Orphaned Objects

Audiences waited seven years between ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’ for the continuing adventures of Sigourney Weaver IN SPAAAAAAAAACE, so two years ‘twixt instalments of my journey through the International Academic Projects ‘Chemistry for Conservators’ course is nothing to complain about. So there. This course was not intended to crank out a newly-minted Conservator at its conclusion, rather it was aimed at people like me with rusty GCSE Chemistry who wish to understand more about the application of basic scientific principles in a museum context. Similarly the purpose of this series is not to analyse in any particular depth the format and delivery of the course, but to outline what’s involved along with any musings and highlighting some of the… highlights as we go. The TLDR version (how frightfully hip and with it) is that I very much enjoyed this course, and while I wouldn’t say it gave any earth-shattering new insights it was a fascinating exploration of the chemical principles underp...

  ‘Chemical processes underlie many of the practices and techniques used in conservation. From environmental control in preventative conservation to practical conservation and restoration, chemical interactions take place between the object and the outside world. These interactions may be harmful or benign, and need to be understood in order that they be controlled’. (Introduction, Chemistry for Conservators IAP) Everything is going to fall apart. Entropy’s gonna git ya! At least, that often felt like the central theme of the ‘Chemistry for Conservators’ course I undertook in 2021. The good news is the course also tells you how to, like, stop that happening. As a Curator I’ve been fascinated with how objects are preserved (‘for future generations to enjoy’ is how that phrase usually ends when writing funding bids), which is just as well as looking after the precious things is kind of fundamental to the job. This art, which is actually a science, is called... Conservation. PAY...

 It's bright today. Really bright. Bright sun high in the sky, white snow on the ground, bright bright bright. Over my lunch break I decided to run a few 35mm negatives through the scanner just to keep grinding away at the Sisyphean task of digiting my family's photo collection. First scan appeared thus; Attack of the Black Smudge! Coming to a cinema near you. Ugh, this isn't good. And most peculiar - there's no marks at all on the negative, nary even a speck of dust as that gets blown off first. This is very annoying and I'm getting all hot and bothered. Ah! Hot and bothered in the glare of the incredibly bright wintery-snowy-reflecty sun. One quick shut of the curtains and a rescan later and; Absence of the Black Smudge! Coming to a cinema near you, but not very exciting. There we go. So the scanner, perched near the window, was getting overwhelmed by the sun blazing in one side. This hasn't been an issue so far given that this project has taken place in the d...

Three posts in with this new blog it’s probably time for an introduction to the braincells behind the keyboard of this little adventurous adventure. So… Started the way I meant to go on. Cute. And eating. WHO AM I? I’m David, which is my story and I’m sticking to it. On a good day I’m an adult human male and, after studying History and Archaeology at the University of York, have been pursuing a career in the museums sector for a shade over ten years. Luckily working in museums has often felt like being paid to pursue my own hobbies and has involved many sublime/surreal experiences – just a few being; Playing Santa's Elf (several times, several museums) Ploughing with horses Teaching Girl Guides how to cook Carrot Cookies Feeling like Willy Wonka giving tours of a store holding one million objects and showing off a world of pure... collection storage Tap-dancing in First World War centenary concerts Holding the goat down to take his eyedrops WHAT DO I DO?         ...