Pacific barkcloth under the microscope - characterisation of condition, decoration and structure

The creation of barkcloth begins with harvesting the inner bark of certain types of trees followed by soaking and beating with grooved beaters, a process which often leaves undulations on the surface of the bark, also known as the beater mark. The cloth can then be decorated using colorants, applied as particulate pigments, dyes or paints. The resulting material is highly ornate with varying surface textures and colours. The usefulness of stereo and standard light microscopy, ranging from around x10 for low and up to x200 for high-magnification microscopy, and macro photography to examine the subtleties of the surface of the cloth is highlighted in this research, with examples of barkcloth from the Hunterian, University of Glasgow, Glasgow and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London collections. Examples of beater marks, particulate dye material, cracking painted surfaces, as well as the presence of two species used to create one cloth are shown, aspects that are not immediately obvious when examining the cloths with the naked eye. To further enhance the analysis from microscopy XRF and FTIR were used when appropriate. Observing the material in this way can increase appreciation for the aesthetic aspects of barkcloth and can further knowledge of the materials used in production. This can inform condition reports, storage requirements, and potential conservation treatments

Solvent vapour use - the unintended consequences in textile conservation

The impact of solvent vapour from two solvents, acetone and industrial denatured alcohol (IDA), commonly used in adhesive reactivation in textile conservation, when applied to artificially soiled silk fabric through either Gore-Tex® or Reemay® membranes for exposure times of either 1 or 3 min, was measured using microscopy and ImageJ to monitor the movement of the solid particulates of the soiling, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) to monitor the movement of the oily components. Analysis using these techniques successfully showed the movement of large particulates through the textile and a decrease in the presence of oil. Analysis with FTIR-ATR showed that the application of solvent vapour by a poultice method produces more than just a surface change and the vapour can penetrate far enough into the fibres to cause a change in the level of oil through the entire textile. The results showed that the solvents and barrier membranes have characteristic differences which impact on the changes on the soiling. The application of acetone produced a greater change in the movement of oil on the front and back of the samples than the application of IDA, while a comparison between the barrier membranes showed a greater change occurring in the level of oil with the use of Gore-Tex® rather than Reemay®. The time of exposure to solvent vapour made little difference to the changes to the textile soiling. Quantitatively significant results were gathered from analysis of the changes in the oil measured with FTIR-ATR, and qualitative changes in the large particulate soiling, demonstrating the potential usefulness of ImageJ open access software in future historic textile soiling monitoring studies

Children in hospital in Ireland - what do they eat and what do they weigh: a cross-sectional study

Background: Overweight and obesity is a growing problem in Ireland. Many parents are unaware when their child is overweight or obese. Our objectives were to examine parents’ perceptions of a healthy diet and their children’s BMI; and to evaluate the food offered to children in our paediatric in-patient unit. Findings: A retrospective questionnaire was distributed to 95 patients and their families admitted over one month. Seventy-eight had BMI values calculated (42 males, 36 females). Twenty-one children (26.9%) were overweight/ obese: 14/21 parents (66.7%) thought their child had a normal weight. Sixty percent of children served dinner in the hospital were given fried potatoes. Four had fruit/vegetables. Forty-six parents brought food into hospital, of these 14 brought purchased food. Conclusions: This study highlights the problem of child obesity in Ireland and parental underestimation of this problem. The nutritional value of food served to children in hospital needs to be improved and hospital admissions used as opportunities to promote healthy eating habits