, they have also Lab News workshop is working on several projects undertaken a Postgraduate Certifi cate for the fi rst half of this year. The fi rst is In the Paper lab, time was when the in photographic conservation for which the conservation of the Mk IV Female weeks either side of the New Year were only one subject remains. Debra Parry tank, including full repaint inside and a time for housekeeping and refl ection; is currently working a four-day week to out. Construction of a Boulton Paul not any more! Nick Zihrul has been enable her work continue her consultancy turret for the Hudson bomber is under busy treating works on paper by Max work with Heritage Victoria. way from a large pile of bent and corroded Ragless for a small exhibition entitled components. Conservation of a Jungle “Mobilising the Home Front”. Ragless, a Hand Cart is also being carried out. ACT self-taught South Australian artist (and vigneron!) had the interesting technique Paper News of combining traditional watercolour and drawing media with diluted oil The Paper Lab is looking forward to National Collections paints thus achieving intensely coloured Karen Holloway joining us as our new paper conservator in March. We will also Preservation Committee “washes”. Bernard Kertesz has been preparing items for a large travelling be welcoming back Alexa McNaught (NCPC) exhibition on animals in war whilst Reynolds who will join us, on contract, Helen Butler has been preparing a large in March. Lidija Trpcevski-Josevska is The NCPC represents the heads of photographic exhibition for travel. looking forward to attending the fi rst Conservation in the Commonwealth two modules of the photographs and cultural institutions. This includes the In the Objects Lab Rebecca Dallwitz fi lm intensive at the Centre for Cultural National Library of Australia, National and Melanie Forward are working Materials Conservation. The organisers Museum, National Gallery, National on the fi nal objects selected for the of Business Continuity Awareness Week Film and Sound Archives, National travelling exhibition “A is for Animals” have invited Bernard Kertesz to present Maritime Museum and the Australian which will open at the AWM in late a paper at their Canberra launch, on the War Memorial. The Committee also February. Eileen Procter has been history and operations of the Disasters has representation from Old Parliament cleaning a group of objects that were ACT network (DISACT). In 2009 House and Parliament House on used during the making of the AWM’s DISACT celebrates its tenth birthday. occasion. The current chair of the Long Tan gallery fi lm in 2007. George Committee is Jennifer Lloyd, Manager, Bailey is preparing a bronze horse head Preservation Services, National Library for its integration into a new memorial of Australia. (02) 6262 1223. jlloyd@ dedicated to animals in war. The horse nla.gov.au. head was originally part of a memorial to ANZAC troops in Port Said, Egypt. The Committee continues to liaise with The original memorial was destroyed by the University of Canberra on the new Egyptians during the Suez Crisis in the Conservation course that commences 1956, because they saw it as a symbol of in a few weeks. The fi rst year of study British colonialism. for students involves studying subjects

No 110 March 2009 15 Lab and People News – ACT

National Library of The Library’s bookbinders, David Cheryl Jackson has moved to Jervis Bay Australia Roberts and new recruit Anthony Shaw, for two years but is still working part time are working on educating collection for the Archives (nice work if you can get The Preservation Services staff at the managers and stack staff on how to it!). She is working on policy documents National Library of Australia continue decide if a book needs to be repaired. relating to our photographic holdings as to work on items that are likely to be With so many books in the collections it well as presenting workshops and writing displayed in the Library’s Treasures is not possible to repair every book and information pieces on conservation of Exhibition. The main exhibition space decisions need to be made about when photographs. an item can be discarded and a new copy at the Library will be closed in October Peter Shaw has been busy managing purchased and when an item should be 2009 and a redevelopment project will see the Preservation Digitisation teams in repaired. Sometimes it is appropriate to the creation of a permanent exhibition Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra since do nothing and just return the item to space that will display ‘treasures’ from the December and has been conducting the stacks untreated. Library’s collections. Staff are currently workshops on photographic preservation working on items that will be displayed in conjunction with the Archives’ in the April 2009 exhibition which will Summers Past Exhibition at NSW be a ‘sampler’ for items displayed in the National Archives of regional centres. Treasures Gallery when it is opened in Australia – National Offi ce, November 2010. Sadly Jess Wignell has been lured to Canberra the NMA. But on a bright note, Clair Reformatting staff at the Library, Patricia Murray will be returning to work on 4 Crampin and Jutta Crosthwaite-Klein, Lab news February after being off for 12 months continue to work on preparation of a Ian Batterham has recently returned with her second baby (Lennox, younger Chinese collection called the London from his time writing policy and is brother of Bella). Missionary Collection. This collection now overseeing the laboratories in Dara Rome is still working for us on a consists of over 680 items (an item may Canberra and Sydney. He also oversees be as many as 25 volumes) which are part time basis. She is working in our Preservation Digitisation and Exhibition policy section preparing documents on books bound in Eastern style bindings. conservation. The items are being disbound and handling mould and basic conservation repaired prior to digitisation. Work on Tania Riviere has been appointed procedures. this collection has been ongoing for Laboratory manager in Canberra and the past three years and is likely to be now looks after our team of conservation completed in the 2009/2010 fi nancial staff. SA year. The entire collection will then be Travis Taylor continues work on a large available online through the Library’s ferrogallic architectural print of the old catalogue. This is the fi rst collection of Victoria Bridge in Brisbane. He has been Artlab this type that has been digitised and was experimenting with the use of a colour selected because it is rare and valuable The objects lab has been working laser printer to produce infi lls. and testing showed that microfi lming through a large number of treatments was not able to suffi ciently reproduce the Sally Kneebone continues work on on private ceramic works such as plates Chinese script. a series of blueprints from the River and fi gurines. The objects lab was lucky Murray Commission. She is also working enough to host mid career intern Abby The Conservation staff, Sophie on a series of treaties recently transferred Maxwell-Brown in December. Abby Lewincamp, Lydia Preiss, Lisa Jeong- from the Dept of Foreign Affairs. worked primarily on a range of plant Reuss, Susanne Wullen and Janet fi bre ceremonial costumes from Papua McDonald, continue to work on the Kylie Roth our exhibitions conservator New Guinea, and it was great to have various treatment programs for the has been very busy over the Christmas someone with her experience in the lab. Library. This includes surveying and period with numerous installations, Mary-Anne Gooden has returned from treating items that are scheduled for deinstallations and loans. At the time her studies in Melbourne for a month of digitisation in our routine digitisation of writing she is in Ipswich pulling down work with us. We have all appreciated program, preparing items for exhibitions, the ‘It’s a Dog’s Life’ exhibition. having Filipa Quintela continue her treating items that were identifi ed for Alison McCrindle is now our preventive volunteer work with us. treatment by users of the collection conservator, fi lling Ellie McFadyen’s and mopping up various water disasters. (metaphorically) large shoes. Workmen in the building continue to be the main source of disasters.

16 AICCM National Newsletter Lab and People News – SA

Projects Textiles Di Whittle and Zandria Farrell have Kristin Phillips is currently in been busy out on site with bronze and Yogyakarta, Indonesia giving a workshop stone treatments on various memorials on Disaster Preparedness and Collections and sculptures including the Light Management, in collaborating with horse and War horse memorials and Sandra Yee (from the MAGNT). the Cross of Sacrifi ce, as well as works by Clifford Last, Guy and Arthur Boyd, Paper Greg Johns, and Bert Flugelman. They The Paper lab is in a state of fl ux at the have also been managing some large moment. Colin Brown and Michael sculpture relocations, graffi ti attacks Veitch will both be leaving the books and extensive vandalism repairs. In conservation team. Charlotte Park will December conservation/restoration work also be departing from the paper team for was begun on the ‘Favourite’ a circa 1919 a year of adventuring overseas. Robyn motorcycle, which is a signifi cant object Tait has gone some way to balancing from the Birdwood, National Motor these departures, when she took up the Museum collection. role of Principal Conservator in the lab. She has very capably taken on the role Paintings of heading up the lab. Helen Szuster has Rita Bachmayer has been preparing also temporarily joined the lab whilst on several paintings, owned by the Art holidays from her conservation studies at Gallery of South Australia, by Nora Melbourne University. Sangousansinh Heysen. The works are being prepared Phrasavat, a paper conservator from for loan for an upcoming exhibition of Ecole de Condé in Paris will be with the Nora Heysen’s paintings which opens at paper team until mid March. Carrick Hill and will then be travelling to several regional galleries. Lisette People News Burgess is currently applying compo Congratulations go to Joanna Barr on ornament to a Hans Heysen replica frame the birth of a baby girl, Nicola, born in for a painting which is part of the Hans December, mum, dad and baby are all Heysen Exhibition at the Art Gallery doing well. of South Australia. Eugene Taddeo and Marek Pacyna have been working Artlab was privileged to host John on several paintings by the early 20th Holden in January. John is the author century South Australian artist, John of “It’s a material world, caring for the Giles. These works are being prepared public realm” a paper commissioned by for an upcoming exhibition of the artist’s the Demos Foundation in London, as work at the South Australian Maritime a result of the proposed closure of the Museum. Chris Payne has been putting TCC, Textiles Conservation Centre by the fi nishing touches on “The Horse the University of Southampton. Muster” by Thomas Clarke. The painting is owned by the Art Gallery of South Australia and has had extensive areas of old, discoloured retouching removed as part of its treatment. Gillian Leahy has been working on “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife” by John Longstaff. The painting is also owned by the Art Gallery of South Australia. The treatment has included cleaning, infi lling and in-painting.

No 110 March 2009 17

MayDay 2009

This May, take at least one of the following steps to prepare your organisation for disaster response:

¾ Dust off your disaster plan and make sure it’s up to date or make a timeline for developing one. ¾ Download and use a copy of Be Prepared – guidelines for writing a disaster preparedness plan: http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/search.php?search=be+prepared ¾ Update your staff contact information. ¾ Identify and prioritise important collection materials. ¾ Identify the three biggest risks to your collection or heritage site. ¾ Get to know your local firefighters and police – invite them to tour your organisation and give you pointers on safety and preparedness. ¾ Conduct a building evacuation drill and evaluate the results. ¾ Eliminate hazards such as storage in hallways, blocked fire exits, or improper storage of paints, solvents, etc. ¾ Make a plan to install any needed safety systems. ¾ Find a ‘buddy’ collecting organisation to work with in case of a disaster. A model for collaboration is DIS-ACT: http://www.anbg.gov.au/disact/ ¾ Provide staff with easily accessible disaster response information, such as is provided by the Australian government’s website, Emergency Management Australia: http://www.ema.gov.au/agd/EMA/emaInternet.nsf/Page/Emergency_Management ¾ Arrange or attend emergency response training days on firefighting, crowd control, flood water management etc., or a workshop on disaster preparedness for collections. ¾ Promote MayDay to your colleagues by posting this flier on notice boards in your heritage organisation, and by discussing with colleagues what you will do to mark MayDay on 1 May 2009, and throughout the month of May. ¾ Contact the Collections Council of Australia in mid-April to request a media kit for promoting your MayDay activities.

18 AICCM National Newsletter An Interview

An Interview – Catherine Nunn MayDay 2009 Catherine Nunn is a senior painting conservator at the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (CCMC), University of Melbourne. She currently This May, take at least one of the following steps manages the fee-for-service paintings section at CCMC, and also teaches in the Masters program. Catherine has a Bachelor of Applied Science in conservation to prepare your organisation for disaster response: of cultural materials (University of Canberra) and was a post-graduate intern

at the Ian Potter Art Conservation Centre in 1999. She then worked at the  Dust off your disaster plan and make sure it’s up to date or make a timeline for Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand and undertook a two-year advanced developing one. internship in the Conservation of Easel Paintings at the Hamilton Kerr  Download and use a copy of Be Prepared – guidelines for writing a disaster preparedness Institute (University of Cambridge) (2003-2005). She returned to Australia to plan: http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/search.php?search=be+prepared CCMC in 2007. She is also currently undertaking a Master of Arts by research (part-time) to investigate the materials and techniques of E. Phillips Fox.  Update your staff contact information. Julian Bickersteth recently caught up with her.  Identify and prioritise important collection materials.  Identify the three biggest risks to your collection or heritage site. Can you tell us about how you came What led you to seek further training a lot of good practical skills from working  Get to know your local firefighters and police invite them to tour your organisation and – into conservation? and experience overseas? in this studio, and an insight into the give you pointers on safety and preparedness. I first learnt about conservation through I had always wanted to live and work dealer market in London. However after  Conduct a building evacuation drill and evaluate the results. a tour of Artlab when I was at school overseas, but I didn’t really plan how three months in a very highly stressed,  Eliminate hazards such as storage in hallways, blocked fire exits, or improper storage of in Adelaide. To me, it seemed like the this would happen; it just evolved. I low waged environment, I was ready for paints, solvents, etc. perfect blend of art, history and science. had applied for internships in the US, some different experiences. I was offered I took a gap year during which time I did but when I finished my internship in work on a wall painting project in a  Make a plan to install any needed safety systems. volunteer work at Artlab and undertook Melbourne I was offered a job at the church in Coventry (near Birmingham),  Find a ‘buddy’ collecting organisation to work with in case of a disaster. A model for some foundation training at the North Auckland Art Gallery, so I initially on a week-on week-off roster. I spent collaboration is DIS-ACT: http://www.anbg.gov.au/disact/ Adelaide and Central Schools of Art went to New Zealand. I hadn’t really the weeks off in London working for other private studios. Like Australia,  Provide staff with easily accessible disaster response information, such as is provided by in Adelaide. Then I began my formal considered New Zealand before, but it training in conservation at the course in was a good opportunity to gain some the conservation world in the UK is the Australian government’s website, Emergency Management Australia: Canberra. experience in a large gallery and work relatively small, and once I knew a few http://www.ema.gov.au/agd/EMA/emaInternet.nsf/Page/Emergency_Management with some good conservators. However, people, the work was not too difficult  Arrange or attend emergency response training days on firefighting, crowd control, flood What training did you receive in it was the bright lights of London and to come by. During my first winter in water management etc., or a workshop on disaster preparedness for collections. Australia? the opportunities for travel in Europe the UK I spent a lot of time working in churches on various types of wall  Promote MayDay to your colleagues by posting this flier on notice boards in your I completed the Bachelor of Applied that really excited me. I was interested paintings, altarpieces and hatchments, heritage organisation, and by discussing with colleagues what you will do to mark Science in the Conservation of Cultural in working on earlier European paintings as well as easel paintings. MayDay on 1 May 2009, and throughout the month of May. Materials, specialising in Painting and learning about traditional restoration Conservation in 1998. Over the techniques. I also wanted to be able to  Contact the Collections Council of Australia in mid-April to request a media kit for Before leaving for the UK in 2002, I had University summer breaks I also worked work closely with European restorers in applied for an internship at the Hamilton promoting your MayDay activities. at Artlab and the National Galley of a mentoring-type environment. So, in Kerr Institute (HKI) at the University of Victoria, which I believe was essential 2002 I left for the UK with a working Cambridge. Because I had not arrived in to get some more practical experience to holiday visa, but I did not have any work the UK until after they interviewed the top up the limited hands-on experience lined up in London before I left. applicants, they could not consider me that was available during the course. I for the intake that year, but said to come What did you do and how easy did you also did some Art History study at the and visit them as soon as I arrived to be find that experience? Australian National University during considered for the next intake. So, four my degree. After Uni I was a post- Initially, I did not find it all that difficult days after landing at Heathrow I was on graduate intern at the Ian Potter Art to get a job in London – within two the train up to Cambridge to have an Conservation Centre at the University weeks I was working in private studio, interview. My jet lag musn’t have been of Melbourne (now CCMC). having been in touch with the British too bad as I was offered the internship Association of Painting Conservator- the following year, but as it was un- Restorers (BAPCR) and registering with funded I needed to raise some money. I them that I was looking for work. I learnt spent the next few months applying for

No 110 March 2009 19 An Interview

various scholarships and was successful in Canberra gave me a good theoretical three of these, and raised approximately knowledge of conservation and $35,000 to cover my living expenses and collections management. However, student fees. developing my skills as a practical painting conservator came from my post- This two-year advanced internship was training experience, working closely with the highlight of my time abroad. I worked highly skilled practitioners. At the HKI, with many highly skilled conservators post-graduate students study in a working and was able to work on many early studio, 5 days a week, 9am-5pm for three European paintings from various public full years. Lectures are incorporated and private collections. I was also able to into the working day, and with only two learn egg tempera retouching and gain students per year, the student-teacher experience in the structural treatment ratio is remarkable. Consequently, the of panel paintings – both skills that were students at the HKI receive far more not taught in Australia. I also undertook individual attention than we did at a research project focusing on the Canberra. Despite this, I felt that the conservation history of an eighteenth training I received at Canberra gave me a century collection in London. very good understanding of the materials After my internship I stayed on in the science of all types of objects (not just UK for another year or so and worked in paintings) and a broader understanding a number of private studios. I felt that this of collection management issues. I think experience was extremely valuable, as I it is important for all conservation worked closely with a variety of eminent graduates, not just Australian graduates, conservators, and learnt something to be exposed to different approaches new nearly every day. I also was able to conservation by working with to work on some of the most beautiful conservators with a diverse range of paintings in London, for clients willing training backgrounds. I believe it is to do whatever was needed to preserve important to remember that University their collections. While the work was based training can only take students so physically and mentally demanding; far, and it is up to the self motivation of normally 7 to 8 hours a day at the easel, students to gain more practical experience sometimes re-touching all day, I felt that through work placements, and their own this was a very good way of honing my determination to develop their skills practical skills to be able to work quickly in their specialization – be it practical to a high standard. conservation, preventive conservation or collections management. What perspective do you now have on Thank you, Catherine Australian conservation training having worked overseas? During my time as an intern at the HKI, I worked alongside students undergoing post-graduate training in conservation, as well as other international interns who had trained in the US, Spain and Italy. Being exposed to different approaches to conservation from people with training from all over the world gave me perspective to assess how Australian training stacked-up internationally. I believe that the training I received at

20 AICCM National Newsletter General News

General News

Stories from the fi les: The fi rst three months of the course fl aking or blistering paint; adhesives National Archives of are described as a practical component. and fi lling media for lining, mounting Mr Ford and Mr Farris instructed the and retouching; retouching of oils, Australia cadets in frame making, mount cutting, tempera, watercolours, wax and other preparing support panels with sub- media; instructions on photography The Commonwealth Government records frames, the use of various adhesives and and darkroom procedures; use of held by the National Archives of Australia the mounting of works on paper. This scientifi c instruments; some deep- contain many fascinating stories. Ian was two one-hour periods each week. cleaning instruction; and simple Batterham is researching a number of these research projects. for the AICCM Newsletter. This story At the same time William Boustead comes from the mid-1960s and discusses gave two half-hour lectures a week on The third year covered: more advanced the syllabus for cadet restorers at the Art ‘types of painting supports from early restoration methods; use of scientifi c Gallery of New South Wales. Unless to the present day’ covering ‘materials apparatus, x-ray, ultra-violet ray, infra- otherwise referenced, all information is from and methods of preparation, discussion red ray, for diagnosis; deterioration of Prime Ministers Department fi le: NAA and demonstration’. He also covered works of art due to environmental, A463/33, 1967/1063, Conservator of safety procedures with toxic materials. chemical processes, faulty techniques, Paintings: Appointment of a Commonwealth The cadets were also expected to carry microbiological forces, general ageing; Conservator. out private study on Australian art and preservation and correctives for this; and conservation. spurious and genuine detection. Conservation training in At the end of three months the cadets The cadets were given an examination Australia in the 1960s were given an examination for aptitude. at the end of each year. The fi le contains The cadet restorer training program at This involved cutting, assembling and exam papers but does not state the year the Art Gallery of New South Wales was fi nishing simple picture frames for an they relate to. oil painting and a watercolour, cutting mentioned in the previous story from There are four papers: oil painting, prints a mount and glass for a watercolour, the fi les. This program ran throughout and drawings, chemistry, and art history. and cutting and preparing a panel for the 1960s and produced a number of There were no yes/no or multiple choice mounting a damaged canvas. They also conservators who went on to carve out questions, each required a written had an examination with questions venerable careers. These include Indian answer. conservator Annan Singh Bisht (who on what they had learnt and general studied as part of the Colombo Plan); questions on art history. In the oil painting paper, after being asked to explain in some detail the types Alan Lloyd, Head of Conservation at the The remainder of the fi rst year involved of crackle occurring in oil paintings Art Gallery of New South Wales since training in a range of topics: manual (20 marks), cadets were asked – among 1977; Ian Cook, the fi rst conservator dexterity; artists materials; media other questions – what was meant by at the National Library of Australia, identifi cation; identifi cation of supports; ‘pentimento’ (15 marks), what the term who later managed Artlab and is now identifi cation of damage (mould, water ‘refractive index’ implied and what part director of 3CS AsiaPacifi c; and Alan stains, crackle, cleavage, pentimenti, it played in oil painting (10 marks); why Byrne whose career included working as retouched areas, insect damage to frames did lead white dry more quickly than a senior painting conservator at the Art etc); safety measures with toxic and other white pigments titanium and zinc Gallery of South Australia, the Museum fl ammable materials; art history; art (10 marks) and the advantages of damar of Contemporary Art in Sydney, the techniques; and simple cleaning methods resin over copal (5 marks). National Gallery of Australia as well as using moderate solvents. a period as head of conservation at the The prints and drawings paper starts with Australian War Memorial. The second year covered: examination a broad question on factors which cause and reporting on stored paintings; deterioration of prints and drawings and A series of documents outlining the calibration of thermohygrometric steps to take to reduce them (20 marks) three-year syllabus for cadet restorers instruments; care of print collection and a brief explanation of the major as at 1966 is in the fi le. The documents (in collaboration with Mr Farris); printmaking techniques (20 marks). describe the topics covered in each year identifi cation of graphic media; Other questions included identifying and include sample exam papers. instruction on lining of paintings the techniques used to produce sample using suction and heat; sealing of

No 110 March 2009 21 General News prints (10 marks); describing how to of New South Wales were the only The Search for Alternative remove grease, water stains, fox marks training of conservators in Australia Funding and spilled ink from prints (10 marks); before the course at the then Canberra describing the effect of bleach on College of Advanced Education was carbon black, fountain pen, iron gall established in 1978. The high calibre Dr Maria Kubik, AICCM and biro ball-pen (5 marks); describing and subsequent careers of the cadetship National Treasurer the test required to determine whether graduates attests to the program’s success. This is an ambitious year for the bleach residues remained in a print after This is a credit to William Boustead AICCM, with a new look and new paid bleaching and explaining why this test is and his staff. It is fascinating to have administration staff. Long overdue, a essential (10 marks); and describing how this insight into the curriculum and to fi nancial review was undertaken in mid to rectify the low pH of a print. see how it compares with conservation 2008 to pre-empt the usually diffi cult courses on offer today. The chemistry paper begins with a and expensive end of year audit. As a description of the structural formulae result, a number of changes have been of various organic chemicals, mostly implemented so that our accounts are solvents (20 marks). Other questions NSW Division News easier to manage and the subsequent include the difference between methane audit proved much quicker. The upfront NSW Division held a number of events and methyl alcohol (15 marks); costs incurred by the review should in 2008 that were very well attended demonstrating knowledge of the thus be earned back through leaner and received by the membership. We hydroxyl group (10 marks), an isomer (5 administration costs and cheaper audits intend to have a similar programme of marks) and Dalton’s Atomic Theory (10 in years to come. events in 2009 and encourage members marks). to get in touch with us if they have an In addition to the review, the improved The fi nal paper is on art history and is idea for a tour, presentation or other image of website and streamlined worth quoting at length, as an indication event. Feedback from the audience newsletters have all had large start up of what was considered important for a has been to increase the number of costs, and impact on AICCM’s budget. conservator to know at that time. The presentations about treatments to A large component of income relies on fi rst question asks the cadet to explain encourage discussion about techniques, memberships and registrations, with only the importance of the Heidelberg School approaches and new treatment methods. limited funding in the form of donations in the history of Australian painting, also Whether we can provide this depends and publications (see pie chart). In why it is so named and if there is good on our NSW membership – we need you years without signifi cant conferences justifi cation for the name (20 marks); to be involved and let us know what you and symposia, income becomes reliant the cadets then had to briefl y indicate are doing! solely on membership. With the change the style, period, and range of media of government last year, we were not able We are currently planning tours at the and techniques for each of the following to get our usual multi-year grant through Art Gallery of NSW in conjunction Australian artists: John Glover, Conrad the Department of Environment, Water, with some of their exhibitions this Martens, ST Gill, John Russell, JJ Hilder, Heritage and the Arts and other avenues year, as well as tours of the Powerhouse Lionel Lindsay, Margaret Preston, of funding must be sought: Museum’s Castle Hill storage facilities. William Dobell, Russell Drysdale, Ian Fairweather and Leonard French. Later art history questions ask the cadet to distinguish between earthenware, stoneware and porcelain, and to explain the terms ceramic, pottery and china (5 marks); to account for modern sculptors’ preference for welding over modelling and carving techniques (5 marks); to explain the techniques of bronze casting (5 marks); to explain the signifi cance of the Italian Renaissance and list the principal artists (20 marks); and to briefl y explain the terms baroque, romanticism, expressionism and cubism (5 marks). The cadetships offered at the Art Gallery

22 AICCM National Newsletter Conference News

1) In 2007, the AICCM successfully obtained status as a Deductible Gift Recipient. This means Conference News donations to AICCM are tax deductible, and a Public Fund th was established to manage such ICOM-CC 15 Triennial Conference revenue. Donations may be In our various reports from delegates to ‘Diversity in Heritage Conservation- made through the website at: Tradition, Innovation and Participation,’ ICOM-CC 15th Triennial Conference, http://www.aiccm.org.au/index. New Delhi, India, 22-26 September 2008 in the December 2008 AICCM Newsletter, php?option=com_content&vie we neglected to identify that Sabine Cotte, Paintings Conservator, also made a w=article&id=61&Itemid=54. signifi cant contribution to the conference and presented two papers, one in the A public fund committee exists Education group and one in the Thangka special interdisciplinary session. We to promote the scheme and apologise for not including her name alongside the other Australian contributors. make decisions about spending of resulting revenue. Vacancies on this committee exist, and Course Announcement members of good standing Soima 2009: Safeguarding Sound and Image Collections within the AICCM are invited to register their interest. Dates: 17 November-11 December, 2009 (four weeks) 2) National Council is currently Application deadline: 20 April, 2009 investigating other funding Place: New Delhi, India with study visits to other options in the form of grants Indian cities from foundations. There are a number of such grants available Organisers: NRLC (National Research Laboratory for to heritage and arts organisations, Conservation of Cultural property, Lucknow) for which we may be eligible. Part in collaboration with other national cultural institutions in India, ICCROM (International of the process however involves Centre for the Study of the Preservation and registering as a Tax Concession Restoration of Cultural Property) Charity, which we are now pursuing. With the cooperation of: • American Institute of Indian Studies, India 3) For events and projects, funding may be applied for through • International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) sponsorship. There is usually • Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections, (CRCC), France an obligation to promote the • Masters Degree Program in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation, New company in return, so potential York University, USA sponsors are carefully screened. • Thomson Foundation of Film and TV Heritage, France It is hoped that by diversifying our The Course income approaches, we can take Today sound and image records account for a large portion of the world’s memory and pressure off future membership fee are found in diverse cultural institutions. As documents of intangible heritage and increases. Assistance with grant contemporary culture they are of immense value; yet, archives, museums, libraries writing, approaching potential and other cultural institutions around the world are struggling to conserve their sound sponsors (or by contributing and image collections in both analogue and digital formats. Moreover, conservation fi nancially) from experienced of sound and image materials is complex and requires specialized guidance, skills AICCM members and infrastructure. While digitization offers new possibilities for wider access and would be greatly appreciated. preservation, many institutions lack expertise to assess the technological implications Please contact me if you are and to make informed choices that do not strain institutional resources and at the able to help in any way on same time respect the authenticity and inherent values of this heritage. (08) 9492 6731 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The course will provide an overview of issues related to the preservation and access of sound and image materials e.g., photographs, fi lms, video and audiotapes, and

No 110 March 2009 23 Conference News

digital materials. It will discuss the self-defi ned initiatives in participants’ Travel, accommodation and living value, meaning, selection and use of home institutions and communicating expenses sound and image collections in various as well as networking through a platform Participants will be responsible for their institutional contexts, exploring the supported by the organizers. round trip travel costs to and from New potential of sound and image media in Delhi, India. In order to cover living transmitting knowledge and cultural Participants costs during the course, participants traditions. Initial sessions will especially The course is aimed at professionals should plan for a minimum total focus on identifi cation of various formats working with mixed collections that have allowance of US$ 1500. This sum would including the playback equipment, sound and image records of national or include the costs of accommodation in life expectancy of media and ways of regional signifi cance. In particular, it will moderately priced hotel rooms (which detecting deterioration. Additional interest archivists, collection managers, NRLC will locate for the participants). course topics will include: current conservators, curators and librarians in Candidates are strongly encouraged to knowledge and practices for documenting charge of preserving such collections in seek fi nancial support from sources such and cataloguing, media handling and various cultural institutions around the as governmental institutions, employers storage, risk assessment of collections, world. It will also interest Information and funding agencies. The organizers emergency preparedness and response, Technology professionals working may be able to offer a limited number of criteria and technologies for migration on projects involving digitization of scholarships to selected candidates who and reformatting, planning preservation sound and image collections or allied have been unable to secure funding. projects, outsourcing options, digital professionals and managers working for preservation and management. Other broadcasting institutions. Preference Application issues such as curating and access, will be given to people actively involved Please use the Course application form copyright laws, legal deposit, and in teaching and advising. at http://www.iccrom.org/eng/01train_en/ institutional and national preservation forms_en/applfrm_en.doc and send it policies will be discussed in context A maximum of 22 participants will be together with a statement summarizing with participants’ working realities. selected. your experience and the relevance of Adaptation to technological changes the course to your current or future and related cost-effective preservation Teaching Team projects in no more than 700 words. strategies will form a key component of International team of recognized experts Applications should be mailed to the the course. identifi ed through professional networks following contact address: of the partners. Objectives SOIMA 09-Collections Unit At the end of the course, participants Working Language: English ICCROM will be able: to recognize materials 13, via di San Michele Course Fee: 900€ and media in their sound and image I-00153 ROME RM, ITALY collections, to identify risks and make Tel +39 06 585531 informed choices for preservation and Fax +39 06 58553349 access. They will have improved their E-mail: [email protected] skills to communicate effectively across disciplines and to work in a team.

Course Methodology GCI Conference News The course will comprise lectures, a The Getty Conservation Institute is pleased to announce that papers from the variety of group activities, practical GCI’s Experts’ Roundtable on Sustainable Climate Management Strategies sessions, case studies and site visits. (Tenerife, Spain, 2007) are now available for download from the GCI’s Signifi cant time will be allocated for website (http://www.getty.edu/conservation/science/climate/climate_experts_ independent consultation with the course roundtable.html). team. Case studies for the course will be based on participants’ inputs and will Topics addressed include current climate management strategies and emerging address issues and challenges identifi ed trends; the meaning of sustainability in relation to the preservation of cultural by them. Thus, active involvement of heritage; and whether cultural institutions such as museums, archives, and participants will be sought during the libraries can or should play a role in the debate about energy consumption. course preparation phase. A follow-up The participants’ discussion papers are supplemented by a transcript of the programme, will involve working on meeting and a bibliography on climate management.

24 AICCM National Newsletter Repairing Art Damaged by Natural Disasters

Repairing Art Damaged by Natural Disasters

The way in which conservators and the conservation profession is perceived by the broader community should always interest us. The following article, on the role of conservators in disaster response, was sent to the editors.

Wall Street Journal, August determine how it should be wrapped and the downstream walls as if there had been 12th 2008 packed for moving,” Heather Becker, a tidal wave of mud. “When we began CEO of the Conservation Center, told to remove objects, they were so heavily Water from the Iowa River was rapidly me. What they couldn’t get out of the covered in mud that we didn’t know what creeping up the walls of the University museum before the rising fl ood waters they were,” recalls Joe Gott, a senior of Iowa’s Museum of Art during June’s forced their getaway, they moved to arts handler for the center. “We set up fl oods. Ann Kennedy Haag of the higher levels. The center, which was a triage system in the museum’s parking Chicago Conservation Center was called in by the museum’s insurance lot, consisting fi rst of a series of nine masked in a respirator to protect her underwriters, Lloyd’s of London, laundry tubs. As textiles were brought from highly toxic black mold. She was is involved in disaster recovery out, they were separated by color. In the holding one of the works of art that she nationally because it uniquely can fi eld fi rst tubs, we loosened and scraped the and her colleagues, along with museum conservators skilled in virtually all media mud off. We ran them through several staff and volunteers, were attempting to including painting, sculpture, prints and successive basins of gradually cleaner rescue. Then the power went out, as it photography, as well as furniture. water, gently brushing the fabrics. After they had been washed as well as possible, did repeatedly while they struggled to get The daunting work amid the mold we blotted them and set them on racks the remaining art out of there. “We had occurred two weeks later, when the rescue to dry.” to freeze and just stand there holding the crew was readmitted to the building to pieces until the power came back on, remove the remaining art. Often working Throughout that fl ood recovery which often took several minutes.” in the dark with spelunkers’ headlamps, effort over almost a week, the center, Each time the power failed, the electronic taking essential breaks because of the summoned here by the museum’s scrubbers removing black mold from the black mold, the center’s team worked for restoration contractor, found volunteer air also failed. “Even with our respirators almost a month to remove the last 3,000 help invaluable. Locals brought towels on,” recalls Ms. Haag, “we would have to to 4,000 works, wrap and package them, donated by a hotel and helped man the go outside from time to time – because and load them on refrigerator trucks for washtubs and drying racks. “Finally we when the scrubbers failed, the mold made shipment to the mold containment area put the material in boxes and packed our us sick.” If gagging on mold wasn’t bad for evaluation and restoration at the refrigerator trucks for the trip back to enough, she added, “the place smelled center’s Chicago headquarters. Chicago for evaluation and restoration. Our fi nal goal will be to have our horrible because the fl ood waters were Bad as the Iowa River fl ood was for the conservators clean and repair everything full of farm waste, gasoline and sewage.” university’s art museum in Iowa City, they can,” Mr. Gott said. “We could the Cedar River made an even more Several days earlier, before the dikes were simply have loaded the 1,200 pieces from formidable assault on the museums of breached, the Chicago conservators had the Czech and Slovak Museum into the Cedar Rapids, including the National worked with museum staffers, volunteers freezer trucks,” Ms. Becker commented, Czech & Slovak Museum. While a and other art handlers to remove as much “but when we can do triage on the scene 400-pound chandelier of Bohemian of the collection as possible – including the results are better.” works by Picasso, Braque, Pollock, crystal remained above the fl ood waters, Beckmann, Kandinsky, along with a the river rushed through most of the The center worked entirely on site highly valued African collection. museum’s collection of Czech and when it was called in by several private Slovak textiles, which includes leather collectors who suffered soot-damage to Working nearly nonstop during the week coats, leather vests, and vividly colored, their works by Botero, Calder, Warhol, of June 9, the professional and volunteer embroidered and beaded clothing. When Lichtenstein, Matisse and Picasso in last teams evacuated works constituting conservators from the center arrived on year’s fi res in California’s Rancho Santa about 99% of the value of the museum’s June 19, 15 feet of fl ood water had just Fe, near San Diego. There, they set up collection and representing nearly 80% receded from within the building. “clean rooms” in the collectors’ homes, of many thousands of works. “We had totally encapsulating them by stretching to inventory and assess every piece to The fl ood heaved the collection against

No 110 March 2009 25 Special Interest Groups

plastic on all the rooms’ surfaces – smoke, soot and water was an amazing Only 25% of the center’s conservation ceilings, fl oors, windows – and worked job,” says retired La Salle Bank CEO work is disaster response. An equal in them to remove soot from the art. Norman R. Bobins. The collection percentage comes from museums. The “The less moving of valuable pieces, the dates back to an 1839 photo by William other half involves private and corporate better,” counsels Ms. Becker. Henry Fox Talbott and includes work by collectors. Recalling their efforts to save Ansel Adams, William Eggleston and the remaining artifacts at the University That couldn’t be done with the fl ood- Edward Weston. Remarkably, only about of Iowa’s Museum of Art, Ms. Haag damaged art and antiques that were 50 prints were irretrievably damaged. says: “When the lights went out while among the pieces the center recovered Ironically, when Ms. Becker and the we were trying to breathe through the after Hurricane Katrina from the collection’s curator, Carol Ehlers, were black mold, inventorying and packing New Orleans Museum of Art and struggling through a stairway with one pre-Columbian artifacts with light only several private collections. Among the of the prints, they were stunned to see from our headlamps . . . awful as it was, I beautifully restored items about to be that it depicted the devastating 1871 realized how much I love my job.” returned to a New Orleans home are Chicago Fire. (The bank was recently two Sheraton sideboards with boxwood From the Wall Street Journal, August 12th acquired by Bank of America, which inlaid veneer and brass hardware that 2008. Reproduced with kind permission plans to maintain the collection.) the center staff recovered from several from the author Joel Henning. feet of water. So what should even those of us with modest art collections do to minimize risk Closer to the center’s Chicago home, in the event of fl oods, fi res, hurricanes Ms. Becker was instrumental in and the like? Ms. Becker suggests that recovering the multimillion-dollar we “regularly update inventories and LaSalle Bank photography collection appraisals and keep insurance coverage when the bank’s Chicago headquarters up to date. Always keep an off-site suffered a fi re in December 2004. “To copy; otherwise your access to vital organize the recovery, inventory and information can be challenging when a take down a collection of 4,500 works disaster occurs.” and then preserve the ones damaged by

Special Interest Group Co-ordinators

Antarctic Heritage Julian Bickersteth Ph: 02 9417 3311 [email protected] Book and Paper Prue McKay Ph: 02 6212 6217 [email protected] Conservation Picture Framers June Anderson Ph: 02 9564 5576 Fax: 02 9564 5578 [email protected] Conservation Science Deborah Lau Ph: 03 9252 6403 Fax: 03 9252 6244 [email protected] Conservators in Private Practice Kay Soderlund Ph: 02 9557 2395 [email protected] Education Eric Archer Ph: 02 6208 5036 Fax: 02 6208 5299 [email protected] Exhibitions Catherine Earley Ph: 03 8620 2115 Mob: 0400 135 349 [email protected] Gilded Objects Conservation Holly McGowan-Jackson Ph: 03 8620 2125 [email protected] Objects Helen Privett Ph: 03 8341 7235 [email protected] Paintings Gillian Osmond Ph: 07 3840 7294 [email protected] Photon Detlev Lueth Ph: 03 9881 6812 [email protected] Preventive Conservation Fiona Tennant Ph: 02 9417 3311 [email protected] Textiles Kristin Phillips Ph: 08 8207 7520 [email protected]

26 AICCM National Newsletter Conservation Matters – What do YOU think?

Conservation Matters – What do YOU think

The recent UK Demos report “It’s a Material World” was co-authored by Samuel Jones. In an article in the UK Museums Journal (January 2009) entitled “The museum sector needs to champion the many benefi ts that conservation can bring”, he wrote in part:

identity. Conservation and the values volunteers helped conserve the Cerne “Caring for the material world – an on which it is built connect deeply with Abbas giant. Conservators can provide essential part of the maintenance of our many of the major challenges we face. the expertise, management and structure public realm – is rooted in the profession for public action. At a time when public Engagement in conservation can of conservation. We need to puts its understanding of different cultures is of connect with people with the public values at the heart of policy thinking such importance, conservation has much realm and provide a space in which to across a range of areas and open its to offer.” communicate the many values that benefi ts to the public. shape modern society. Reprinted with kind permission of the author Demos’s pamphlet, It’s a Material World, and the Museums Journal. Conservators must be supported and was launched in November. It argues that championed within museums and What do you think? Do you agree caring for the material world has a bearing heritage. But conservators must also or disagree, and if the former, what on issues such as social wellbeing and lead change and refl ect new values do you think we should do about it? community. Across time and geography, themselves by bringing the public into Send an email to the editors with your the choice of what to conserve and how decision making. Conservation juries comments. to do it refl ects and creates social value. could be set up to provide conservators When Ambrogio Lorenzetti contrasted with different public values and to give ‘good’ and ‘bad’ government in his the public access to profession expertise. Sienese frescos, he juxtaposed a well- Juries would not have the fi nal say, but built and cared-for city with one that would offer perspectives that could be had crumbling buildings and missing refl ected in the conservation process. roof tiles; and today, worshippers at the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali take part Caring for and celebrating material in the communal repair of the mud walls objects gets people excited. in an annual ceremony. Conservation is Conservation has a wide appeal – 3.5 a way of thinking and being – it expresses million tuned into each episode of and reinforces social bonds and confi rms the TV program Restoration and 500

No 110 March 2009 27 The AICCM National Newsletter Advertising is accepted. Notices pertaining to AICCM activities are free of charge. is the quarterly newsletter of Positions Vacant the Australian Institute for the Advertising for inclusion in body of Conservation of Materials (Inc.) half column $55.00 incl. GST full column $110.00 incl. GST Newsletter accepted until the 1st day of the It is issued to all members as part of month in which the Newsletter is due. Early a membership entitlement in March, Commercial booking preferable. June, September and December. half column $110.00 incl. GST Disclaimer: Publication of technical notes Deadlines for copy are: full column $220.00 incl. GST or articles with reference to techniques and full page $300.00 incl. GST 1 February materials does not necessarily represent an 1 May Discounts endorsement by AICCM. Whilst every effort 1 August is made to ensure the accuracy of content, 10% for 2 issues, 15% for 3 issues, 1 November the Editors and the AICCM National 20% for 4 issues. Council accept no responsibility for the Contributions are welcomed and content or opinions expressed in the AICCM should be sent to the Editors: Inserts National Newsletter which are solely those Positions Vacant $110.00 incl. GST Julian Bickersteth and Fiona Tennant of individual contributors. Commercial $220.00 incl. GST International Conservation Services AICCM wishes to acknowledge the support 53 Victoria Avenue Advertisers must supply their own provided by the Australian Government Chatswood NSW 2067 inserts. AUSTRALIA Grants to Voluntary Environment and Tel: (02) 9417 3311 Classifi eds Heritage Organisations (GVEHO) program Fax: (02) 9417 3102 $0.88 per word including GST. of the Department of the Environment, [email protected] Water, Heritage and the Arts. [email protected]

AICCM National Council 2008 – 2009

National President Tamara Lavrencic Tel: 02 8239 2360 Fax: 02 8239 2444 [email protected] Vice-President Kay Söderlund Tel: 02 9557 2395 [email protected] National Secretary Davina Hacklin Tel 07 3840 7684 fax 07 3846 1918 [email protected] National Treasurer Maria Kubik Tel: 0412 879 566 [email protected] Membership Services Offi cer Fiona Tennant Tel: 02 9417 3311 Fax: 02 9417 3102 [email protected] Publications Offi cer Marika Kocsis Tel: 03 9348 5700 Fax: 03 9348 5656 [email protected] SIG Convenor Sophie Lewincamp Tel: 02 6262 1566 [email protected] Professional Membership / Christine Ianna Tel: 07 3131 7704 Fax: 07 3131 7764 [email protected] Accreditation Offi cer Ordinary Member Ian MacLeod Tel: 08 9212 3839 [email protected] Public Offi cer Ian Batterham Tel 02 62123424 Fax: 02 62123469 [email protected] State Representatives ACT President Ian Batterham Tel: 02 62123424 Fax: 02 62123469 [email protected] NSW President Elizabeth Hadlow Tel: 02 9673 1788 Fax: 02 9673 1760 [email protected] QLD President Davina Hacklin Tel: 07 3840 7684 Fax: 07 3846 1918 [email protected] SA/NT President Jodie Proud Tel: 08 8207 7520 Fax: 08 8207 7529 [email protected] TAS President Cobus van Breda Tel: 03 6211 4146 [email protected] VIC President Alexandra Ellem Tel: 03 9348 5700 Fax 03 9348 5656 [email protected] WA President Jonathan Schmidt Tel: 08 9427 3317 Fax 08 9427 3256 [email protected] Bulletin Editor Marcelle Scott Tel: 03 8344 0091 [email protected] Web Editor Jodie Proud Tel 08 8207 7520 Fax 08 8207 7529 [email protected] AICCM Secretariat Rob Franzke Tel: 03 9013 0933 03 9311 3450 [email protected] AICCM Home Page www.aiccm.org.au

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