The C Word

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

Show Notes:
– S07E04 Working with Techs: https://thecword.show/2020/05/27/s07e04-working-with-techs/
– S09E01 Working with Front of House: https://thecword.show/2021/03/24/s09e01-working-with-front-of-house/
– S03E01 Taking a Stand: https://thecword.show/2018/03/21/s03e01-taking-a-stand/
– Follow Helen Antrobus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenantrobus
– Lexico definition: https://www.lexico.com/definition/curator
– Tate definition: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/curator
– Macmillan definition: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/curator
– Cambridge definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/curator
– Wikipedia definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curator
– #AskACurator Day: https://twitter.com/askacurator
– S05E06 Touchy Feely: https://thecword.show/2019/05/29/s05e06-touchy-feely/
– Salford Museum & Art Gallery: https://salfordmuseum.com/
– People’s History Museum: https://phm.org.uk/
– The Royal Oak Conservation Studio: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-royal-oak-foundation-conservation-studio

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Helen Antrobus.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Mandy’s art: https://mandygarratt.wixsite.com/arty
– Texas Forestry Museum: https://www.treetexas.com/
– Ellie’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllieSweetnam
– Raene’s webpage: https://www.raenepoisson.com/
– Angélica’s blog: https://angelicaisa.com/
– Conserv-a-Llama: https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama
– Odelia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avec_mesyeux/
– Atticus’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atticusjayphotography/
– Caitlin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlin_r_j
– Martha’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/marthaejones2
– Museums & Galleries Edinburgh: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/
– Museums Association Redundancy Hub: https://www.museumsassociation.org/careers/redundancy-hub/
– Icon’s Conservation and Coronavirus reports: https://www.icon.org.uk/campaigns/current-campaigns/workforce-research.html
– Go follow Tamsin Russell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamsinRussell
– Museums Association Well-Being Hub: https://www.museumsassociation.org/careers/wellbeing-hub/
– S05E05 Portfolio Extravaganza (for Tamsin’s pep talk): https://thecword.show/2019/05/15/s05e05-portfolio-extravaganza/
– Remember when we all gave away our nitrile? https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/more-than-40-british-museums-and-conservators-donate-personal-protective-equipment-to-help-the-nhs-fight-the-covid-19-crisis
– Go get your gloves at the chemist: https://twitter.com/conserve_lfcp/status/1435208967664381955
– S08E07 Learning and Teaching Remotely Part 2: https://thecword.show/2020/12/09/s08e07-learning-and-teaching-remotely-part-2/
– #FMJSummit panel with Raene, Gwen and Jenny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqBo9pyakU
– Labelling Lightning Round: https://www.connectingtocollections.org/labeling-lightning-round/
– A project I’m proud of (humidity card talk): https://www.icon.org.uk/events/archaeology-group-a-project-i-am-proud-of.html
– S07E05 Mind the Gap (for Ellie’s interview): https://thecword.show/2020/06/10/s07e05-mind-the-gap/
– Couch to 5K challenge: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/
– Ellie and Jane’s paper on disruptive conservation: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00393630.2021.1947073

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson and Kloe Rumsey.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Alison’s company: https://textileconservationlimited.co.uk/
– Information on LANASET dyes: https://www.textile-dyes.co.uk/lanaset.pdf
– A little bit about the Textile Conservation Centre (now Centre for Textile Conservation): https://www.tccfoundation.org.uk/centre-for-textile-conservation
– Get in touch with Laura: https://www.th-koeln.de/personen/laura.peters/
– Conservation in Colour symposium postprints: https://www.icon.org.uk/asset/4C8851C0-0209-4C1C-907647C9FC0E408E/
– ’Evaluation of the dyes used in conservation and restoration of archaeological textiles’ article: https://www.academia.edu/19973882/Evaluation_of_the_dyes_used_in_conservation_and_restoration_of_Archaeological_textiles
– The Diversity of Dyes in History and Archaeology: https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/the-diversity-of-dyes/?id=255

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Alison Lister.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Freelancing episode: https://thecword.show/2017/09/22/s02e03-freelancing/
– Side Hustle episode: https://thecword.show/2019/12/11/s06e07-side-hustle/
– Lucy’s books: https://www.lucybranch.com/books and https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00VB12EVA
– Publishing episode: https://thecword.show/2019/06/12/s05e07-publishing-your-work/
– Teaching and learning remotely episode: https://thecword.show/2020/11/26/s08e06-learning-and-teaching-remotely-part-1/
– Digital tip jar: https://www.wearetipjar.com/
– Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/
– Funding episode: https://thecword.show/2018/06/13/s03e07-funding/

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Lucy Branch.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Smut episode: https://thecword.show/2018/11/30/s04e06-smut/
– Wet Stuff episode: https://thecword.show/2019/03/20/s05e01-wet-stuff/
– History and Conservation of Leather: https://www.icon.org.uk/events/gilding-and-decorative-surfaces-group-history-and-conservation-of-leather.html
– Development of archival leather by J Hewit & Sons Ltd: https://www.hewit.com/download/fs-craft.pdf
– Red rot: https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Red_rot
– Herre de Vries’ talk on shark skin leather bindings: https://www.icon.org.uk/resource/lecture-29-herre-de-vries.html
– Rexine artificial leather: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rexine
– Artificial leather on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_leather
– Leather Conservation Centre: https://leatherconservation.org/
– Japan and its leather: https://www.mikeredwood.com/japan-and-its-leather/
– Mike’s blog on leather manufacture: https://www.mikeredwood.com/leather-technology-background/leather-manufacturing-and-technology-in-detail/
– Museum of Leathercraft: https://nationalleathercollection.org/
– Bats in Portugese libraries: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/09/bats-portugal/
– Conserving some Adidas trainers: https://leatherconservation.org/dribble-me-this-conserving-adidas-k-abdul-jabbar-trainers/
– Conserving Arthur’s coin purse: https://leatherconservation.org/ww1-purse-belonging-to-arthur-william-byford%e2%80%af/
– Education via the LCC: https://leatherconservation.org/education/

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Talitha Wachtelborn.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– West Dean course: https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/specialisms/horology-and-clocks
– Dynamic Objects Network: https://www.icon.org.uk/groups-and-networks/dynamic-objects.html
– Swan automaton at the Bowes Museum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Swan_(automaton) and https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/Collection/Explore-The-Collection/The-Silver-Swan
– Thinking Big episode: https://thecword.show/2019/11/13/s06e05-thinking-big/
– Antikythera mechanism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism
– Danger, Danger episode: https://thecword.show/2017/08/23/s02e01-danger-danger/
– The Repair Shop: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l581p
– Touchy Feely episode: https://thecword.show/2019/05/29/s05e06-touchy-feely/
– Replicas, Surrogates and Digitisation episode: https://thecword.show/2017/11/01/s02e06-replicas-surrogates-and-digitisation/
– Keep It Moving book: http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/keep_it_moving.html
– Open Clock Club: https://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2021/calendar/open-clock-club/
– Birmingham City University Horology degree: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/horology-ba-hons-2021-22
– WOSTEP training course: https://www.britishschoolofwatchmaking.co.uk/
– Matthew’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/repair-pendulum-clocks-step-step/dp/1838100725
– Secrets of the Transport Museum: https://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/shows/secrets-of-the-transport-museum/
– Manx National Heritage: https://manxnationalheritage.im/
– Isle of Man Museum: https://www.imuseum.im/
– Handmade: https://www.annaploszajski.com/book

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Matthew Read.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Going Green: https://thecword.show/2018/09/19/s04e01-going-green/
– Museum Pi: https://thecword.show/2017/06/21/s01e09-museum-pi/
– The One with the Arduino: https://thecword.show/podcast/s06e03-the-one-with-the-arduino/
– What’s Best for My Collection? New Approaches to Environmental Monitoring: https://www.connectingtocollections.org/environmental_monitoring/
– Thermohygrograph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermo-hygrograph or https://ago.ca/agoinsider/conservation-notes-get-know-hygrothermograph
– eClimateNotebook: https://www.eclimatenotebook.com/
– Conserv: https://conserv.io/
– Hanwell app: https://hanwell.com/news/hanwell-app/
– Lapka: https://mylapka.com/pem/#apps
– The highly revered logger Jenny covets: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Catalogue/Instruments/UV-Light-Monitors/UV-Light-Monitor
– Narbeth Museum (home of the original umbrella stand): https://www.narberthmuseum.co.uk/
– Meaco: https://meaco.co.uk/

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Jane Henderson.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

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

Show Notes:
– Sculpture Vulture podcast: https://sculpturevulture.co.uk/
– The Future Conservators’ Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-979095571/future-conservators-podcasttheme
– The Conservation Starter: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4r66EnLu8RyDfrA0kaxgrQ
– Our TikTok account: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMex8pmnn/
– Some Girl Called Bobbi: https://www.tiktok.com/@huckabuckgirl
– The Repair Shop: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l581p

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Lucy Branch.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

Together with special guest host Emma Duggan we go behind the scenes, under ground, even into the freezer! In short we explore the world of extreme or unusual store methods in museums and heritage, ranging from cold and dry to super soggy. Tune in for interviews with Toby Jones from the Newport ship project, Angela Middleton from Historic England, and Sarah Allen from Lux & Livre.

01:36 How can storage even be extreme?
03:54 Keeping stuff in a salt mine
11:42 Kloe is obsessed with the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
14:42 Interview with Sarah Allen
23:52 Low oxygen solutions
27:50 Interview with Toby Jones
36:58 Interview with Angela Middleton
50:36 Storage is sexy
52:18 Go listen to our new song!
52:51 Patreon shout out

Show Notes:
– Upcoming 2021 exhibitions at the Wellcome: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions
– Two presentations on the Cambridgeshire archaeological archive storage solution: http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Quinton-Carroll-PDF.pdf and https://www.icon.org.uk/asset/98468873-7144-4AC7-B9A3E0ABF10236E0/
– DeepStore: https://www.deepstore.com/
– Svalbard Global Seed Vault: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault
– National Film Preservation Foundation: https://www.filmpreservation.org/
– National Park Service guide to cold storage: https://www.nps.gov/museum/coldstorage/html/intro1_1.html
– BBC video clip about the British Library low oxygen storage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-30929009
– Project Airless on the NatSCA blog: https://natsca.blog/2016/03/18/project-airless/
– The Newport Ship: https://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/en/Newport-Ship/Newport-Ship.aspx
– Historic England’s ’Preserving Archaeological Remains’ publication: https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/preserving-archaeological-remains/
– Isle of Wight case study on reburial: https://research.historicengland.org.uk/Report.aspx?i=16040&ru=%2fResults.aspx%3fp%3d1%26n%3d10%26a%3d4480%26ns%3d1
– Rotterdam’s new store: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/21/radical-transparency-will-rotterdam-open-museum-change-art-the-depot-boijmans-museum
– Our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwHBfYsHR0UBAiA_VhMeOIw
– ’Something to Conserve’ (a conservation anthem): https://youtu.be/1ML6jAN19vk

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Emma Duggan.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.

We’re joined by Front of House champions Will Tregaskes and Abi Godfrey as we talk about how conservators and visitor services can join forces, smash silos, and all enjoy our jobs more. What’s it like being the face of the museum? What does good teamwork look like? And what’s the best bit about working as FoH?

03:24 What do we mean by Front of House?
07:03 Volunteering vs paid work
12:18 The journey into FoH
18:37 A seat at the table
21:41 FoH as conservators’ BFFs
34:01 Siloing is toxic
39:11 Impact of the pandemic
43:50 Looking ahead
48:09 Questions, comments, corrections
48:036 Patreon shout out

Show Notes:
– Front of House in Museums: https://fohmuseums.wordpress.com/
– The FoH 2019 survey: https://fohmuseums.wordpress.com/category/fohmuseums-research/
– A Front-of-House Charter for Change: https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/workforce/a-front-of-house-charter-for-change/
– Tate redundancies in 2020: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/tate-job-redundancies-coronavirus-union-strikes-1202696706/
– Follow #FoHmuseums on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fohmuseums

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, William Tregaskes, and Abigail Godfrey.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2021.