Join us as we take a seat by an imaginary fireplace in a creepy old house and trade stories of hauntings, hazards, and house ghosts with special guest Aly Singh. We get interrupted by trick-or-treaters and feel unsettled by sudden changes in RH! Jenny also talks to historian Sheldon K. Goodman about Cemetery Club and to conservator Kathrine Graf about gravestones and churchyards. Also tune in for a creepy cocktail at the Benchwork Bar!
00:02:55 Jenny loves bats
00:04:16 Poetry intermission and touring ghosts
00:10:42 Getting to know your ghosts – and paranormal pets!
00:14:23 More ghost sightings at museums and historic properties
00:34:51 Things that genuinely scare conservators
00:38:16 Aly shares some spooky tour stories
00:42:58 Cemeteries and their charms
00:52:38 Interview with Sheldon K. Goodman
01:05:33 Interview with Kathrine Graf
01:16:55 Benchwork Bar: The Spider Bite
01:20:22 Patreon shout out
Together with special guest host Erin Foster we discuss the careers people have had before finding conservation, why they might have switched, and why so many of us find out about conservation a little later in life. Also tune in for an apprenticeship update from Icon and a review of ‘Managing Change in Museums and Galleries’ from Jenny.
01:16 Why do people come to conservation later in life?
05:06 What did WE do (or intend to do) in a previous life
10:18 Stories from listeners
20:59 Career aptitude tests and advice at the right age
33:23 An update on apprenticeships
36:09 Sharing and demystifying
38:46 More listener stories
42:40 Review: Managing Change in Museums and Galleries
We’re joined by special guest host Helen Antrobus as we unpack what it means to be a collections curator and how we can (and do) work together to deliver some amazing things. Tune in for discussions around job titles, working with community curators, and why we should pay for expertise.
01:39 What even is a curator?
14:34 Our experiences of working with curators
23:23 Can we change attitudes to curation?
31:16 Community curation and collaborations
38:48 The curator-conservator symbiosis
44:59 Helen’s path to curatorhood
50:59 How we can help one another
We kick off season ten with a Zoom get-together! Jenny and Kloe bring some drinks and invite people along to think about how the last 12-18 months have been. We talk about what we’ve been up to, how our workplaces have changed, the absolute state of the job market, supply issues, the ‘planning ballet,’ and what we’re proud of. Many thanks to Mandy Garratt, Kendall Gay, Kaitlin Wieseman, Ellie Sweetnam, Caitlin Jenkins, Martha Jones, Raene Poisson, Odelia Cheung, Atticus Berry, Gwen Thomas, Jane Henderson, and Angélica Isa for joining the conversation!
00:01:01 Who are all these lovely people?
00:07:48 What have Kloe and Jenny been up to?
00:10:21 How has work changed?
00:25:16 Job market and cuts
00:35:48 Sourcing PPE and materials
00:39:27 Planning in uncertain times
00:48:44 What are we proud of?
01:00:17 Patreon shout out
Together with special guest host Alison Lister we explore the process of dyeing fabrics for textile conservation: from why we do it to the secret of a good colour match. Also tune in for an interview with Laura Peters about her dye research, and a review of ’The Diversity of Dyes in History and Archaeology’ from Kloe.
00:39 Our experiences with dyes
09:49 Artistry vs repeatability in colour matching
12:08 Barriers to novice dyers and Jenny’s conundrum
14:03 When not to dye and what to do instead
15:55 The process of dyeing
21:37 Interview with Laura Peters
31:47 Conservators are creatures of habit
34:07 The kit you need
35:15 Natural vs synthetic dyes
38:33 Research questions for students
41:08 Alison shares some dye hacks
47:29 Review: The Diversity of Dyes in History and Archaeology
52:10 Patreon shout out
We look up from our workbenches for a moment and think about how to make some savvy business decisions: what can conservators do beyond classic benchwork? Guest host Lucy Branch shares her experiences of creating alternative income streams, while Jenny thinks about tactics employed outside of conservation. Also tune in for a business pep talk with Lorraine Finch!
02:16 The value of resilience
04:45 Lucy’s creative writing
13:07 Why this isn’t JUST for freelancers
15:39 Training and skill sharing
18:14 Giving other people multiple ways of supporting your work
26:37 Evaluating your skill set
37:28 Interview with Lorraine Finch
Together with special gust host Talitha Wachtelborn we explore the world of leather conservation: from book bindings to suitcases! Also tune in for an interview with Mike Redwood about the history of tanning and the sustainability of leather, and a chat with Rosie Bolton and Arianne Panton from the Leather Conservation Centre.
00:01:37 Our experience with leather (oh behave!)
00:07:34 How long have humans been using leather?
00:09:52 Manufacture impacts condition
00:18:10 Leather use in a societal context
00:23:47 Leather substitutes
00:29:38 Consolidation, secret sauce, and ethics
00:37:16 Interview with Mike Redwood
00:53:47 Interview with the Leather Conservation Centre
01:09:41 Patreon shout out
We’re getting into the groove about things that move with special guest host Matthew Read. What exactly is a dynamic object and how do you go about preserving one? Kloe talks to Ken Cobb about conserving electrical objects and Jenny speaks to Chris Weeks about motorcycles that still need to vroom. Also tune in for a book review of ’Handmade: A Scientist’s Search for Meaning Through Making’ by Anna Ploszajski.
00:03:43 What do we mean by dynamic objects?
00:11:36 The idea of performance
00:16:00 What’s value, anyway?
00:18:23 Visitor expectation and conservation approach
00:23:47 What would WE do?
00:30:15 Interview with Ken Cobb
00:41:59 Working with artists and emulation
00:47:32 What would it take for us to say no?
00:50:52 Don’t be frightened of clocks
00:53:43 Getting into the business
00:58:34 Interview with Chris Weeks
01:13:16 Review: Handmade
01:16:19 Questions, comments, and corrections
01:17:21 Patreon shout-outs
Together with special guest host Jane Henderson we peer at our loggers, spot check our homes, and crunch our data in an attempt to demystify environmental monitoring! Also tune in for an interview with Michael Hall from Meaco and Austin Senseman from Conserv.
03:38 Freaking out vs chasing the flat line
07:36 From ye olde thermohygrograph to wireless loggers
09:22 Confession time
12:54 Costs, costs, costs
19:41 How do we crunch our data?
27:27 Interview with Conserv
41:42 Kloe looked into apps
43:42 When to spend the money
48:36 Why are you collecting your data?
51:51 What do we even worry about?
55:15 The umbrella stand
57:59 Interview with Meaco
We think about communicating in different ways with fellow podcaster and conservator Lucy Branch. We discuss podcasting, video platforms, and good old-fashioned radio and TV. Kloe tries out TikTok, and Jenny interviews YouTubing conservator Lucilla Ronai and Lucia Scalisi from The Repair Shop!
01:42 On the benefits of podcasting
14:07 Interview with Lucilla Ronai
24:07 Why we should be using video platforms
32:46 Kloe’s TikTok adventures
43:47 Adventures in radio
46:46 How about TV?
50:05 Interview with Lucia Scalisi