Katharine Donaldson, the 2024-2025 Icon Bute Intern in Collections Care and Historic Interiors at the National Trust for Scotland recollects on her experience on the Conservation of Transport & Industrial Collections course at West Dean College.
As part of my ICON internship at the National Trust for Scotland, I was thrilled to be able to attend the Conservation of Transport and Industrial Collections short course at West Dean College in May. The course was led by Dave Morris AMA, Principal Conservator at the Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAAM, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy).
West Dean College Entrance
The first few sessions stripped our practice down to the fundamental basics of museum and conservation ethics and current challenges, encouraging us to think critically about the responsibilities and working approach of a conservator. Building on this foundation, we then received lectures from experts in their field on preventive measures, such as environmental monitoring and emergency planning, as well as on the identification and conservation of materials often found in transport collections, including metals, paper, leather, and plastics and rubbers. This format was an effective way to remind us to ground day-to-day conservation work in the ethical benchmarks that inform our practice, whilst embedding conservation theory within the context of transport and industrial collections.
Image from the case study on the Corsair KD431; a closeup of the “paint archaeology” removal process, where paint was meticulously removed layer by layer to uncover the wartime finish
The aircraft upon completion of the project
As the week progressed, we were able to connect the dots of how a remedial conservation project on a large object comes to fruition. The lessons were underpinned throughout with case studies on Dave Morris’ work on the Corsair and Barracuda aircrafts at the FAAM and assigned group work looking at selected objects housed in the College, the tangibility of which gave us the opportunity to facilitate discussion through object-based learning. As a primarily preventive conservator, I found the discussion breaking down what we mean by the word “restoration” particularly interesting, as it highlighted the need for transparency in how we communicate our work within and beyond the sector.
Beyond the classroom, we got to tour the various workshops on the West Dean campus, learn more about the conservation courses available, and look at the projects being undertaken by current students. In the middle of the week, we visited the Weald and Downland Living Museum, where we took a closer look at outdoor collections, including the working mill. We learnt from Curator Julian Bell about the challenges of caring for these collections and the considerations of using and having functional objects in a museum or heritage setting, broadening the complexities of displaying and engaging audiences with these industrial collections.
As the filming location for the television series The Repair Shop, the visit also facilitated a discussion on the pros and cons of depictions of conservation work in entertainment media.
Outdoor collections at the Weald and Downland Living Museum
The working Lurgashall Watermill & granary at the Weald and Downland Living Museum
Overall, I found this course to be an effective overview in caring for transport and industrial collections, as well as a taster of what I might wish to specialise in as I progress in my career. It was also a great way to learn and network with a wide cohort from a range of museums, historic houses, and private practices. As there aren’t currently any similar offerings in Scotland or North of the UK, it felt like a very special opportunity to be able to attend.
Many thanks to West Dean College, Dave Morris and the other course tutors, as well as my fellow course students, for an incredible learning experience.
