Icon Scotland Group presents a new Take 5 webinar, with five 5-minute presentations by different conservation professionals about some of their recent projects.
Sticky situation: interdisciplinary decision making in the conservation of a child’s bedroom cupboard door, by Gwen Thomas, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh
In 2018, the Museum of Childhood acquired a bedroom cupboard door that over the course of the owner’s childhood was covered in hundreds of different stickers. The following year, it was requested for an external loan, but as a collage artwork rather than a social history object. Many objects in the childhood collections are heavily used, and this one is no different. Stickers were dirty, worn, curled and lifting, some fully detached; and they were made of paper and a variety of plastics and adhesives. However, being displayed alongside art works meant taking a slightly different approach. This talk focuses on the dialogue between the conservator and curator when making decisions on behalf of the object, its stability, authenticity and aesthetic appeal.
Resumption survey: a simple analytic tool for checking the condition of collections after lockdown, by Simona Cenci ACR, National Library of Scotland
During the first lockdown, Simona Cenci designed a resumption survey to be carried out in the National Library of Scotland library stores prior to the re-opening of the library premises. The aim was to assess the condition of the collections after many weeks of forced closure during the exceptional circumstance of the pandemic.
The talk will briefly illustrate the challenges encountered in choosing the best format to carry out a survey of such large scale in a limited amount of time, the methodological outcomes of that process, and the exceptional team endeavour that the task required.
Peeling Back the Layers: The treatment of a large Scottish sampler, by Anna F Robinson, University of Glasgow
Every conservation treatment presents unique and sometimes unforeseen challenges, and some seem to present new challenges at every stage. This presentation will summarize how the treatment of a large Scottish sampler at the CTC was adapted as layers of framing and support materials were removed, and new aspects of the sampler revealed.
Creating a Conservation YouTube Channel: curating conservation content for the general public, by Lucilla Ronai PMAICCM, National Library of Australia
Advocating and communicating conservation to the general public is incredibly important, as conservators’ work is often unknown. Creating conservation videos is a powerful way to share our profession. But how do you strike the important balance between giving important information to people about the conservation profession, activities and approaches without showing too much? After one year of creating and managing a conservation YouTube channel, all about sharing conservation content to both conservators and the general public, Lucilla Ronai will share the main lessons learned and how it has made her see the conservation profession differently.
Surviving insurance claim documentation with a smile, by Ruth Honeybone ACR and Daryl Green, The University of Edinburgh
Daryl and Ruth will guide you through some of the hoops and hurdles of writing a successful insurance claim to fund the conservation of damaged collections. They will (quickly!) identify some common pitfalls and potential miscommunications when dealing with an insurance company and share some tips on documentation, justification and evaluation of collection value that helped them secure a successful financial outcome.
