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Image courtesy of the Photo Library / Nick Meers Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Paul Harris

Blickling Hall in Katy Lithgow

The science of preserving art

As Head Conservator at the National Trust, Katy Lithgow’s education turned her into ‘more an arts person’ than a scientist – but her work has shown how the two can be inextricably linked. Vienna Leigh finds out how.

f you’ve ever holidayed in Britain, expertise of a team of conservation get to know about my sort of job – it’s Iyou’ll know that the countryside is specialists behind the scenes, includ- not something on the standard careers awash with historic properties and ing wardens, gardeners and curators. list.” their gardens, areas of natural beauty, Head Conservator Katy Lithgow is There’s much more to her job than castles, ruins, forts and nature one such expert. Originally an art his- renovating old paintings. Katy’s reserves. Whether it’s a house with a torian, Katy is now responsible for the working day might include reviewing literary or historical connection – preventive and remedial conservation the installation of solar cells or insula- Hardy’s Cottage, Wordsworth House, of collections and historic interiors in tion in a castle’s roof, examining or Cliveden, once the glittering hub of the National Trust’s houses. Having potential acquisitions to determine high society – or a World Heritage graduated from Cambridge, her first their conservation needs, providing Site – the Giant’s Causeway, the foray into the field was at London’s training to National Trust staff, giving Avebury stone circle or Hadrian’s Courtauld Institutew2, training in wall talks at museums or art galleries, or Wall – there’s something for every- painting conservation. “It seems to participating in policy meetings. She one, and much of it owes its contin- me that people stumble across this often works alongside the wider con- ued existence to the National Trustw1. career path, often through pursuing servation community to identify Keeping these examples of national an interest, in my case by trying to research needs in cultural heritage, heritage in good condition – as well combine a love of painting and draw- for example by participating in collab- as open to the public – not only ing with an interest in the history of orative research promoted by the requires the help of the Trust’s 52 000 art and the technology of art produc- Science and Heritage programmew3 volunteers, but also relies on the tion,” she says. “At school it’s hard to or taking part in the UK’s National

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Heritage Science Strategy steering light, affect objects, materials and groupw4. “Though I think of myself as Flooding at Calke Abbey structures. more of an arts and humanities per- and Coughton Court was the “Science helps us in an endless son than a scientist, it’s science that result of climate change number of ways. After the flooding of enables us to continue to welcome the library in the Long Gallery at visitors by preserving our properties Hall (a Jacobean house in for the future,” Katy says. “If we Norfolk), we were able to treat the opened houses without taking damaged and destroyed. Specifically, precious contents using our under- account of what causes their deterio- we’re concerned with how environ- standing of the way materials behave ration, we would risk them being mental factors, such as humidity and when they become wet. We use pho-

Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Andrew Butler

Powis Castle, the Italianate terraces at dawn

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Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Nadia Mackenzie

Chastleton House, the Jacobean Long Gallery

tomicrographs to see how the prod- arts and sciences really are. Art is and Similarly, science can be artistic, too – ucts of bacteria – called ‘sticky exo- always has been heavily influenced during a moment of inspiration, for polymers’ – combine with damp and by scientific theory and discoveries – example – and humanities skills such the calcite in dust particles to bind the the science of colour, pigments, per- as writing and giving presentations dust onto historic surfaces. This led to spective, and so on – and scientific are required to communicate science. the development of a method of mon- data is needed to support arts In addition, both arts and sciences itoring the production of dust by visi- research, for example to establish the rely on evidence, which is tested by tors, which tells us how to manage authenticity of a work of art. validating hypotheses. In both cases, the rate of cleaning to prevent objects Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Nadia Mackenzie becoming irreversibly soiled. We use sensors to tell us whether the amount Insect pests – moth larvae eating of light to which a surface has been woollen textile on a cushion from exposed is too great, and that helps us Tyntesfield control light for the benefit of visitors and our collections; we design conser- vation heating systems using relative humidity and temperature data. We even used science to determine why John Hungerford Pollen’s paintings on the frieze of the Long Gallery at Blickling Hall look so worn (scientific analysis showed he had a poor paint- ing technique!).” So, as a self-professed ‘arts person’, how does Katy take to the scientific side of her work? “I was always aware through my studies of Italian Renaissance painting how close the

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Case study: James II’s bed

“As head conservator, I’m responsible for identifying weight, our textile conservation adviser, Ksynia the most urgent conservation work needed to be done Marko, investigated the options for treatment. Analysis on National Trust collections. The priority of the work showed that the hangings are made of a silk velvet depends on the rate of change in condition, the qual- which is extremely sensitive to damage from exposure ity of the display environment, and how the project to light. Over time, the oxidation of the silk fibres has would fit into the overall plans for presenting and caused them to shatter and collapse, aided by the developing the property. forces of gravity. Currently, the top national priority is the James II bed There have been at least three attempts to treat the at Knole – one of the great treasure houses of England hangings. During the most recent endeavour, which and the birthplace of author and poet Vita Sackville- was as long ago as 1959, a natural latex adhesive West – near Sevenoaks in Kent. Research has shown called ‘gutta-percha’ was used to glue the fragments of that the bed is likely to have been commissioned by silk velvet to new linings – but 50 years on, the glue

BACKGROUND King James II of England, Scotland and Ireland in has chemically altered. It’s now brittle and dark, stain- around 1688, shortly before he was chased out of the ing the original textile and no longer able to support country in the Glorious Revolution of 1689 that saw its weight. the installation of William and Mary as joint Protestant We removed the curtains from display to identify the monarchs. The Lord Chamberlain of the time, Thomas solvents and method of treatment needed to remove Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, acquired the mono- the old adhesive, and cleaned the silk velvet and reat- grammed bed – now an undesirable symbol of a tached it to new supporting fabric. In the meantime, defunct regime – and moved it to Knole in 1701. we’ve started to raise the £850 000 needed to fund the When the National Trust’s staff at Knole noticed that conservation of the rest of the bed, its hangings and the bed’s curtains were ripping under their own associated furniture, and redisplay.”

Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Andreas von Einsiedel Image courtesy of the National Trust / Textile Conservation Studio

Conservator Clare Golbourn with cleaned fragments of the silk velvet curtains

James II’s bed at Knole

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Another achingly beautiful view – Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, Sissinghurst Castle from the Lundy Island, with an archaeologist Cuddy’s Crag White Garden carrying out a measured survey in the foreground

these hypotheses have to hold in rela- funded research project Climate for and moths; there’s also more mould. tion to different sorts of research. Culturew6, which will begin in October All our work is set in the context of “At school, though, science and I this year. trying to save energy and reduce the didn’t get on. I still maintain that it “It may not occur to our visitors, carbon footprint to help mitigate cli- was mere coincidence that led me to but climate change is having a huge mate change, as well as adapting to choose boiling flasks with hairline effect on the work of the National its impacts.” cracks that exploded and etched the Trust,” Katy says. “It’s the challenge Science aside, though, it’s the aes- wooden worktops with bubbling of our times, and it affects everything. thetics of her job that get Katy out of black viscous treacle, but my teacher Flooding at Calke Abbey (a Baroque bed in the morning. “Solitary seemed to think that my main aim in mansion in Derbyshire) and moments with achingly beautiful life was to subvert all her lessons. It Coughton Court (a Tudor family seat views of houses and landscapes… was only during my training as a wall in Warwickshire) in the summer of there’s nothing like it,” she smiles. painting conservator that science real- 2007 was the result of severe and ly came back into my life in an unseasonal rainfall attributed to cli- Web references applied sense. mate change. The Engineering w1 – For more information about the w7 “Nowadays, a scientific background Historic Futures project , funded by National Trust, see: is a tremendous asset to have in con- EPSRC (Engineering and Physical www.nationaltrust.org.uk servation. There are specific courses Sciences Research Council)w8 as part w2 – For more information about the available for people who come from of its Sustaining Knowledge for Courtauld Institute of Art, see: the humanities, such as the Chemistry Changing Climates programme, is www.courtauld.ac.uk for Conservators correspondence another scientific research project course offered by International which looked at adapting historic w3 – The Science and Heritage pro- Academic Projects Ltdw5.” environments to the effects of climate gramme supports and funds inter- The National Trust carries out scien- change, and it used the flooding at disciplinary research. To learn more, tific research within projects with Blickling Hall as a case study. see: www.heritagescience.ac.uk other heritage and educational insti- “In historic houses we also see cli- w4 – National Heritage Science tutions, gaining funding through mate change in the form of increased Strategy steering group is responsi- grants and initiatives such as the EU- insect pest activity by furniture beetle ble for developing a national strate-

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gy for heritage science. For more information, see: www.english-heritage.org.uk/nhss The article provides general information on what a career in con- w5 – For more information about servation of sites and objects of artistic and historical significance International Academic Projects Ltd, is all about, and how science is involved in such efforts. which promotes education, training The many examples included are valuable in directing discus- and research into conservation, sions in the science classroom focusing on how various environ- archaeology and anthropology, see: mental influences could affect objects, materials and structures in www.academicprojects.co.uk ways that would lead to their deterioration, and how global cli- Information about the course mate change is negatively affecting our cultural heritage. Chemistry for Conservators can be The text is most suitable to be used in science, history and arts found here: classes to show how these three areas of research can be com- www.academicprojects.co.uk/ bined to achieve the conservation of historic sites and artefacts. In chemistry.htm school, interdisciplinary studies could be organised, with history w6 – For more information about and arts groups specifying specific environmental situations that Climate for Culture, see: threaten to destroy sites and artefacts of cultural value and sci- www.moez.fraunhofer.de/en/gf/ ence groups trying to find the solutions. FuE-Kooperationen/Projekte/ Michalis Hadjimarcou, Cyprus ClimateforCulture.jsp w7 – For more information about the REVIEW Engineering Historic Futures project, see: Image courtesy of the National Trust Photo Library / Andrew Butler www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainableheritage/ historic_futures.htm w8 – To find out more about the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, see: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Resources If you’re looking for activities to link arts and science in the classroom, you might like the following Science in School articles: Farusi G (2006) Teaching science and humanities: an interdisciplinary approach. Science in School 1: 30-33. www.scienceinschool.org/2006/ issue1/francesca Farusi G (2007) Monastic ink: linking chemistry and history. Science in School 6: 36-40. www.scienceinschool.org/2007/ issue6/galls For a full list of arts-related articles in Science in School, see: www.scienceinschool.org/arts

Powis Castle in Wales, and its

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