The C Word

We’re joined by special guest hosts Jeremy Uden and Marina de Alarcón from the Pitt Rivers Museum as we discuss the return of cultural objects. What are some of the attitudes we’ve encountered, and what is the role of the conservator in this? Kloe talks to Mark Furness about preparing objects for return, and Daniel Schwartz about how we can become better facilitators. Also tune in for a review of ’Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits’ by Chip Colwell.

00:00:52 Repatriation or restitution?
00:03:01 Attitudes in the sector
00:10:47 Where did we get these things to begin with?
00:13:38 Knowing what you’ve got
00:16:41 Role of conservators
00:24:32 Reactions and dialogue
00:28:19 Stewardship not ownership
00:31:23 Gains, not losses
00:37:35 Our place within restitution
00:44:06 Interview with Mark Furness
00:55:58 Interview with Daniel Schwartz
01:04:55 Review: ’Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits’

Show Notes:
– Repatriation vs restitution: https://collectionstrust.org.uk/cultural-property-advice/restitution-and-repatriation/
– About NAGPRA: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/index.htm
– Pitt Rivers removal of human remains from display: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2020/09/pitt-rivers-museum-removes-shrunken-heads-from-display-after-ethical-review/
– Bronze cockerel returned to Nigeria: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/nov/27/bronze-cockerel-to-be-returned-to-nigeria-by-cambridge-college
– Museum Ethnographers Group: http://www.museumethnographersgroup.org.uk/en/
– Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plundered-Skulls-Stolen-Spirits-Americas/dp/022629899X

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Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, Jeremy Uden, and Marina de Alarcón.

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, 2020.

We’re joined by special guest host and material scientist Anna Ploszajski as we try to unpick how conservators approach the materials they use for treating objects: what do we look for and how do we use them? Kloe takes us through her thought process when she tries a new paint range and Jenny encourages people to share their low tech testing. Also tune in for a Dear Jane about whether or not conservators need to be artistic.

01:48 Getting to know your materials
03:50 Are specialisms a myth?
05:55 Trying new things
12:01 How do we find and test new materials?
18:44 Kloe’s experiments with Lascaux Sirius and textiles
44:56 The practical side of testing something new
48:36 Dear Jane
51:53 Patreon shout out

Show Notes:
– Handmade podcast: https://www.annaploszajski.com/podcast
– Oddy testing: http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Oddy_Test
– Accelerated aging tests: https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Accelerated_aging_test
– Lascaux Sirius colours: https://lascaux.ch/en/products/colours/lascaux-sirius-watercolours

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Anna Ploszajski.

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, 2020.

We’re joined by special guest host Fi White as we chat about filming in heritage settings: from bodice rippers and period dramas to music videos and news segments! Kloe interviews Wendy Somerville-Woodiwis about actors on trains, and Jenny talks to freelance filming conservator Kate Bertenshaw about the basics of film crew herding. Also tune in for a review of the film ’Those That, at a Distance, Resemble Another.’

04:11 Our experiences of filming
11:20 Set dressing and adapting the space
23:55 Why don’t we share filming experiences more?
30:07 Risks and rewards
36:43 Interview with Wendy Somerville-Woodiwis
49:10 Interview with Kate Bertenshaw
56:50 Review: ’Those That, at a Distance, Resemble Another’

Show Notes:
– Sell Out? conference: http://www.sharemuseumseast.org.uk/events/event/6th-annual-ucm-share-collections-care-conference/
– The Colin Firth cake: https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/jane-austens-mr-darcy-was-turned-into-a-life-sized-cake-1234760208/
– Royal carriages in Station Hall: https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/station-hall
– Kate’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kate-bertenshaw-11b74724
– Trailer and information about ’Those That, at a Distance, Resemble Another’ (2019): https://jessicarinland.com/those

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Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Fi White.

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, 2020.

We have a catch up and chat about returning to work after lockdown. We read out and listen to some contributions from people who either have gone back into work or are waiting to get the green light. Round off the season with a First Wave Back cocktail at the Benchwork Bar on your way out!

00:52 What’s our situation like?
08:52 Our Twitter poll
13:29 How museums are changing
15:53 Listener contributions (part 1)
30:21 Listener contributions (part 2)
48:52 How do we feel right now?
51:59 Benchwork Bar: First Wave Back

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, 2020.

We zoom in on the topic of photography conservation and photos in collections with guest host Lorraine Finch. From positives to negatives, we build a picture of some common things look out for and discuss some ways of storing vintage photos. Also tune in for a review of ‘Twentieth-Century Color Photographs – Identification and Care’ and an Albumen cocktail (and mocktail) at the Benchwork Bar!

00:00:45 Do object conservators come across many old photos?
00:06:44 What sort of photos do we mostly encounter?
00:15:13 Book recommendations galore
00:16:23 Kloe frets about modern photography
00:20:53 Polaroid revival and instant photos
00:23:24 Common types of damage
00:31:56 Storage solutions
00:39:19 Treat it or lose it
00:47:25 Review: ‘Twentieth-Century Color Photographs – Identification and Care’
00:53:37 Benchwork Bar: Albumen
01:01:40 Patreon shout out

Show Notes:
– Lorraine’s previous episodes: https://thecword.show/2018/05/02/s03e04-looking-after-your-conservator/ and https://thecword.show/2019/09/18/s06e01-conservation-on-a-budget/
– The Centre for Photographic Conservation: http://www.cpc-moor.com/index.htm
– Winston Churchill Traveling Fellowship: https://www.wcmt.org.uk/why-apply/travel-grant
– Image Permanence Institute: https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/
– George Eastman Museum: https://www.eastman.org/
– Care and Identification of 19th-Century Photographic Prints: https://store.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/care-id-photographic-prints
– Photographs of the Past – Process and Preservation: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/books/photos_of_the_past.html
– Sub-zero storage of photographs: http://wilhelm-research.com/subzero.html
– ZINK technology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zink_(technology)
– Lorraine’s articles on the PEL blog: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/Blog-Posts/Blog-Categories/Photographic
– Photographic Negatives – Nature and Evolution of Processes: https://s3.cad.rit.edu/ipi-assets/publications/negatives_poster_booklet.pdf
– Twentieth-Century Color Photographs – Identification and Care: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Colour-Photographs-Identification/dp/0500517193/ or https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/books/20th_century_color.html
– Go follow Amanda Richards for more conservation cocktails: https://twitter.com/ConserveItAll

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Lorraine Finch.

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, 2020.

We squint at the topic of light in this illuminating episode: guest host Sarah Potter enlightens us while Jenny thinks about communication and Kloe reveals she has super eye sight. Christina interviews David Saunders and Jenny reviews his new book about museum lighting. Also tune in for a Dear Jane about dissertations, and a Fluorescent Bulb at the Benchwork Bar!

00:03:00 How we light our galleries
00:15:40 Light monitoring routines
00:20:13 Light levels and material types
00:21:41 Communicating about low light levels
00:28:13 Lights inside cases are basically the devil
00:31:54 Interview with David Saunders
00:59:37 Smart glass?!
01:01:40 Review: ‘Museum Lighting – A Guide for Conservators and Curators’
01:05:45 Dear Jane
01:10:50 Benchwork Bar: Fluorescent Bulb
01:13:53 Patreon shout out

Show Notes:
– Contemporary Art episode: https://thecword.show/2019/04/17/s05e03-contemporary-art/
– Connecting to Collection Care webinar ’How to Change a Lightbulb: LED Lighting for Museums’: https://www.connectingtocollections.org/how-to-change-a-lightbulb/
– Example of the handheld monitor we talk about: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Catalogue/Instruments/UV-Light-Monitors/UV-Light-Monitor
– ‘Spread or Sacrifice: Dilemma for Lighting Policies’ by Agnes Brokerhof, Pieter Kuiper & Steph Scholten: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00393630.2018.1504439
– Hampton Court Palace and Smart Tint: https://shop.smarttint.com/Hampton-Court-Palace-Smart-Tint-Inc_b_1058.html
– Museum Lighting – A Guide for Conservators and Curators: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Museum-Lighting-Guide-Conservators-Curators/dp/1606066374 or https://shop.getty.edu/products/museum-lighting-a-guide-for-conservators-and-curators-978-1606066379
– Go follow Amanda Richards for more conservation cocktails: https://twitter.com/ConserveItAll

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Sarah Potter.

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, 2020.

We get philosophical about gap filling and loss compensation in various conservation disciplines: why do we do it and how far do we take it? Kloe interviews Ellie Sweetnam about disruptive conservation and boldly coloured fills, and Jenny reviews ’Pottery and Porcelain Restoration’ by Roger Hawkins. Also join us for a tipple at the Benchwork Bar, and an emotional Dear Jane with a guest contribution from Nerys Rudder.

00:01:14 So is it gap filling or loss compensation, guys?
00:11:34 Does emotion come into play?
00:15:20 Interview with Ellie Sweetnam
00:28:19 Visibility and ethics
00:34:58 Techniques and materials
00:39:51 Damage as something good
00:45:48 Can we enjoy repairs?
00:49:08 Review: ‘Pottery and Porcelain Restoration – A Practical Guide’
00:54:05 Dear Jane
01:05:31 Comments, questions, and corrections
01:06:03 Benchwork Bar: Pulp Fill

Show Notes:
– ’Are Attic Vases Archaeological?’ by Rozeik, Dawson and Wrapson: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/sic.2010.55.Supplement-2.24
– ‘Thinking outside the box: the re-conservation of a ceramic Clazomenian sarcophagus in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge’ by Christina Rozeik: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19455224.2011.557000
– Crap Taxidermy: https://crappytaxidermy.com/
– Kintsugi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi
– Museums Are Not Neutral: https://artstuffmatters.wordpress.com/museums-are-not-neutral/
– Painting of The Bronte Sisters: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00797/The-Bront-Sisters-Anne-Bront-Emily-Bront-Charlotte-Bront
– Visible mending: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko
– Pottery and Porcelain Restoration – A Practical Guide: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pottery-Porcelain-Restoration-Practical-Guide/dp/1785006754/
– Full statement by Nerys Rudder: https://thecword.show/podcast/Your_Memories_are_Short_and_You_Havent_Been_Listening%20.pdf
– Being Black in the Arts and Heritage Sector by Ashleigh Brown: https://icon.org.uk/news/being-black-in-the-arts-and-heritage-sector-paper-conservator-ashleigh-brown-offers-a
– Thread from Museum Detox: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1268230499098603521.html
– Michelle Silverthorn: https://twitter.com/inwithmichelle
– Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/
– Go follow Amanda Richards for more conservation cocktails: https://twitter.com/ConserveItAll

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Christina Rozeik.

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, 2020.

We’re joined by special guest host Erika Lewis as we talk about the role of technicians, and how conservators and techs work hand in hand (or glove in glove). How do we best work together and what might that look like in different situations? Also tune in for an Exhibit Opener with Amanda at the Benchwork Bar and a book review from Jenny.

00:54 What are technicians?
08:03 Where can we find them?
16:31 Qualifications and such
17:22 Communicating with employers
25:55 Sexism rears its ugly head
29:50 Nurturing your patience
37:02 The perks
39:23 Review: ’Sidney Nolan – The Artists’ Materials’
42:45 Benchwork Bar: The Exhibit Opener
45:38 Comments, questions, corrections – and an addendum!

Show Notes:
– Art technicians as defined by CVAN: http://www.cvan.art/cc-skills-technician-gallery
– Find Erika Lewis here: https://www.instagram.com/thatslifesnoopy/
– Getting a forklift license: https://www.get-licensed.co.uk/licence/forklift-licence
– IPAF training: https://www.ipaf.org/en-gb/ipaf-training
– The PAL card: https://www.ipaf.org/en-gb/pal-card
– Art Tech Space: https://www.arttechspace.com/
– Sidney Nolan – The Artists’ Materials: https://shop.getty.edu/products/sidney-nolan-the-artist-s-materials-978-1606065945 or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sidney-Nolan-Materials-Paul-Dredge/dp/1606065947
– Go follow Amanda Richards for more conservation cocktails: https://twitter.com/ConserveItAll
– Conservation & Collections Care Technicians Diploma: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/conservation-collections-care-technicians-diploma

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Erika Lewis.

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, 2020.

Grab your lab coats and don your goggles: we’re taking a closer look at analysis and its role in conservation! Between us we compare notes on heritage science and reflect on some of our experiences. We talk to Sophie Rowe about curiosity and funny smells, Dr Paola Ricciardi about non-invasive techniques, and Rob McLeod about everything from how to talk about science to cool equipment. Don’t forget to join Amanda at the Benchwork Bar for a Ray Gun cocktail (or mocktail) on your way out!

00:00:30 News in brief
00:03:45 Our forays into analysis
00:22:09 Interview with Sophie Rowe
00:37:40 We clearly need a low cost hub for analysis
00:39:46 Interview with Dr Paola Ricciardi
01:01:14 CT scanning adventures
01:03:35 How much?!
01:06:57 How useful is the work of scientists to conservators?
01:14:42 Interview with Rob McLeod
01:26:56 Benchwork Bar: The Ray Gun
01:29:32 Questions, comments, corrections: article attribution

Show Notes:
– Icon Emerging Professionals Network’s Call for Projects: https://icon.org.uk/groups/emerging-professionals-network/news-events-and-resources
– Material Characterization Tests for Objects of Art and Archaeology: https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/material-characterization-tests/?id=217
– Using UV Light in Conservation: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/Blog-Posts/Using-UV-light-in-conservation
– Raman spectroscopy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raman_spectroscopy
– Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier-transform_infrared_spectroscopy
– Scanning electron microscopy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_electron_microscope
– X-radiography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiography_of_cultural_objects
– Digital microscopy: https://www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/Blog-Posts/Digital-Microscopes-in-Conservation
– Heritage Smells: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/heritage/research/projects/project-archive/heritage-smells
– Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_chromatography%E2%80%93mass_spectrometry
– Miniare project: http://www.miniare.org/
– Multispectral imaging: https://chsopensource.org/multispectral-imaging-system/
– X-ray fluorescence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_fluorescence
– Reflectance difference spectroscopy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflectance_difference_spectroscopy
– Digitization without Disruption (webinar with Dr David Mills): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQxkyagkg8k&feature=emb_title
– Thin-Layer Chromatography for Binding Media Analysis: https://www.getty.edu/publications/virtuallibrary/0892363908.html
– Polarizing Microscopy: https://chsopensource.org/microscopy-for-art-examination-polarizing-microscopy/
– Natural History Museum science department: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science.html
– Conservation Cocktails by Amanda Richards: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/arichards123/conservation-cocktails/
– ‘Novel ways of communicating museum pest monitoring data: practical implementation’ by Christian Baars and Jane Henderson: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/129741/
– ‘Standardizing and communicating IPM data’ by Jane Henderson, Christian Baars, and Sally Elizabeth Hopkins: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/129738/

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Christina Rozeik.

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, 2020.

We sneak a peek in the blunder traps with special guest host Jane Thompson-Webb as we explore the topic of insect pests in and around collections and the sticky world of integrated pest management (IPM). Tune in for some fantastic listener contributions about pest encounters, an interview about the Emergency Conservators Network, and a new feature — the Benchwork Bar!

00:01:41 What are our dealings with insect pests?
00:10:30 What do you do with the data, anyway?
00:20:58 Horror stories (aka Jenny’s therapy session)
00:26:59 Contributions from listeners
00:41:07 To squish or not to squish?
00:44:25 What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever found in a trap?
00:45:46 Treatment options
00:53:36 More resources
01:04:13 Interview with Abigail Bainbridge
01:10:00 Benchwork Bar: The Carpet Beetle

Show Notes:
– What’s Eating Your Collection: http://www.whatseatingyourcollection.com/
– English Heritage pest ID poster: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/learn/conservation/science/serpentine/insect-pests-historic-houses-poster.pdf
– Accompanying pest monitoring tools from English Heritage: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/conservation/collections-advice-and-guidance/
– ‘Trends in effective communication of integrated pest management data’ by Jane Henderson, Christian Baars, and Sally Elizabeth Hopkins: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319625017_Trends_in_effective_communication_of_integrated_pest_management_data
– ‘Novel ways of communicating museum pest monitoring data: practical implementation’ by Christian Baars and Jane Henderson: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/129741/
– ‘Standardizing and communicating IPM data’ by Jane Henderson, Christian Baars, and Sally Elizabeth Hopkins: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/129738/
– Food episode: https://thecword.show/2017/11/29/s02e08-food/
– Kloe’s pro tip litter pickers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=litter+picker&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
– Museum Pests: https://museumpests.net/
– Conference procedures from IPM for Cultural Heritage 2019: https://www.raa.se/samhallsutveckling/riskhantering-och-katastrofberedskap/amnesomraden/skadedjur-och-mogel/integrated-pest-management-for-cultural-heritage-ipm-2019/
– Pests in Houses Great and Small: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pests-Houses-Great-Small-Identification/dp/1910907243
– Help the Emergency Conservators Network stitch for the NHS: https://icon.org.uk/news/icon-member-and-bpg-chair-abigail-bainbridge-acr-stitching-for-the-nhs
– Emergency Design Network fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-designer-network
– Go follow Amanda Richards for more conservation cocktails: https://twitter.com/ConserveItAll

Support us on Patreon!

Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Jane Thompson-Webb.

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, 2020.