Endangered species

An article detailing the history of our Morris Minor Traveller ex police panda car

The refurbishment of St Pancras Chambers

Short newsletter article detailing the findings of research into wallpapers used at St Pancras Chamber

Plastics in the National Trust: a case study at Mr Straw's house

Findings of a condition survey of plastics carried out at Mr Straws House, Worksop

A survey of bacterial colonisation of historic limestone buildings: Lincoln Cathedral and St. Peter at Gowts, United Kingdom

Built heritage may be at risk from the effects of biofilms (a microbial community encapsulated in a matrix of sugars, protein and DNA). Some microbes in biofilms damage stone surfaces and cause staining. Although biofilm research has been carried out in Mediterranean regions, few studies cover temperate Northern Europe climates, or the UK. This research concentrates on bacterial colonization of limestone, a building material that is highly vulnerable to many agents of deterioration. We recorded environmental conditions on damaged and undamaged stone at two Lincoln sites, and sampled surfaces for bacteria. A correlation between low surface pH and damage was observed. Some bacteria cultured were able to acidify their environment, which may have a significant contribution to loss of limestone through acidic decay mechanisms. As well as increasing our knowledge in a currently under-researched area of environmental microbiology, this study provides valuable information for the conservation of historic buildings

Assessment of plastics in the National Trust: a case study at Mr Straw's House

The National Trust is a charity that cares for over 300 publically accessible historic buildings and their contents across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There have been few previous studies on preservation of plastics within National Trust collections, which form a significant part of the more modern collections of objects. This paper describes the design of an assessment system which was successfully trialled at Mr Straws House, a National Trust property in Worksop, UK. This system can now be used for future plastic surveys at other National Trust properties. In addition, the survey gave valuable information about the state of the collection, demonstrating that the plastics that are deteriorating are those that are known to be vulnerable, namely cellulose nitrate/acetate, PVC and rubber. Verifying this knowledge of the most vulnerable plastics enables us to recommend to properties across National Trust that these types should be seen as a priority for correct storage and in-depth recording

Imaging in conservation: looking at artefacts under new light’ ICON Archaeology and Science groups conference review

Review of conference. ‘Imaging in Conservation: Looking at Artefacts Under New Light’ was held on 10th–11th November 2011 at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire. A joint two day conference between the Icon Archaeology and Science Groups was held at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. There was a full programme of speakers discussing a wide range of issues within the context of imaging in conservation. The principle discourse was an evaluation of emerging (digital) technologies within the museum community

Conservation of wallpapers from St Pancras Chambers

The renovation of St Pancras Chambers (Midland Grand Hotel) in London provided an excellent opportunity for in-depth research into the wallpapers used in decorating this historic building. Initially a hotel owned by Midland Railway, the building was subsequently used as offices and staff accommodation by British Rail before it finally closed in the 1980s. During the restoration project, many wallpapers were uncovered from previously hidden areas, in addition to other papers that were still on view on the walls. All the wallpapers were at high risk from damage and loss during the extensive building works, and in order to keep a record of that evidence wallpapers were collected and removed from the site. Spanning just over 100 years of wallpaper from the 1870s to the 1980s, the papers were cleaned and conserved, and stored within Melinex pockets, acid free envelopes or rolled Melinex, as appropriate. They now comprise a historic wallpaper archive, available for access for researchers, students and other interested parties, held at the University of Lincoln

Detecting chloride contamination of objects and buildings: evaluating a new testing process

Soluble salts play a key factor in damage to a variety of materials, including stone, ceramics and metals. Particularly, salt contamination can lead to weakening of porous materials through salt crystallisation events, and increases the rate of metal corrosion. Over time, this results in physical damage to affected objects and buildings. It is therefore important to be able to monitor the salt content of materials, in order to understand levels of salt contamination and the potential for damage to occur. This research discusses the further development of the testing method for surface chlorides originally proposed by Piechota and Drake Piechota (2016) in their article “A simple survey kit for chloride detection on cuneiform tablets and other collections”. It introduces new and revised steps into the original protocol in order to make the achieved results semi-quantifiable, as well as identifying the limits of detection of the test kit. A comparison to alternative testing methods showed that comparable results were achievable using this methodology. The revised methodology was tested for efficacy on a range of salt contaminated objects, as well as on samples from buildings

The evolution of wallpaper interior design schemes in a commercial setting: the interiors of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (Midland Grand Hotel), London 1870s–1980s

The refurbishment of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (formerly the Midland Grand Hotel) provided a unique opportunity to investigate the interior design history of this iconic London landmark. During the refurbishment, wallpapers were uncovered from the initial decorative schemes of the hotel in the 1870s and from later interior design schemes until the building’s closure in the 1980s. This article demonstrates how the CoBRA (Conservation-based Research and Analysis) methodology can be applied to increase our understanding of the history of interiors. The conservation process adds a new perspective to the historiography of the papered interior and its significance in the interior design process. By combining archival research with access to the original wallpapers during the retrieval and subsequent conservation process, it has been possible to construct an account of this commercial building’s decorative schemes. Many of the earliest wallpapers were supplied by Jeffrey and Co., a London firm that worked with William Morris and other prominent designers. The wallpapers illustrate how the approach to the interior design of this building evolved over time, moving away from the Gothic Revival style of interior

A metagenomic analysis of the bacterial microbiome of limestone, and the role of associated biofilms in the biodeterioration of heritage stone surfaces.

There is growing concern surrounding the aesthetic and physical effects of microbial biofilms on heritage buildings and monuments. Carboniferous stones, such as limestone and marble, are soluble in weak acid solutions and therefore particularly vulnerable to biocorrosion. This paper aims to determine the differences and commonalities between the microbiome of physically damaged and undamaged Lincolnshire limestone, an area of research which has not been previously studied. A lack of information about the core microbiome has resulted in conflicting claims in the literature regarding the biodeteriorative potential of many microorganisms. To address this, we used metagenomics alongside traditional microbiological techniques to produce an in-depth analysis of differences between the bacterial microbiomes found on deteriorated and undamaged external limestone surfaces. We demonstrate there is a core microbiome on Lincolnshire limestone present on both damaged and undamaged surfaces. In addition to the core microbiome, significant differences were found between species isolated from undamaged compared to damaged surfaces. Isolated species were characterised for biofilm formation and biodeteriorative processes, resulting in the association of species with biodeterioration that had not been previously described. Additionally, we have identified a previously undescribed method of biofilm-associated biomechanical damage. This research adds significant new understanding to the field, aiding decision making in conservation of stone surface