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Leeds Castle Lambrequin
Posted: January 29, 2021The conservation of an elaborate 1920's French lambrequin trimming as part of the restoration of the Yellow Silk Drawing room at Leeds Castle -
The Broughton herbarium
Posted: January 27, 2021Whilst working at the National Museum of Wales I specialised in botanical conservation. In 2014 I set up my business Pure Conservation and this was my first contract. The Broughton herbarium consists of 4 remaining bound volumes of dried and pressed plant specimens. These were collected by Dr Arthur Broughton in the 1700s. He collected from the Bristol area when he was fit and working and then later he travelled to Jamaica for health reasons, where he collected 3 more volumes of Jamaican flora. This collection was donated to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. The bindings were badly damaged as the leather was sheep skin, which has little strength and the volumes were no longer protecting the valuable contents. I was asked to conserve the collection and provide better access to the important and scientifically significant specimens within. -
Polar bear skin
Posted: January 26, 2021I was fortunate to be asked to conserve this polar bear skin rug which was looking very sorry for itself. It had been on the bathroom of a private house for many years and then the house opened to the public, and unfortunately the skin became badly damaged. The head was trodden on and the eyes had become loose, the ears were broken and the nose was completely split, showing historic repairs. There had also been expanding foam dripped on it from a previous repair of the eyes. It was very dirty and stained, but regardless I had become hugely enamoured with the task and wanted to reintroduce some of its former beauty and nobility once more. -
Family Christening Robe
Posted: January 22, 2021A project demonstrating the conservation of a family christening enabling it to be worn again now and by future generations -
Brighton Museum: A Magnetic Display of Botswanan Skins
Posted: January 22, 2021A project highlighting close working with museums, the breadth of materials experience (leather and hide) as well as innovative display capabilities using camouflaged magnets -
Couture costume conservation
Posted: January 22, 2021Resurrecting two very well worn Schiaparelli jackets for Manchester Art Galleries has been a recent couture hightlight for our studio -
Dubai Cultural Authority
Posted: January 22, 2021A project demonstrating our ability to deliver complex, high finish projects phased over a number of years to overseas institutions and clients -
Conservation of the Charlotte Smith Sketchbook, Tring Local History Museum
Posted: January 21, 2021The conservation and display of an early C19th sketchbook by Hertfordshire artist Charlotte Smith which had been damaged through water ingress, inherent material instability and use. -
Repair of damaged lepidopterans.
Posted: January 15, 2021Repair of c. 100 lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) specimens, many of which were crushed by the breaking of the glass lid during transit. The wings were repaired by underlaying them with torn slivers of 10 gsm Gampi tissue using neutral pH PVA adhesive. -
Conservation and preservation audits, and collection condition surveys
Posted: January 11, 2021It is now an accepted principle that any organisation with an archive, library or art collection should undertake a collection survey (also referred to as a conservation audit or preservation assessment). Not only will this provide an accurate guide to the current condition of a collection, but it will also provide an analysis of it’s conservation and preservation requirements.