In this article, three recent graduates in book and paper conservation report on the value of graduate internships and advocate for more opportunities. They reflect on their personal experiences of internships at the British Library, Chester Beatty and Getty Research Institute. Results from a survey and questionnaire on graduate internships in the UK and Ireland between 2010 and 2020 are shared and discussed. In particular, the authors note a lack of longer-term recurring internship programmes. Four main aspects shared across the graduate internship experience are highlighted: projects, mentorship, continued professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration. Conscious integration of these elements within an internship structure increases learning potential. The authors conclude that there is an ongoing need for paid graduate internships as they are a key entry route for emerging conservators joining the profession and offer significant benefits to host institutions.

The concept of wellbeing has blossomed in recent years. While discussion of wellbeing has a longer lineage in economics, it is now a popular area of concern in cultural studies. The subject has seen special focus on mental and physical health, but also cultural identity, sense of belonging, and in emotional and spiritual connections to tangible or intangible heritage. Because the values-based application of wellbeing strengthens the argument for people-centred approaches and community empowerment, some museums are increasingly integrating the concept to justify their purpose and set their objectives within their administration and collections care. This article aims to analyse the scope and meaning of wellbeing as mobilised in four cultural institutions located in New Zealand and Scotland given that each country has committed to having a wellbeing policy framework at the national level.

Prismatic lead white was first described by Walter C. McCrone in 1983 when it was identified via polarised light microscopy in three paintings by Edouard Manet. It is characterised by crystals in the shape of bullets or pills (i.e. prism-shaped, hence ‘prismatic lead white’). McCrone attributed the formation of these crystals, morphologically distinct from those of ‘normal’ lead white, to processing conditions characteristic of precipitated lead white. These ‘prismatic’ crystals have subsequently been identified as cerussite (orthorhombic lead carbonate, PbCO3). Their presence has been tentatively used to date artworks painted from the nineteenth century onwards. The article will show, through reproducing historic pigment recipes of post-treatments, that prismatic lead white can also be formed in the stack lead white process and so its presence should not be used as a criterion for dating. This article investigates the formation of these prismatic crystals in the context of the manufacture and history of lead white.

Lamination is a conservation treatment used to strengthen fragile paper objects by mending tears and losses and providing reinforcement—thereby facilitating handling—and to protect objects from deterioration due to environmental factors. Over the course of time, conservators have used various materials for lamination, including silk, cellulose acetate and heat-set tissues, such as area bonded fibre (ABF). ABF was applied extensively to maps, printed books and manuscripts in the National Library of Scotland (the Library) in the 1970s and 1980s, and anecdotal evidence suggests it was also used in some of the other larger libraries and archives in the UK and Europe. However, by the end of the twentieth century it had fallen out of favour as concerns grew over whether the treatment was appropriate, fuelled by visible evidence that ABF deteriorated as it aged. This paper describes a research project aimed at developing a quick and efficient method of removing ABF from documents and maps at the Library. It was found that removal of ABF with mechanical methods only is not feasible and that the use of an organic solvent is required, with acetone proving the most effective. For economic and health and safety reasons, it would be preferable to use acetone in small and controlled quantities, for example in a gel or for blotter washing, but this slows down the treatment and increases the risk that the media will shift or paper fibres will be removed, making immersion washing the safest option in general, particularly for large format items.

This article describes methods for producing 3D printed models of pathological conditions observed in archaeological and historical human skeletal remains. The intent is to produce models that can effectively substitute for fragile human skeletal remains or remains not freely available because of ethical or political considerations. The methods produce models that vary in their degrees of accuracy, from simple replicas of gross morphology to those that show the same characteristics as the original under, for example, X-radiography. In one instance the models—unlike the original computed tomography (CT) scans—proved invaluable in confirming a diagnosis. Brief details of techniques are provided, along with results of qualitative tests on model robusticity. The printed models are more robust than the originals allowing for their use in teaching and exhibition settings. Proposals for further work aimed at improving the printing process and the accuracy of the models are also provided.

"Volatile Organic Compounds and the Conservation of Inorganic Materials." Journal of the Institute of Conservation, 41(1), pp. 90–91

Abstract Research on protection systems for cased daguerreotypes was initiated in 2015, with the aim of developing a tertiary housing system that accommodated the special features and vulnerabilities of daguerreotypes. The main objective was to develop a housing system that takes into account the whole object in its functionality and original structure, while allowing for its handling and viewing without increasing the risk of its damage by such manipulation. Existing tertiary housing systems for cased daguerreotypes were examined, as well as the deterioration patterns and housing materials of daguerreotypes and this article presents prototypes designed and developed from these studies in the first two phases of this ongoing research. In the first phase three prototypes of a new Structural Housing System (SHS) were developed. The SHS is designed to strengthen the first line of defence of the daguerreotype, the case, and protect it during handling and viewing thereby mitigating the risk of further deteriora...

"Polychrome Sculpture: Meaning, Form, Conservation." Journal of the Institute of Conservation, 40(3), pp. 272–273