Highlights in this issue
An assessment of the conservation of a unicorn tapestry
Val Blyth, Senior Conservator, Textiles Section, Conservation Department
Previous conservation to the unicorn tapestry had detrimentally altered it's appearance. The biggest challenge to treat this object was knowing which areas should be undone and conserved to bring back clarity to the design elements.
Report on a summer placement at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC
Diana Drummond, Textiles Student on the RCA/V&A Conservation Course
There is increasing awareness that the vast majority of damage to objects during their lifetime in museums occurs as a result of poor storage and bad handling. Improvements in storage address both these problems
A fibre optic video microscope
Graham Martin, Head of Science Section
Josephine Darrah, Senior Scientific Officer, Conservation Department
The purchase of a fibre optic based video microscope system enables surface and interior examination of objects with an interchangeable objective lens. This allows one to examine large or immovable objects where the hand-held lens transmits an image viewed to a video screen.
Introducing ‘new methods in cleaning objects’ to the V&A
Lucia Scalisi, Senior Conservator, Paintings Section, Conservation Department
Cleaning objects can be approached in an altogether more accurate and accountable way using biochemical staining techniques and ultra violet autofluorescence to identify varnish layers, and components such as natural resins, drying oils and proteinaceous materials.
January 1992 Issue 02
- Editorial Comment - Conservation Journal 2
- An assessment of the conservation of a unicorn tapestry
- Study tour of Swedish textile conservation studios
- Report on a summer placement at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC
- A fibre optic video microscope
- Upholstery conservation
- Introducing ‘new methods in cleaning objects’ to the V&A
- Radiation sickness? An informal review of the restoration '91 exhibition in October
- A review of paper & textiles - the common ground
- A report on the International Symposium on the Conservation of Ceramics & Glass, Amsterdam. 2-4 September 1991
- RCA/V&A conservation course: training & research options for 1992-3