Anna Plowden Trust News

Anna Plowden Prize for research and innovation in conservation

For the fourth time, in 2007 the Trust offered a national prize (£2,500) for successful innovation in conservation. The prize is presented for the best completed programme of research or development aimed at furthering the knowledge and practice of conservation.

This can include:
• research aimed at furthering the understanding of materials, their technology of production and their conservation
• the development of materials, equipment, systems or techniques for improved conservation and collections care, examination, analysis, treatment or monitoring.

The judges were Trustees Jane McAusland and William Plowden.
The 2007 shortlist comprised three very interesting and very
different projects.


Professor Norman Tennent, Fyne Conservation Services, and Dr James Nobbs, University of Leeds Colour-Matching for Ceramic Conservation

The work undertaken for this project was designed to tackle and overcome the issue of “metamerism” in ceramics conservation. Metamerism is the phenomenon by which two colours appear the same under one set of lighting conditions but different in other illumination. This gives rise to one of the most troublesome, widespread problems in the conservation of glazed ceramics. Conservators often find that the results of in-painting of missing areas of glaze is invisible in the lighting conditions (often daylight) of the conservation studio but is very obvious and disturbing under display lighting set-ups. The problem also occurs during photography for museum catalogues or other publications – the photographs of restored areas often appear very obvious in photographs even when invisible to the naked eye. The solution was the production of a computer programme for colour match prediction in the dye and pigment industry that enabled the researchers to categorise pigments best suited for ceramic conservation work.


Dr James Tate, National Museums Scotland, and Dr Laurianne Robinet, The University of Edinburgh and The Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris

New Light on Ancient Glass: development of Raman spectroscopy

This research establishes a new methodology for non-destructive assessment of the condition and alteration of historic glasses. Glass has long been a highly prized material for artists, craftsmen and designers, and museum collections of historic glasses are cherished. But glass is not always a stable material. Alkali silicate glass often forms liquid or crystalline corrosion products, sometimes accompanied by cracking and flaking of the surface, thus losing much of its visual impact. The problem is widespread in museum collections, although not always recognised. For remedial and preventive conservation of these glasses, knowledge about the thickness and structure of the
altered surface is essential. Until now this information could only be gained after sampling of the glass, an approach which is unacceptable for most historical objects. The solution discovered by this project was the use of ‘Raman’ spectroscopy, which enables the conservator to determine the molecular composition of a ceramic objects non-destructively.


David Watkinson and Mark Lewis, Cardiff University Dry storage of chloride-infested iron

The preservation of chloride-infested iron objects is a longstanding problem within world archaeological and historical heritage. While chloride accelerates iron corrosion, its removal is challenging, unpredictable and often damaging to the object
undergoing treatment. An alternative approach is dry storage of iron to prevent the formation of chloride electrolyte solutions necessary for corrosion to occur. The focus of this project was Brunel’s pioneering steamship Great Britain, now in dry-dock in Bristol.

Research was carried out to establish how dry the atmosphere surrounding chloride contaminated iron must be to prevent corrosion and how fast corrosion proceeds in environments that support it. This was achieved by identifying the role of two corrosion products capable of corroding iron in contact with them, even when the surrounding atmosphere is quite dry. The outcome was the construction of a giant climate-controlled chamber sealed by a glass ‘sea’ on which the ship appears to float, and to which visitors are admitted, by an airlock, to view the hull.

All three projects had many ‘plus points’. But one in particular seemed to the judges to exemplify the principles which underlie the work of the Anna Plowden Trust. Anna, though she had great respect for the work done by the large public organisations and those who worked there, was herself in private practice and particularly sensitive to the needs, and the achievements, of private conservators, especially younger ones. In our grantmaking we have focused on this part of the sector in particular.

The same principles can be applied to the present award. One of the three projects had been developed in collaboration between a conservation scientist, university researchers and a practising private conservator. The outcome was a service which will be available on request to conservators everywhere. We decided to award the Anna Plowden Award for Innovation in Conservation, 2007, to Professor Norman Tennent and Dr James Nobbs.

 

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