Werner, A. E.

English

DigitalCommons@URI

University of Rhode IslandDigitalCommons@URIArts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research(1963-1967)Education: National Endowment for the Arts andHumanities, Subject Files II (1962-1996)1960Arts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research(1963-1967): Article 08A. E. WernerFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_II_25This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Education: National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, Subject Files II(1962-1996) at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Arts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research (1963-1967) by anauthorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@etal.uri.edu.Recommended CitationWerner, A. E., "Arts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research (1963-1967): Article 08" (1960). Arts Trade Association Dinner:Speech Research (1963-1967). Paper 51.http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_II_25/51http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_II_25/51! -"I ---.... ---·' ' ,; -:--..... · :··-............. ' l I r l I 1· •. . Conservation. £n Museums .. ~ 11 .• ; ' . I~ , H , \ ~ ·: ·.~' ' .. f\ . l ~. ' r .: < ;-. .; ;, '.ii." . ..:'./ •. '"''' ·~ _,. _, • A. E. WERNER '· , . . . . .,,y: :~. ·~ ..... ~ i.1! ~ ~ :..•i"• ·~ ,f'l '.~. • ' • • r : .. , 'i. ~ • l - ~ ; '. \ . . : : ~·- .... ~. ;'~·: . . . . ' ·, . .: : . During rece~t decades an evolution has gradually been taking place in our ... _," approach to the preservative treatme~t of antiquities ·and arch2.eological matter, and a definite pattern has begun to emerge, so that it is appropriate to .. .. " : try and assess the pr-esent position. The general use or' the term conservation · . " .. . . :- ·~ · ... . :--...... .. instead of restoration aptly emphasizes the change that has occurred. In the past · the treatment of antiquities and archaeological material was largely confined . to a process of restoration which would make the objects suitable for exhibition . The actual methods used were largely of an empirical nature and the materials employed were all of natural origin. However over the past 30 years or so there ...... ·.:.:~-· _,_.. :.. has been a change in approach as well as in actual method: this is designated . ·, •· i:• ·: ·. . by the term conservation and is largely the .result of the establishment of museum 'f.' >>· ,: · · '.'·' .. laboratories. In these laboratories the chemist or physicist applies his specialized ' .. · ! · · · · • ·,!': ·. · ·. knowledge to the problems which arise and seeks to understand the causes of the '·' · .. :.'· ...... · ..... · depreciation of museum objects and thus to replace the empirical approach of · -~ · · · · · the res tori:}' of the past by a sound scientific evaluation of each specific problem.· .. ·: · ·." This embraces much more than the mere restoration or repair of an object. ;·:_,, ·.'·. ' ''"··· Instead we.are concerned with a much wider concept which can best be des-. "•· · · ··' cribed as "scientific conservation". Included in this concept are the fo_llowing , .. " .. ,. · · fundamental ideas. · ·. ''.-_.-:. ·. '·... 1. Preventive Treatment. This aims at the control of the environmental '·": ~ ; "·' .. conditions in museums so as to ensure that the objects on exhibition or in store' ·· .. • '·' i: .. ·. -:. are kept under such conditions that the influences liable to cause deterioration · ·· ·- -.. ._• are reduced to a minimum. The need for this control has received ever-increasing : .,._ .' ·.'" :: ~ · ;-. recognition by those responsible for the ca.re of museum objects. If these obje~ts ,, ..... ··'' ·:·:. · ·:· , ..... are of an organic nature, e.g. wood, textiles, ivory, etc., ·the single factor of : "'" · '' · · paramount importance is control of the relative humidity of the atmosphere "<"·. ·:. ,··:;-.: within prescribed limits. In general this means keeping the R.H. within ihe ·· · "' · : ': range 50-65 %. Ideally complete air-conditioning is the answer to this problem, • :.r- .· ... ~ :· ·~·· but this involves expensive outlay beyond the capacity ol many museurr.s. ::,,_. !:·. ·~'."'-:"'.'."' ... There is, however, now commercially available a range of eq~;:.ment which · · : ; ·. : · · "'' · -• ·- · can be ilsed for controlling the R.H. in selected rooms or· in exnibition cases. ·.·.; ":·(_,, ,._·.. These function either as humidifiers or dehumidifiers depending upon the . ambient conditions in the museum and the various types of apparatus are '' ,., .: ·described in detail in a recent.number of Museum.1 It must also be emphasized r .... ·' ' .~ _,.. .· ... I ~ '~· . ' ;I., , •, • ' ' ..... :. ; ·: :·~· .. ''. ;-.': '>·. ' Mumma 13, No. 4 (1g6o). ·-.·.. . ("! .,-... ,. . .... : 201 . //t.t .. .... ·.' . ' '. \ , f . ... i. ~ .. ,_. .. ., . ·., '. •. C· .··-.. •' -.. . , ,. ..... < . lhat it is essential for adequate air-circulation to be maintained in order :o guard against the formati~ of local air-pockets of high R.H. 3 2. Diagnosis. This involves a dear realization of the fundamental fac~o:-s ,,,.,. ~' .- ... :" ·:·. responsible for the deterioration of an object. Once these factors have be.::n · '·','- ,._ .. .,., , . , correctly assessed as t~e result of scientific tests, it is usually possible to work out\ a successful method of tre~iment. As a simp:e example of this we may consider the case of "weeping" gla~-a phi:nomenon which ~hows itself by the appear- .... '.·; -:.··.. . .. ". a.nee of droplets of moisture; on the surface of certain glass objects under normal museum conditions. Whe~ the fundamental cause leading to this condition ol. · .. , , . , . . ., •.~ .. ·· ' · "weeping" had been correctly diagnosed by microanalysis of the droplets, it.: .. ·,.... . . was possible to devise a satisfactory method for dealing with gl:.tss ohjects in . ::.; ;._, · .. i.:! •i' ·. this condition.3 Similarly~· a detailed ~hemical examination of the causes of· :·:. :: ;···, -~ ·"' so-called "bronze disease'' showed that deep;seated cuprous chloride was th~ ··~·. .. .,.:·. \.:· ~ .. ~~­agent responsible for the development of the characterisric light green powdery .. · .. "' ;:.... ·,; .-: ., spots. This fact suggested. a new method of treatment which has proved most »:': . :·:.::.: ,, ., ..... ;: effective and simple to carty out.' , . :::· ,_., , , ·.~::. .3• Scientific Examination: Many objects which come up for conservation are · .: •. ,: ··: ,;.;;.'..H; covered with layen. of corrosive products. In such cases it is often advisable. to .... · !',.,,--~·.-, •. ":.>:.·: carry out a detailed scientific examination in order to determine that the. ,·:.-::i'·:· .,:_., •.. 1 ........ . correct method of conservation will be used. Thus, for example, it may be .... · .:.-;~·.;;' ... : .. i, advisable to X-ray the object to ascertain whether there is any inlay lying '·"i :·,._.-!;.; (_ 1.,~:...; ·• hidden in the layers of corrosion. The presence of such inlay may dictate the .. _,·,. nature of.the subsequent treatment which will have to be adopted in order to ensure the survival of the inlay. Many examples of this approach t.o problems ..... ···"·:;.-;.~ of conservation of metallic ·objects have been described by Plendcrleith.6 4. Improved rmlhods of Conservation. One of the most important tasks which · has to be dealt with in a museum laboratory is the evaluation of the numerous ... . '\ ,· r .... ' ... I i ! . . . '· • - i ~ : ~· -°"'.· . ' . ;_ ' ·. ~·:. •. .. .. ..... ,1 1 r I ,, I· !. f' ' f . ~~ I i ~cw synthetic materials which have become available as the result of develop-! ments in polymer chemistry. These new materials ;;.re not mere substitutes for ·natural materials; many of ~hem possess a range of chemical and physical ·-. ! Trf;. . properties not found in any material of natural origin, and for this reason they offer not only the possibility of evolving improved methods ·of conservation but · also, indeed, of devising new methods of conservation which would not be possible without the use of these synthetic materials. It must be realized, ; however, that the choice of the most suitable material for any particular job ; must be based on a sound chemical knowledge of the behaviour of the material. ; This is especially necessary in vi.cw of the fact that the number of synthetic · materials available is very large-many of which are not suitable for the treat-ment of museum objects. · As examples of new synthetic materials which have been successfully used .in the conservation of antiquities, the following may be cited: (i) the polyethylene glycol waxes for the consolidation of waterlogged wood' and leather, 7 • Werner, A. E. Mu.scums Journal 53, 159 (1957). Organ, R. M. Mu.scums Journal 56, 265 (1957). • Organ, R. M. Mu.muns Journal 61, 54 (1961). Plendcrkith, H.J. The Cansmialion of Anliquilus and W Ql'ks of Art. Oxford Univcnity Presa 1 g61, • Organ, R. M. S:udus in Conservalion "' 96 (1959). · · ' Werner, A. F~ MIUNml Journal 53, 3 (1957). 202 . " . ~ · .. . .... .. ~ . · ... · . : . ~ ,,.: .... . . ·-.. ·_ ."· l... :·· · ..f .;·. . I r' i ·, '. I i ~ -~ ; .... '. ·•·. · .. -: .. ·. { .. i l. 1·_'../ ' ... ·' .-."' ·. :,: .· \. .. : ... ·· ·' ~ . . . ~-. ""'°: . I .. ,, \ ~-.. -.. ·----··--· _, \ \ ,_ .·. ,.; . ..... 

Arts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research (1963-1967): Article 08

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&amp;context=pell_neh_II_25

Arts Trade Association Dinner: Speech Research (1963-1967): Article 08

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@URI