Anna Plowden Trust News

Profile raising grant awarded to Jewish Museum

Kate Colleran and the Jewish Museum in London were the first recipients of an Anna Plowden Trust grant for raising the profile of conservation with the general public. The grant related to the conservation of a unique 18th century megillah, made of vellum and silk that took nearly two years to restore, and enabled the museum to install four educational panels about the conservation process. These have been particularly useful during several Conservation Open Days at the Museum which have attracted large and enthusiastic audiences.

A megillah is a scroll that tells the story of Esther and Mordecai (from the Book of Esther) and it is read in the synagogue during the festival of Purim in the early spring. This megillah has lost its case and years of unrolling and re-rolling had caused serious damage. Conservators were asked to retain all original material, restore the missing parts, return the scroll to its original format and devise secure storage.

Small torn areas of the cut-outs were secured with strips of Japanese paper while larger areas were replaced with toned new vellum cut into matching patterns. Missing areas of the silk were replaced using toned habutai while weak areas were supported with colour matched silk crepeline.

Soft pads were constructed and slipped over new wooden rollers to allow safe rolling and handling. A drop back box was constructed with an internal pull out tray that allows the scroll to be suspended on the ends of the rollers thus preventing pressure on the megillah itself.

Conservation was carried out by paper conservators Kate Colleran, Katerina Powell and Dunja St Cyr, textile conservator Helen Bacchus, and book conservator Elizabeth Neville who constructed the box.

 

Fundraising and Donations

Since the Trust started its activities in 1999, it has distributed nearly a quarter of a million pounds in grants in support of its programmes. We have assisted around 70 students to train in conservation skills in some of the leading British conservation training institutions by contributing towards their tuition fees. We have assisted over 50 working conservators to add to or update their skills through attendance at short courses or conferences in the UK and overseas. Some of this has been in support of teachers, thereby multiplying the impact of the training received. We have also funded a one year internship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, awarded four prizes for innovation in conservation, provided financial help to support the convergence of the UK professional conservation bodies and initiated a programme to publicise successful conservation projects.

The Trust’s activities are funded entirely from donations, initially from Anna’s friends and family. To continue our work we need on-going funding. We would welcome contributions from you to one of the specific programmes listed on this page or towards our activities as a whole. Any amount is welcome and will help directly towards developing conservation skills and awareness. For example, our grants have included a sum of less than £100 to help a conservator attend a training course, £3,000 to assist with fees for a full-time conservation qualification and £11,000 for a year’s internship at a national museum. Donations are not used for the Trust’s running costs (which are minimal).

If you would like to make a donation, please send a cheque made payable to the Anna Plowden Trust, to Francis Plowden, 4 Highbury Road, London SW19 7PR. You might also consider remembering the Trust’s work in your will.

info@annaplowdentrust.org.uk
www.annaplowdentrust.org.uk