sustaining your heritage

25 years ... and 25 iconic projects

2011-09-04T19:49:00.000+10:00

25 years ago today marks the day that Julian Bickersteth founded International Conservation Services (ICS). Well, not quite, in that it was originally called Campbell Conservation before morphing into ICS in 1991. Back in 1986 a wonderful man called Chick Campbell, who owned and ran the Campbell Group, was prepared to back Julian's idea that there was an opportunity in the Australian market for a privately-run multi-disciplinary fine arts conservation business, and the rest, as they say, is history.

At ICS, we've chosen to acknowledge and celebrate our past 25 years of conservation in a number of ways. One of the ways, as is obvious by the image at the beginning of this post, has been with a commemorative logo. We'll also be celebrating with our staff, and with the Australian conservation community, over the next couple of months.

But one of our most enjoyable, and interesting, exercises earlier this year was to identify 25 iconic projects that ICS has completed over the past quarter of a century. Selecting them was very difficult - and we cheated a bit in the end! A few of the 'projects' are more like relationships - where we have carried out a range of projects over many years for a single client or institution, including Old Parliament House in Canberra, and the National Trust of Australia (NSW).

Then there are projects where we contributed to the conservation of a significant heritage place. These projects include the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, the Parramatta Justice Precinct and the Sydney Harbour YHA (Big Dig in Cumberland Street, The Rocks).

We've also included projects where we developed new conservation techniques (Childrens' Chapel, St James), acquired new skills, or ventured into new fields of work.

And of course, there is one of the first projects worked on by Julian Bickersteth when he started the business in 1986 - co-ordinating the ‘Treasures of the Holy See' exhibition from the Vatican for Expo 88 in Brisbane.

All of the projects and objects we work on have stories to tell. But the projects we've selected as our 25 iconic projects have particularly interesting stories to tell, and they are special ICS stories that we treasure.

Visit our website to discover more about our 25 iconic projects.

David West
Executive Director
internationalconservationservices

raising a toast to heritage

2010-10-20T14:25:00.003+11:00

For regular readers of this blog, you'll know that our conservators work hard, often on painstakingly repetitive tasks. And so at the end of the week, there is often cause to celebrate in the timeworn Australian tradition. With a cold beer or a glass of wine.

But for the past couple of years, we have actually been working with one of Australia's iconic beverage businesses to help them manage their heritage collections. This blog is about our work with Foster's Group.

When you hear the name Foster's, you almost certainly think of “beer” or “wine” – you probably don’t think “heritage collection”. However, Foster’s has an impressive heritage collection, built up over the years by its various brands, some of which trace their history back nearly 200 years.

Foster’s is proud of its heritage and its heritage collection, and is keen to see the collection survive well into the future. With this in mind, we have been working with Foster’s over the past two years to progressively document and catalogue their collection. This is an ongoing process, as Foster's operate from many sites across Australia (and the US).

There are a number of reasons behind Foster’s decision to go through this process, including their desire to ensure that their heritage collection is managed appropriately, and that measures are in place to keep track of heritage material. Another driving factor behind this process is Foster’s desire to capture information relating to their brand portfolio, including brands which are no longer owned by them, and brands which no longer exist. This information is an important part of the history of any organisation, as an understanding of the past provides a blueprint for the future.

Fire extinguisher from Penfolds collection, SA

Timber hand cart from Wynns Coonawarra collection, SA

Painted mirror from the Seppelts Great Western collection, VIC

But despite what you may think, the Foster’s heritage collection does not just contain wine bottles and beer cans (although there are quite a lot of them!). The collection includes wine and beer making equipment, documents, advertising and promotional material, photographs, artworks, furniture, trophies and awards, old ledgers, vehicles, barrels and kegs ... and of course, bottles and cans.

Cataloguing and documenting a collection is an important step in the care and management of any collection, and Foster’s, although not a “traditional” collecting institution, is no exception to this. At each site we visit, we issue an accession (or catalogue) number for each item identified as belonging to their heritage collection, and record details such as name, accession number, description, measurements, condition, significance and brands. We also photograph (3D objects) and/or scan (2D objects) each item.

Ensuring you have a well-documented and catalogued collection is important, as it allows you to have a thorough understanding of what is in your collection and where it is. It also helps to you to keep track of your collection, and makes it easier to discover any losses or thefts from your collection which may unfortunately occur. As each organisation and institution is different, and so is each heritage collection, the type of data captured during the cataloguing process will differ. Each cataloguing project we undertake is definitely a unique experience!

Court Oakes
from the Cascade Brewery collection, TAS

The team working with Foster’s on this exciting project has found it to be both fascinating and enjoyable. Each site we have visited brings us new stories and anecdotes about the collection and items within it. We’ve learnt quite a bit! One of the stories we were told at the Cascade Brewery involved a young Errol Flynn, prior to his swashbuckling days, who used to trespass on the forest land owned by the Brewery, and was often marched back home by Cascade’s ground ranger, former boxer Court Oakes. There is a photograph of Errol as a boy on display in the Museum. Another story from Cascade tells the tale of Fatty Appleton, a worker at Cascade in the early 1900s, who became famous for being able to lift two barrels of beer at the same time. Quite a feat!

Fatty Appleton
from the Cascade Brewery collection, TAS

Erin Watson

Collection Manager

International Conservation Services

sydney statues project

2010-09-26T22:05:00.000+10:00

As conservators, we receive a wide range of requests to assist with many unusual activities associated with cultural and heritage objects. The Sydney Statues Project which comprises part of Art and About Sydney 2010 was one of these unusual requests.

"We want to dress some of the bronzes in the City", said the voice on the phone, "Can you help us make sure we don't accidentally cause any damage to the statues?". And so we became involved in this unusual project to make us look anew at the historic statues dotted around the City of Sydney.

We've worked on many of these statues at various times over the past two decades, undertaking a variety of conservation and maintenance works to the bronze statues and to the stone plinths they rest on. We've treated corrosion, we've cleaned them and we've rewaxed them. We've repaired vandalism, removed graffiti, and had small portions of the statues recast after they'd been damaged or stolen. We've even temporarily relocated some of them, whether to permit other works to occur in the area, or so that the statue could be incorporated in an exhibition of the sculptor's work. And so we have a pretty good understanding of the issues associated with care of these bronzes.

So we agreed to work with Michelle McCosker, Imogen Semmler and Alasdair Nicol to help them with their daring Sydney Statues Project. We worked through a risk analysis and assessment process with them, to identify the most significant risks to the statues. We developed a methodology for testing and treating the many different fabrics selected by the individual artists so as to minimise risks arising from the colour fastness or flammability of the fabrics. We advised on methods of installing the costumes, and reviewed the artists' designs to identify any particular risks arising from the design concepts.

And today, I visited the city and saw the statues in their new (albeit temporary) finery. I chanced upon one of the organised tours - involving performers as tour guides - I'm looking forward to taking one of the tours to get yet another perspective on the statues!!

One of the things I most love about this project is the intent behind it. We know that one of the essential components of conserving our heritage is communicating the stories about the objects to the public. And the Sydney Statues Project does this in a new and fresh way, giving us all the opportunity to experience the significance embodied in these statues froma different perspective. Or simply to reconnect with something we had taken for granted. International Conservation Services is proud to be associated with this creative approach to sharing the stories of our cultural heritage.

David West

International Conservation Services

relaying a 19th Century tiled floor

2010-09-23T14:18:00.000+10:00

We've just spent the past three months on our hands and knees in the Great Synagogue in Sydney. And the result is that the tiled floor to the central portion of the Synagogue is now fully functional again.

Laid with geometric and encaustic ceramic tiles on a cement mortar bed over a timber-framed floor in 1885, the floor had seen 125 years of services.

Unsurprisingly, particularly given the structural alterations carried out beneath the Synagogue in the 1950s, some areas of the ceramic tiling were badly disrupted, with tiles cracked, loose and missing.

Over the past few years, we have been working with Peter Phillips of Orwell & Peter Phillips, Honorary Architect to the Great Synagogue, and Simon Wiltshier, structural engineer from Hughes Trueman, to investigate the problem and develop an appropriate conservation solution.

The recent works were undertaken in two phases. First, structural interventions were undertaken to provide additional support to the timber floor structure. This work was completed from beneath the floor without requiring any disruption within the Synagogue. The second phase saw us progressively lifting and relaying the ceramic tiles.

We carried out the work so that each Friday afternoon we could vacate the Synagogue, leaving only a small area of the floor and a limited number of pews discreetly barricaded off. Each Monday morning, we would open up new areas ready for the week's work. We also stopped work several times each week during scheduled tours of the Great Synagogue.

We had previously procured replacement geometric and encaustic ceramic tiles for those missing or broken or excessively worn. These replacement tiles came from Maw & Co, the English company which had manufactured the original tiles installed in 1885. Needless to say, the limited number of replacements (5-10% of the total) and our work to lift and relay the floor cost rather more than the complete cost of the original tiles - the Great Synagogue's records show that the tiles originally cost £344/1/4 (three hundred and forty four pounds, one shilling and four pence), whilst the tiling cost £100.

We also worked with the specialist supplier of conservation materials, Westox, to develop a cementitious mortar that would be as close as possible to the original mix used to lay the tiles. The composition of Portland cement has changed significantly since 1878, and it is now much stronger and chemically different to then. The mix we developed used a combination of modern Portland cement and pozzolans to reduce the strength and shift the composition and characteristics of the mortar back closer to the 1870s Portland cement based mix in the original floor.

Other challenges included:

how to integrate the replacement tiles with the original tiles
resolving variations in the dimensional tolerances of the tiles and original joint widths
lifting and refixing the timber pews

We successfully relaid the floor in the time available to us, and based on our recent post-completion inspection, the floor stood up to all that the large wedding held a few days after we finished work could throw at it ... including breaking glass!

David West
International Conservation Services

from the archives #01: sudan war mural, petersham

2010-06-21T14:26:00.001+10:00

For some time, I've been contemplating revisiting some of our past projects for this blog. With nearly 25 years of conservation work recorded in our archives, there are many fascinating places to visit and stories to share with you. Last week, I received news about one of our past projects that was a catalyst for this post, the first in an infrequent series to be entitled "from the archives".

The Sudan War mural, with then owner, Keith Sutton

Over the weekend, a shop-terrace at 36 Terminus Street, Petersham was sold at auction. This building is unique because in the main front room, two of the walls are covered with a mural comprising 27 life-sized or larger caricature sketches dating from 1888.

Many of the caricatures depict military and political figures associated with the Sudan War of 1885, including General Charles Gordon, Governor Loftus (and his chicken) and Ned Kelly.

Governor Loftus and his chicken

Ned Kelly

We were responsible for the conservation work to this mural in 2003. The owner, Keith Sutton, was able to commission this work as a result of receiving grant funding from the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage. He had originally discovered the mural whilst removing the existing wallpaper (and overpaint layers) during a renovation of the property.

Condition of mural prior to conservation works

This property is listed on the Register of the National Estate, highlighting the significance of the mural.

You can read more about our work on this mural on our website, or understand the owners' story about the journey he has followed after discovering this mural in the lead article of the May 2004 edition of the Blue Pencil.

David West
International Conservation Services

a window into our domestic past

2010-06-16T21:47:00.002+10:00

Whilst a proportion of our work involves objects of high artistic value, we also work on many objects with substantial historic significance. Sometimes this historic significance resides with the object itself. At other times, the significance arises because the object is part of a larger collection.

The textiles we have been treating from Calthorpes’ House in Canberra, a historic house museum under the care of ACT Historic Places, are an example of the latter. My particular interest in this project was triggered by our work on the leather pouffe from this collection, which reminded me of the pouffe that was a favourite item of furniture in my early childhood. But more about that later. The story about this collection of textiles from Calthorpes’ House is much more interesting than that.

Calthorpes’ House, in Mugga Way, Red Hill, is significant as an example of one of the many styles of architecture in Canberra during the city’s fledgling years. It is one of the few houses from that time with all of its original features remaining, including its gardens and sheds. But the most significant aspect of Calthorpes’ House is that the furniture and other contents of the house are virtually unchanged, much of it dating back to the original occupation of the house in July 1927. The ACT Historic Places website says “Calthorpes’ House is a window into an almost forgotten world … this genuine survivor is a treasure house of domestic history.”

Owned and occupied by Harry and Dell Calthorpe from 1927 until Mrs Calthorpe’s death in 1979, the house remains a significant feature in the historic fabric of Canberra, providing an example of how one family grew and changed with the times over a period of 50 years. Mrs Calthorpe was particularly careful with her possessions, and whilst changes were made, many of the objects were kept and repaired and continued to be used.

Recently, we undertook a condition assessment of all of the textiles in the collection at Calthorpes’ House, comprising over 500 objects in total. We were then commissioned to undertake conservation treatments on a number of the historic soft furnishings, including curtains, lampshades, a bedspread, bolster cushion and a pouffe, all of which appear to be original to the House.

Detail of pouffe surface, showing the faded colours

One of the much-loved features of the Calthorpes’ House Breakfast Room is a leather and early plastic pouffe (stuffed footstool or ottoman). The exact date of purchase of this pouffe is unknown. When it was new, it would have been a mix of vibrant red, maroon and bright green leather, however the colours have faded over time, and they are now a mix of maroon, red and tan. In addition to fading surface colours, the zipper had been damaged, and several seams had spilt. It was definitely in need of some attention from a conservator!

Detail of split seam on pouffe prior to treatment

Treatment on the pouffe began, with the split seams and broken zipper being repaired. Unfortunately, light damage cannot be reversed, meaning that nothing could be done about the fading colours on the surface of the footstool.

As the treatment progressed, a surprise emerged: the stuffing of the footstool comprised a variety of different clothing and textile items from the House! We knew they originally came from the House because they had tags with “Calthorpes” sewn onto them. Items found to be inside the footstool included carpet off-cuts, pyjamas, skirts, baby’s clothes, doll’s clothes, socks and even an outdoor summer tent! The clothes contained inside the pouffe reflect the styles of a bygone era, possibly discarded by the family as they had been outgrown or did not conform with the fashions of the day.

And this is where my childhood memories come in, because I recall that the pouffe in our home was also stuffed with oddments of fabric and clothing. These made it heavy, and awkward to handle, but also meant that when you sat on it or rested your feet on it, you could settle into position and then it would not move.

The question is – were the discarded Calthorpes’ clothes in their pouffe the original stuffing of an object acquired at a later date? Or were they a later stuffing of the pouffe after the original stuffing was no longer functional?

Objects found inside the pouffe (a) outdoor summer tent (b) pyjama top

All of the items removed from inside the pouffe were cleaned and re-housed in textile boxes, and a custom-made Dacron insert fitted in place of the clothing insert. The Dacron insert makes the footstool lighter and easier to maneuver, and will also allow it to keep its shape better.

In addition to the pouffe, a number of lace and velvet curtains were also treated. These curtains originated from the Sitting Room, Dining Room, Breakfast Room and Bedroom 1. All of the velvet curtains and pelmets in the House are original, however many of the lace curtains are reproductions, with the originals having been stored to reduce further damage.

It is interesting to note that all of the lace curtains on the windows are reproductions, while the lace curtains on internal doors are original. This demonstrates the effect light can have on sensitive items, as the window curtains, although reproductions, were in worse condition than the original curtains still hanging on internal doors, which are protected from extended exposure to light. The window curtains had yellowed considerably, and had numerous tears and pulls. There was also a faint smoke/nicotine odour. The internal door curtains had similar damage, although they were not as badly damaged as those on the windows.

Lace curtain during treatment

Each of the lace curtains removed for treatment was washed, lined and couched before being returned to their original locations.

The velvet curtains and pelmets underwent a similar treatment to that of the lace curtains, although they were only surface cleaned, not washed, due to their fragile nature. A number of the curtains underwent stain reduction treatments, and many of the corners were repaired where they had frayed. The braids and tassels were also stabilised and repaired where possible.

Decorative tassel during treatment

ACT Historic Places has a conservation policy for Calthorpes’ House which is based on conserving objects in their current state, rather than restoring them to original (or close to original) condition. As a result, alterations to the building fabric and its contents are kept to a minimum, and are undertaken in order to keep the House and its contents in a stable condition, and as close to their state when the House was acquired in 1984 as possible. To that end, our treatments on the pouffe and curtains were minimal, and were aimed at stabilising the damage, rather than restoring the objects to their original condition.

David West and Erin Watson
International Conservation Services

the value of recognition

2010-05-05T16:18:00.001+10:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reflecting on the value of recognition; and in particular, the recognition that arises from awards. In the heritage conservation sector in NSW, the annual Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards are the most prominent; a range of professional organisations include a heritage award within their annual awards (e.g. the Australian Institute of Architects' annual Lachlan Macquarie Award); and an increasing number of local governments hold annual heritage awards.

All of these awards programs have several things in common:

They promote best practice in heritage conservation
They recognise and acknowledge the work involved in achieving good heritage conservation outcomes
They publicise the efforts of owners of heritage items or places, and of the participants in the heritage conservation process

And of course, because awards have to be presented, they usually provide an opportunity for members of the sector to gather together and share experiences.

The catalyst for my reflection on the value of heritage awards was the recognition given to several projects that International Conservation Services has contributed to over the past couple of years at the 2010 Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards presented at the Westin Hotel in Sydney on 12 April 2010.

Christ Church, Bong Bong
Award, Conservation of Built Heritage

Dunbar Anchor
Award, Maritime Heritage

Royal Botanic Gardens Heritage Statuary Conservation
Commendation, Conservation of Built Heritage

Sydney Harbour YHA, The Rocks
Commendation, Development

But the real purpose of this blog post was to reflect on how we can all do better at sharing the knowledge, the skills, the experience, and the conservation outcomes, that derive from these award-winning projects.

First and foremost, we need to promote the awards. We need to tell stories about the awards, and about the award-winning projects. We need the winners of the awards to post the information on their websites, send newsletters and emails about the awards, and not be shy about promoting the news that they received an award. Why? Because publicity about the awards builds interest and builds recognition that the award winning projects represent a benchmark, a level of practice that is desirable and that is achievable.

Secondly, we need to share stories about the work that was done on the projects that were awarded. We need to publish the reports (online preferably); create photo galleries (online again); give presentations and tours; tell stories about the challenges, the successes, and the failures (yes, the failures) that occurred in the course of completing these award-winning projects. Sharing these experiences will help us all develop our skills, and disseminate the knowledge that will help more of us do better work more of the time.

Finally, we need to encourage our peers, our partners, our clients, our consultants and our contractors to nominate their projects for awards. At International Conservation Services, we have been nominating projects for the National Trust Heritage Awards for more than a decade. Along the way, we've had a number of projects which were recognised with commendation, and this year, 2010, two of our projects received awards. We're proud of all of these projects. Just as we're proud of all our other projects that were nominated and not recognised, or the vast array of projects that we didn't nominate for a wide variety of reasons. Our challenge to ourselves is to share more information about our projects with our community. Which in a way brings me full circle to the reason why we write this blog!

David West
International Conservation Services

building over archaeological remains

2010-04-21T08:48:00.004+10:00

Two weeks ago, I was delighted to attend the official opening of the Sydney Harbour YHA and the Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre by the Patron of YHA Australia, Her Excellency the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Ms Quentin Bryce AC.

View of The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre from the Sydney Harbour YHA, looking over some of the archaeological remains exposed on the site.

Located between Cumberland Street and Gloucester Street in The Rocks, Sydney, this development over one of Australia's largest urban archaeological sites is the result of over fifteen years of work by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, land managers for the site, and over six years of work by YHA.

Archaeological excavation of this site was commenced in 1994 by Godden Mackay (now Godden Mackay Logan), and we first provided conservation advice on the archaeological remains at that time.

The remains excavated on the site revealed over thirty dwellings along two streets and two laneways, dating from 1795 to the late 19th Century. Somewhere between 750,000 and 1.2 million artefacts were excavated (the number depends on who you talk to!). The research associated with the archaeological excavation led to a wonderful book about the site by Grace Karskens, entitled "Inside the Rocks: the Archaeology of a Neighbourhood".

But enough background. The real highlight of the official opening was the opportunity to see this new building designed by Tzannes Associates in operation. Built over the archaeological remains, we provided input during the concept design stage to minimise the impact of the building on the exposed remains. We also developed options for the protection of the remains during construction, and in conjunction with Built, the builders, we monitored the protection system throughout construction. We also documented all necessary conservation works to the archaeological remains.

Cumberland Street entry to the Sydney Harbour YHA:

the interpretive screens echo the original terrace houses on the site.

Whilst one of the key marketing pitches for the Sydney Harbour YHA has been the wonderful view of the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay from the rooftop terrace, light rain in the morning meant that the official opening was relocated into the Anne Armsden Room on Level 1. This meant that we walked through the reception area, and the main common room, at around 10.30am on a wet morning. Guests were checking out, using the internet, reading books, having coffee - and the coffee tables are wonderful glass cases containing selections of artefacts from the site! There was a fantastic energy about the building.

During her official opening speech, Her Excellency shared with us her experiences immediately prior to the official ceremony - she too was captivated by the opportunities for children to learn about history and archaeology at the Big Dig, as well as by the experience for international visitors to live over such a key part of Australia's early history.

After the official opening, we wandered off to inspect some guest rooms, to admire the view from the rooftop terrace, and then most importantly, to head downstairs to walk along the public laneways and view the in situ archaeological remains. Of course, we paused to look at the variety of interpretive panels located on walls and handrails around the building.

We also popped into the Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre which is located on the site. Two classrooms, and a dedicated space for some hands-on simulated archaeological excavation activities for children. We watched delightedly as a group of children listened intently to a costumed coal lumper from the wharves talk about the house he lived in, and introduce a couple of his (also costumed) neighbours to the group. When we left the site half an hour later, the kids were still clustered around these characters, actively engaging with their stories of the past.

Sydney Harbour YHA is a wonderful new development that provides an innovative way of experiencing part of the history of The Rocks - you can stay in the heart of Sydney at very reasonable rates - consider it for your next visit to Sydney or weekend away!

David West
International Conservation Services

conserving heritage furniture

2010-03-24T17:07:00.004+11:00

Conserving heritage furniture often challenges us to resolve conflicts between authenticity, minimal intervention and reversibility, and the need or desire for the furniture to continue to be used.

Recently we were presented with a set of such challenges as we embarked on a six-month long project to conserve the heritage Council Chamber furniture from the Sydney Town Hall.

This suite of Australian red cedar furniture was originally made by William Coleman for the Council Chamber of the Sydney Town Hall in 1883. The furniture was built to a design by one of the architects for the Town Hall, John Hennessey.

Photo: Historic image of the furniture in the Council Chamber of the Sydney Town Hall.

Comprising a long D-end table in two separate sections, the Lord Mayoral chair, 17 tub chairs, and 4 long benches (2 curved, 2 straight), all pieces of the suite were showing the signs of having been very well-used over a long period of continual service to the Council.

The tub chairs and benches had been re-upholstered numerous times, most recently in a manner quite different to the original. The legs of the chairs had been substantially modified, with repairs, replacements and extensions, none of which matched the original intent or appearance of the chairs. The tables had suffered mainly due to age and use, as well as through the cutting of holes and slots for telephone and computer cables.

The brief from our client, the City of Sydney, was to return the suite of furniture close to its intended original appearance whilst ensuring that it retained the patina of age and history. In addition, as the furniture was proposed to continue to be used for public events and functions, it was important that the conserved items be functional.

Photos: Tub chair prior to (L) and after (R) conservation

As a result of the original design and fabrication of the furniture, we needed to stabilise all of the joints in the tub chairs, and drew on a range of techniques to do this including:

Injection of animal hide glue
Dismantling of joints (by unscrewing, as the chairs had no traditional mortice and tenon joints), cleaning and re-gluing
Re-securing the screws
Installation of large curved blocks to the inside of the seat using adhesive

Previous unsympathetic (and weak) extensions to the legs of the tub chairs were removed. We designed and fabricated new extensions which were milled from old Australian cedar to match the original timber, and which followed the original form based on historic photographs.

We completed an assortment of other treatments in order to rectify damage caused by previous repairs or modifications to the tub chairs.

A decision was made at the beginning of the project to retain one of the seventeen tub chairs in the condition we received it in order to show the range of past repairs.

We decided to replace all of the leather during our conservation works, as none of the extant upholstery was original, nor did it look like the original. The tub chairs and benches were re-upholstered to match as closely as possible the original upholstery based on our interpretation of remnant physical evidence and the historic image above. Most notable is the recreation of the original buttoning.

Upon completion of the physical conservation works, the timber elements were refinished with shellac and waxed.

Photo: Council Chamber furniture after conservation works complete

Perhaps the greatest challenge with this project was resolving issues arising from the well-meaning repair and modification works carried out to the Council Chamber furniture in the course of its 125 year history. It is likely that few of these repair and modification works would have been carried out with any anticipation that one day this suite of furniture would have such historic significance to the City of Sydney. We are pleased that we have been able to unravel some of the changes that had occurred over time, to reveal the original form of this imposing furniture.

David West
International Conservation Services

reversing the damage of a previous restoration

2010-03-16T12:34:00.005+11:00

Photo: Overall shot before treatment

A beautifully painted portrait of a lady arrived at our door in a horrendous condition. The canvas had suffered severe shrinkage, the paint layer had been forced together, and having nowhere to go, had lifted away from the canvas forming tent-like shapes across the surface of the painting.

Photo: Close up of paint layer

As we investigated the cause of the canvas shrinkage, we found that a restorer had previously attempted to line the canvas using a water based adhesive. Lining is a procedure where a new canvas is adhered to the original canvas in order to add strength and support. However, we try to avoid lining paintings unless it is absolutely necessary because of the risks involved. Poorly executed lining can cause shrinkage of the canvas with associated damage to the paint layer, but can also change the texture and gloss of the paint layer. When carried out correctly, lining can result in a successful stabilisation of the painting without harm.

As conservators we think a lot about how we are going to treat an object. Often, it seems to us that conservation can be more about knowing what we cannot do rather than what we can. It is very easy to re-touch that missing section of paint, or glue a sculpture back together, but what are the consequences of our actions? In essence, this is what our training and code of ethics are all about – how do we treat the problems with an artwork or artefact whilst maintaining its significance and authenticity, and causing no harm to it now or in the future.

Our treatment of this painting was a lengthy and slow process. Over weeks the adhesive was slowly removed, first by softening it with solvents, and then by mechanically scraping away the adhesive. Simultaneously, we slowly stretched the canvas on an expandable stretcher, millimetre by millimetre. Once the canvas was its original size the tenting paint was then laid back into place.

The varnish layer on top of the paint was also badly damaged from the cracking and needed to be removed. Unfortunately, as the varnish was not a conservation grade varnish, it was not soluble in any solvents that did not also damage the paint layer. Consequently, the varnish had to be mechanically scraped away, which took one conservator three weeks to do.

Photo: After treatment

Finally, we lined the painting using the correct materials and processes, before varnishing, filling of losses and re-touching of damage. The overall results were very pleasing but some evidence of the damage still remains in the surface texture.

Photo: After treatment detail

Projects like this remind us of the challenges our clients face in finding a conservator. Conservators undergo extensive training, and generally specialise in just one field, e.g. paintings or paper or sculpture or metals or furniture / wood or textiles. Most conservators have tertiary qualifications – either an undergraduate or masters degree – and have several years experience on the job working with another experienced conservator in one area of conservation alone. When you find a conservator, it is always worth asking them about their qualifications, area of specialisation and experience, and if they have carried out this sort of treatment before.

Communication is also important so that both you and the conservator understand what you wish to achieve from the conservation treatment, and what the conservator expects the outcome from treatment is likely to be. Returning a painting or artefact to a “new” condition is rarely possible or appropriate, but treating it to bring it into a stable and presentable condition is almost always achievable. Prevention of damage is always far better than a cure, and once you have found a good conservator you can be confident that they have the best interests of your artwork, antique or artefact in mind.

Adam Godijn
International Conservation Services

on display

2010-03-07T15:38:00.010+11:00

As conservators, we are frequently involved in the preparation of objects for display in temporary or permanent exhibitions. This type of work is often challenging, for a variety of reasons, including:

Tight deadlines determined by a project manager or exhibition designer ... that don't take into account the practicalities of carrying out the conservation work itself.
A complex array of objects, in differing conditions, requiring a variety of conservation treatments.
Objects that tell fantastic stories, but that are in such a fragile state or deteriorated condition that it is extremely difficult to prepare them for display.

However, this type of work is also extremely fulfilling, because where the exhibitions are open to the public, we can see the outcome of our hard work, and take our families and friends along as well.

Many of the conservation treatments on objects intended for exhibitions relate to the removal of corrosion and staining as a result of ongoing deterioration so that the object can be more clearly understood when on display, as well as aiming to stabilise the condition of the object so as to halt or slow the rate of that ongoing deterioration.

As well as carrying out the actual conservation treatment, we also need to provide the curators of the exhibition with recommendations for the management of the items whilst on exhibition. These recommendations may include:

limits on light intensity to minimise deterioration
time limits for display of the object to minimise deterioration
need for regular cleaning or re-treatment to manage ongoing corrosion
methods of support or presentation that will not stress the object

Finally, we are often asked to fabricate mounts to support the objects whilst on display. This requires both an understanding of the condition of the object, and the exhibition designer's aim in displaying the object. Sometimes these requirements are in conflict, and we need to work with the exhibition designer and curator to find the optimum compromise.

Last year, International Conservation Services undertook conservation treatments on more than 150 objects destined for the new permanent exhibition at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney, which was opened in November. We also prepared mounts for many of the objects.

These objects included a wide variety of wartime memorabilia and ephemera. We found this project particularly challenging because of the unexpected emotional impact of many of the objects.

In particular, working with documents such as the telegram above provided an immediate window into the emotional impact of the war on families.

The WWI miniature medal illustrated above before and after conservation had been adhered into a storage pocket. We removed it from the pocket, and carried out the following treatments:

cleaned with ethanol and degreased with white spirit
metal polished with silver cleaning cloth
tarnish removed with solution of thiourea in water
medal coated with clear lacquer to minimise tarnishing whilst on display
loose threads on ribbon cut, and ribbon stitched back into shape

One of the more intriguing objects we treated was this artificial leg.

A combination of rubber, wood, aluminium, copper alloy, iron alloy and canvas, it presented us with a range of challenges. Our treatments comprised:

brush vacuuming of the entire object
cleaning of iron alloy components (hinges) with white spirit, fine steel wool, and tannic acid removed with ethanol
cleaning of copper alloy components with a combination of dilute solutions of triammonium citrate and citric acid, and thiourea, along with mechanical methods (bamboo skewers and scalpel)
coating of metallic elements with microcrystalline wax to reduce the rate of ongoing corrosion whilst on display
reattachment of lace-up hooks

David West
International Conservation Services

Christ Church in Bong Bong

2010-01-18T20:28:00.010+11:00

One of the great things about working in conservation is that almost all of our work makes a difference, both to the objects that we conserve, and for the people to whom the objects are significant.

But from time to time, we get the opportunity to work on projects where the difference our work makes is highly visible, even transformative.

Such was the case late last year with our work on the decorated interiors of the Anglican Christ Church at Bong Bong in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Listed on the NSW State Heritage Register, it is the oldest church in the region, dating from 1845, and for some time, it was the only church between Sydney and Goulburn.

International Conservation Services was originally requested to conserve the interior paintings and decorative elements of the church. But after some discussions with the parish, we found that we could help the church with a broader project involving advice on the colour scheme, redesign of the internal church lighting, as well as work on the timber pews and running a training course for the parish members on how to care for them.

The large areas of flaking paint found in the artwork and decorative paintwork of the ceiling were of primary concern to our painting conservation team of Adam Godijn, Arek Werstak and Matteo Volonte, who spent a long fortnight working in demanding conditions of up to 40 deg C just below the ceiling of the church.

The flaking paint areas were consolidated as a priority before the extensive cleaning works required to the decorative ceiling were commenced. In order to avoid the heat, the team worked as early in the morning as possible.

After cleaning and consolidation of the paint layers, the losses were filled and inpainted before a final varnish layer was applied. This reversible varnish layer serves as a protective coating from the dust, dirt and debris that will collect in time, and also improves the appearance of the decoration by saturating the surface.

During planning for these works, we undertook a variety of paint investigations around the church to confirm the extent of original decorative finishes, and to attempt to identify the original colour scheme. These investigations uncovered many interesting things.

We discovered that the white gloss enamel painted window frames originally had a wood grained finish. A specialist decorator was brought in to re-create this original wood-grained effect. Apart from looking much more interesting the dark oak-like wood grain significantly enhances and highlights the beautiful stained glass windows.

Investigations around the gothic lettering at the front of the church found that the original lettering was much more ornate, and much more in keeping with the style of the surrounding decorations. The existing lettering was quite harsh in blue and red, whereas the original lettering had three colours - red, blue and gold leaf. After some discussions, the original lettering was replicated.

The plain sections of the church interior were repainted by a local tradesman using a colour scheme developed from original colours revealed by our paint scrapes, and in consultation with representatives of the churchwardens.

During the painting works, all of the plaques on the walls had to be removed, so the opportunity was taken to clean and polish them all before they were re-installed after the painting works were complete.

And finally a new lighting system was installed that provides both uplight onto the ceiling decoration and also spotlights the decorative verses on the two end walls.

You can read more about our work in this article in the Southern Highland News.

We are delighted to have been able to contribute to revealing this real gem of a church interior in a historic region of NSW. Services are held in the church each Sunday if you are interested in visiting.

David West and Adam Godijn

International Conservation Services

art in hospitals

2009-08-25T16:35:00.010+10:00

Over the past 15 months, we've been providing art management services to a group of hospitals to help them improve the experience of their patients. There is substantial literature describing the benefits of having art in hospitals, particularly with regard to facilitating a positive state of mind and accelerating the healing process.

Initially, our role was to audit and catalogue their art collection, and to improve the rotation and hanging of these works across the group of hospitals. We also developed a labelling protocol to provide more opportunities for patients, staff and visitors to interact with the artworks.

Lately, we've been working with artists in the communities around these hospitals to arrange temporary exhibitions of artworks. These exhibitions provide an ever-changing array of artworks to improve the experience of longer-term patients and staff, and also provide an alternative venue for artists to display their works (and hopefully sell some of them).

However, this post was actually triggered by the discovery of an article in the 20 October 1877 edition of the very important medical journal "The Lancet" entitled 'Art in Hospitals'. This article outlined the development (by a doctor) of a frame for artwork specifically designed to address the hygiene and safety issues particular to hospitals.

from "The Lancet", 20 October 1877

Interestingly (and not surprisingly), this concern for hygiene and safety remains valid for our work today. Whilst much of the artwork is hung in public spaces such as foyers and corridors, there are situations such as operating theatres and intensive care units where we need to take into consideration very particular requirements for the framing and cleaning of any artwork.

David West

International Conservation Services

memories of the trams

2009-08-16T18:40:00.005+10:00

We frequently find ourselves working on unusual items. Recently, our textiles conservator was asked to treat this tram roll by a private collector. It had developed black mould staining and orange-brown iron staining whilst in storage.

Because the tram roll was fabric, and the ink used to colour it was water-soluble (and thus we could not use water-based solutions for cleaning), the treatment was quite difficult. Whilst we were able to remove a substantial amount of general soiling, and reduce the visibility of both the mould and the iron stains, in this instance it was not possible to totally remove the stains.

It was interesting timing for us, because one of our other clients, the Historic Houses Trust of NSW is currently staging an exhibition called Shooting Through: Sydney by Tram at the Museum of Sydney. Associated with this exhibition are a variety of events, including an interesting seminar on 25 September, "Nostalgia vs Reality: are trams the answer?", exploring the potential for trams to solve Sydney's transport woes.

David West

International Conservation Services

a new memorial

2009-08-09T10:37:00.004+10:00

Although the focus of our business is conservation, we believe that we also have a contribution to make during the design and creation of new artworks, memorials and other structures. As conservators, we have a very good understanding of the way in which materials deteriorate over time. With this insight, we are able to provide artists and designers with advice on how their scheme might behave after it has been made or constructed, and installed. When there are sufficient resources for us to contribute in this way, we are able to guide the artist or designer with their selection of materials and detailing of the memorial or artwork so as to minimise the risk of undesired deterioration, and to extend the likely service life of the item in use.

Which means of course that we won't be called in after just a few years to advise on how to fix up the problems which might otherwise occur! But we'd much rather not be trying to conserve items that are only a few years old, because it is always a very difficult exercise. Not only do we have to convince the owner to spend more money on the item, but we have to work with the artist or designer to develop alternative detailing solutions that often, from their point of view, compromise the item which looked so good when it was completed.

The most recent example of us providing this type of advice is the recently opened Australian Korean War Memorial at the northern end of Moore Park.

We worked with the artist, Jane Cavanough, and the landscape designers, POD, throughout the detailed design process to optimise the long-term durability of the memorial through careful material choices and design detailing. Recently opened, the memorial is an inspiring place despite its location between two major arterial roads into the city.

David West
International Conservation Services

dancing in the gardens

2009-07-24T09:01:00.008+10:00

Yesterday we were pleased to be present in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, when the marble statue "La Ballarina" was unveiled after conservation works by us. Here is the transcript of Julian Bickersteth's speech about our work on the statue at the unveiling:

The role of statuary as an essential part of great gardens is a universal one. I was recently at Sissinghurst, the Kent Castle where Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson created one of the great gardens of England between the wars. Harold was the garden planner, and on purchasing the property with its derelict gardens he hot footed it to Italy to buy classical statuary to provide focus for his garden vistas and spaces.

Fifty years previously Charles Moore, the Director of these Royal Botanic Gardens had been driven by the same desire to see statuary as an integral part of the design of the Gardens. "La Ballarina" as she stands somewhat coyly before us, is a direct result of his vision. Moore was lucky in that he was living in a time when contemporary values supported this vision. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, was keen on the so-called ‘uplifting of the lower orders’, and promoted the use of classical statuary in gardens to educate those who could not afford the ‘grand tour’. Much closer to home Sir Henry Parkes was an enthusiastic provider of public sculpture to beautify the colony, and was responsible for sourcing and importing various sculptures from Italy for the 1879 Garden Palace International Exhibition.

"La Ballarina" (please note the 'a' in the middle where we would expect an 'e') dates from 1883 when it was part of a group of eight marble statues imported from Italy. These include the four allegorical statues of the "Seasons", and the "Boy extracting a thorn", a still much loved statue on the hill behind us. As was reported at the time:

“An additional attraction has been given to our Botanic Gardens, in the form of eight marble statues which now gleam white against masses of dark green foliage in various angles of the many walks which are so much appreciated by our citizens and visitors”.

So what do we know of "La Ballarina"? She is a copy of a famous statue by Antonio Canova, the Venetian sculptor who lived from 1757 to 1822, whose work included "The Three Graces" now in the Hermitage, and "Theseus and the Minotaur" in the Victoria & Albert Museum. The original of "La Ballarina" has since disappeared but it is listed in Canova’s work as "La Danzatrice con il dito al mento (the Dancer with the finger on chin)". Finished in 1814 she was sold to a Russian diplomat.

The copy you see before us was almost certainly (I shall come back to the almost later) sculpted by an Australian, Charles Summers, who although born in Melbourne in 1858, had moved to Rome with his parents aged 11. He ran a successful business reproducing famous sculptures including those of Canova, was said to be friendly with two popes and made regular trips to Australia to sell his wares.

Unfortunately, however, over the years these sculptures fell upon hard times. Physically they were damaged by anything from a falling branch to a reversing truck. And perhaps more disastrously they fell victim to changing attitudes, ranging from the ‘menace to public morals’ of the more flagrant nudes in the early twentieth century, to the mass replication of classical statuary in suburban gardens in the 1970s, making them appear somewhat naff. How "La Ballarina" came to be headless and footless we do not know but at some stage in the 1960s or '70s she was moved to what is known by the RBG staff as ‘the Graveyard’, behind the Succulent Garden.

We now live in more enlightened times and it is wonderful to see these vital elements of the Gardens being restored. So my company was delighted when we were approached to undertake the restoration of "La Ballarina" as part of the Royal Botanic Gardens' heritage statuary program. The process has been an interesting one, as it is not quite as simple as plonking a block of marble on La B's head and carving something appropriate.

First of all we needed to ensure we knew what we were carving, bearing in mind La B’s title ("the Dancer with the finger on chin") in that we had no chin nor a finger to touch it with, nor incidentally a right foot. So we went to the Canova Foundation in Canova’s home town of Passagno near Venice, where they hold a gypsum copy of the statue, to see if they could either organise the copy of a head for us to be carved, or provide good quality photos that we could copy here. Quick as a flash came back a letter from one Carlo Nicoli, declaring that he could see from our photos that the statue had been made in an ‘exceptional way’ by his great grandfather, another Carlo Nicoli, and that he would be happy to reproduce the head if we could ship the whole statue to him. Happily however we were able to source from the Canova Foundation high quality photos of the copy, and more happily source here in Lidcombe the carving skills of Polish-born master mason Jacek Luszcyk. So what you see before you is Jacek’s wonderful work, copying from photos the form and feel of the original.

But the story was not quite over yet, as finding a piece of pure white Carrara marble of suitable size and carving quality is not as easy as popping down to your local Bunnings. We could find nothing in Australia and so went back to the Carrara area eventually sourcing from the appropriately named Cave Michelangelo a block of stone of the right quality and size. I say appropriately named because it was from the Seravezza quarry in Carrara where Michelangelo sourced the blocks of marble of such astonishing size and purity from which David and the Pieta and indeed all his sculptures were carved. Of such value was this marble that Michelangelo laconically noted the deaths of two marble workers in the quarry during lowering down a piece of marble whilst bewailing the shattering of a piece of marble that represented months of labour and many thousands of dollars in its retrieval.

The process of replicating a carved work is a complicated one. Firstly the photographs were gridded up and divided into a series of points to allow for accurate measurement. Then clay mock ups of the missing head and limbs were crafted on the statue. These were extensively reviewed and altered until all parties were happy that they reflected the original. The clay forms were then removed and plaster casts made of them. The new marble was cut to size and the process of carving began, working from the plaster casts. Before these were finished they were doweled and glued to the original statue, and the finer details around the join completed. The result was once again reviewed and small alterations made, and now you see the result before you.

Thus has been the story of the restoration of "La Ballarina". Her vital missing elements have been restored, her original parts cleaned, and she has been returned to her proper form and place here in the Gardens. Her head, fingers and feet once again gleam white against the dark foliage, and though this currently appears somewhat as odds with her original elements, rest assured in no more than a few months she will have weathered to once again look her full harmonious and seductive self.

Thank you.

You can read more about the unveiling in the Sydney Morning Herald, watch the ABC News report, or look at more photos from the unveiling.

David West
International Conservation Services

our lunar heritage

2009-07-18T12:57:00.005+10:00

One of my earliest memories is being sat down in front of our black and white television set to watch the first moon landing. I couldn't have told you the date, but given that Monday 20 July will be the 40th anniversary, I know that I was 4 years old at the time. Of course, many of us have stories about this moment that changed our history.

Over the years, ICS has conserved some fascinating artefacts and industrial objects, but today I'm writing about a project that some of our fellow conservators at Conservation Solutions in the US worked on for several years.

At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the only remaining space-ready Saturn V rocket has been on display for over thirty years. Designed as a single-use object, that merely had to survive the very high loads during the launch acceleration, and ravaged by the extremely harsh climate in Houston (high temperatures, high humidity, high ozone and high salinity, not to mention the occasional hurricane), this rocket was in a very poor state in 2002 when the conservation works commenced.

I was fortunate enough to visit the site in November 2004 when Conservation Solutions had completed much of their investigation, analysis, trials and planning works ... and were about to commence the task of conserving the 100m long rocket. You can read more about the project here and here.

For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of this conservation project was the research work that the Conservation Solutions team had to undertake in order to discover just what materials had been used. Despite the rocket having only been built during the 1960s, less than 40 years previously, and despite being part of the enormous space program run by the USA at the time, records of the construction of the Saturn V rocket were incredibly difficult to obtain. Indeed, I understand that much of the information about the construction was gleaned from amateur rocket enthusiasts who had collected memorabilia and magazine articles from the 1960s, and who could tell, admittedly anecdotal, stories about the challenges of building and launching the rockets.

Having identified the materials of construction, another enormously challenging task for Conservation Solutions was to develop appropriate conservation techniques for modern materials that were no longer made, yet for which little, if any, previous conservation work had ever been undertaken.

And of course, for conservators, the challenge of scale was almost overwhelming. Used to working with scalpels and dentist drills, the tools of choice for conserving the Saturn V rocket included ultra-high pressure water jets.

The challenges of conserving the artefacts of our industrial and technological heritage are enormous - not only are there questions of authenticity around materials and finishes, but there are also the challenges of function and operability ... and there are always conflicts between these that have to be resolved. Planning can take into consideration many eventualities, but inevitably we face surprises once the conservation works begin.

David West
International Conservation Services

uncovering ned kelly

2009-07-07T21:33:00.004+10:00

In our last post, we talked about Ned Kelly, and a depiction of his trial in a large tapestry. Today, we're still talking about Ned Kelly - but this time it is about a forthcoming television documentary on the archaeological excavation of the Ann Jones' Inn, site of the 1880 siege by the Ned Kelly gang in Glenrowan, Victoria.

In May 2008, ICS Senior Objects Conservator Karina Acton provided specialist conservation advice to the Dig International team during this excavation. This site is best known as the site of the Ned Kelly siege in 1880.
The excavation discovered a fascinating variety of artefacts and remains of the Ann Jones Inn, and you can find out more this Thursday 9 July at 8.30pm on ABC television when "Ned Kelly Uncovered", hosted by Tony Robinson of "Time Team" fame, goes to air.

Nolan, Kelly and a tapestry

2009-05-19T15:30:00.023+10:00

"The tiled floor in red and white was in a house I was in once. The courthouse was in South Melbourne and through the left-hand window you can see sailing ships of the time. The candelabra is true to life. The judge wears the black cloth of death and below is a sergeant with a rolled, sealed document that seals doom for Kelly. Of course, it could not have been ready. Kelly told Judge Barry that he would soon see him in the next world, which is not a very polite thing to say to a man who's just sentenced you to death. Strangely enough, Mr Justice Barry, a great man, who did many good deeds, went home to bed and died a fortnight later, from, it is said, a septic carbuncle."
Reproduced from Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly Paintings in the National Gallery of Australia with essays by Murray Bail and Andrew Sayers

Over the past few weeks our Textiles Conservator has been carrying out conservation and maintenance work on a large tapestry from the Federal Law Courts in Sydney. The tapestry is a reproduction of Sidney Nolan's 1947 painting entitled "The Trial", which is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

The tapestry was produced under the supervision of Sidney Nolan in Portugal by Manufactura de Tapecarias de Portalegre, probably during the 1980s, and was in good condition when we received it from the Federal Law Courts. However, it had become quite soiled after hanging in the lobby outside Law Court 21A for many years.

Our challenge with cleaning large tapestries is to remove as much dirt as possible without damaging the tapestry - and when we're talking about something that measures more than 4m x 3m, and weighs 15-20kg dry (and three to four times that wet), this challenge can be substantial.

It is made even more difficult by the tendency of some dyes to run when exposed to water for a length of time. So the first challenge with any tapestry is to test the solubility and stability of every different colour of yarn used. In this case, we found that the red yarn began to run after 30 minutes of exposure to water ... and as you can see in the image of the original painting above, there is a lot of red, and it adjoins a lot of white or cream!

So in this case, we could not wash the tapestry with water, or use any stain removal reagents in aqueous solutions. Instead, our approach was to use a combination of brush vacuuming, tweezers (it's like picking needles from a haystack), and localised solvent cleaning. This approach is resulting in a substantial improvement in the condition of the tapestry.

Whilst not all of this improvement is visible to the naked eye, the removal of the particulate matter has a double benefit - not only does it slow down the deterioration of the tapestry by removing the generally acidic dust, it also reduces the rate of ongoing accumulation of dust (yes, dust begets dust - generally due to the static charges on the particulate matter).

Museum of Australian Democracy at OPH

2009-05-19T15:29:00.005+10:00

The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House was opened last week.

Our contribution to MOAD was relatively small - particularly compared to the amount of work we've undertaken at Old Parliament House over the past few years - but important nonetheless. During the design of the new exhibitions in 2008, we provided detailed recommendations on how to install the exhibitions into the building with minimal impact on the significant heritage fabric of the building.

We were fortunate enough to be part of the soft opening for museum and heritage professionals last night. Primed by an inspiring speech on the nature and value of democracy by artist Robyn Archer, we were most interested to see how the galleries that housed the National Portrait Gallery (now of course housed in their own purpose-built building almost over the road) had been redesigned.

Context is everything they say, and there can no more appropriate building in which to talk about democracy, or indeed space within a building, as the Museum opens directly off King’s Hall, with the House of Reps on the left and the Senate on the right. The themes it covers are those to be expected; Bill of Rights, the Constitution, suffragettes etc. but the nature of the space, which is the old Parliamentary Library, suits silos of information delivered in this way.

It’s a didactic exhibition, i.e. heavy on words without a large number of objects, but there is a lot of information to get across. The main gallery is dominated by the ’timeline’, a vast lectern type installation with a series of touch screens, which allows you to data mine deep into a whole range of issues and events according to the period you have selected.

I never find openings the easiest time to assess exhibitions, but this has the look and feel of a well researched and well presented exhibition. It is not as big as I thought, but it has the relocated and revamped Prime Ministers of Australia Gallery next to it, a new visitor experience now happening in the cabinet room (Cabinet in confidence), and a temporary exhibition called Living Democracy: the Power of the People soon to open.

Overall, I am a great fan of Old Parliament House as a building, and it is great to see its reason for existence post Parliamentary use finally having real resonance and meaning.

Julian Bickersteth
International Conservation Services

remembering the fallen

2009-04-24T11:51:00.009+10:00

Tomorrow is the One Day of the Year. And in the run up to Anzac Day, it is interesting to reflect on the representation of war memorials and war memorabilia in our workload at International Conservation Services.

This week, our conservators have been carrying out conservation treatments on:

The Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney, in preparation for the Dawn Service to be held there from 4.30am on Anzac Day

A selection of war diaries kept by naval personnel

Several naval ensigns

But in the course of the past year, we have also treated such disparate items as:

Japanese military swords acquired by a private individual at the time of the Japanese surrender in WWII

WWII anti-aircraft Bofors gun currently located in Redfern Park

A German WWI Minenwerfer trench mortar owned by a Queensland local government authority

And we have undertaken other projects associated with war memorials or military sites including:

Design, documentation, fabrication and installation of interpretive devices at Fort Scratchley in Newcastle, NSW

Condition and significance assessment of the Mothers’ Memorial in Toowoomba, Queensland, and recommendations for maintenance
Dismantling and re-erection of the Shore School War Memorial during redevelopment of the grandstand at their Northbridge playing fields
Conservation and reconstruction of the War Memorial in Redfern Park, Sydney
Design, fabrication and installation of an interpretive display of war memorabilia at the Cabra Vale Diggers Ex-Active Servicemens Club

Fabrication and placement of a plaque to commemorate the distinguished military service (including award of the Victoria Cross) of a prominent individual in the church he attended for many years

The nature of all of these items is that they have enormous personal significance to many individuals, as well as to our community as a whole. We get insights into this in the course of our work, as our clients, or other people associated with the locations we are working at, tell us stories about the objects or places we are working on. These stories are often touching, frequently tragic, and serve to remind us of the sacrifices that have been made for our country. They remind us of our good fortune to live in Australia.

It is immensely satisfying to contribute to perpetuating the memory of those Australians who have served in the armed forces over the past 100 years or more.

David West
International Conservation Services

removing graffiti

2009-03-20T11:31:00.007+11:00

This week, three of our conservators have been working on a contemporary sculpture located on the idyllic shores of Sydney Harbour. A wonderful setting; but the work was rather less inspiring.

One of the major challenges we face in the conservation of public art is dealing with human impact on the artwork. And of course, graffiti epitomises the negative impact that comes from some members of our society.

Graffiti removal is almost always problematic. Often, the marker (paint or pen) penetrates the pores or surface roughness of the materials used for the sculpture, and cannot be easily removed. At other times, the process required to remove the graffiti causes damage to the substrate. And occasionally, on sculptures like Dual Nature by Nigel Helyer, the graffiti can actually alter the characteristics of the material itself.

Weathering steel (of which "Cor-Ten" is the most well-known type) is a particular type of steel that corrodes slowly on exposure, giving a uniform rusty brown finish. The most prominent use of this material in Sydney is the shaft of Sydney Tower.

The impact of graffiti on weathering steel is quite substantial.

Firstly, once the graffiti is applied, it slows the rate of corrosion in the areas beneath the graffiti. So that when the graffiti is eventually removed, even if it is completely removed, the surface will be visibly different because of the varying rates of corrosion.

Secondly, even with very careful solvent dissolution of the graffiti, some rubbing or abrasion of the surface of the weathering steel is inevitable, and hence the surface corrosion layer is lost, resulting in a visible difference.

At "Dual Nature", our team of conservators decided that given the age of some of the graffiti (several years) and the highly visible shadows from removal of graffiti in the past, we would scrub back the surface layer of corrosion across the entire face of the sculpture in order to minimise the visible difference between areas that had been attacked with graffiti, and those which had not.

This meant that after carefully removing the graffiti, our conservators spent many hours scrubbing the surface of these wonderful shell elements.

Given the highly exposed location, the salt-laden air will accelerate the process of corrosion, or weathering, of the Corten steel, so that the surface layer of corrosion will redevelop quite rapidly over the coming months.

David West

International Conservation Services

repetition, concentration, commitment

2009-03-01T17:41:00.005+11:00

Much of our conservation work is, by nature, very repetitive. Removal of grime from the surface of paintings with molecular sponges and cotton swabs. Cleaning of mould affected books. And so I admire the way our conservators are able to concentrate on this relentless repetition with their eye on the end-goal of conserving the object they are working on.

I've been thinking about this repetition as a result of several projects we're working on at present. We've got a team of six paintings conservators working on wall paintings in the Hellenic Community's Cathedral of Saint Constantine and Saint Helene in Northbridge, Perth. You can read more about their work in the project blog we set up to keep the Hellenic Community of WA up to date with the project.

We've also just completed a six week long project in a Sydney library cleaning mould from books in the special collection, where we had a team of up to six working under the supervision of our paper conservator. Brush vacuuming mould from every page of a rare book definitely qualifies as an endeavour requiring concentration and commitment.

The video below shows brush vacuuming of a mould affected ledger at our workshop.

David West
International Conservation Services

a prefabricated industrial building

2009-01-22T12:20:00.010+11:00

Last year we conserved an entire building. Every remaining piece of it, in fact. There were 27 cast iron columns, some of which were broken, and 9 trusses made from a combination of cast and wrought iron elements.
Currently known as the “Grissell Building”, in acknowledgement of the original manufacturers, Henry Grissell of London, this prefabricated industrial structure was discovered on the ACI site at Alexandria. Following documentation in 1997 by Godden Mackay Logan, the Grissell building was dismantled and stored on the site for ten years. In late 2007, we were awarded a contract by Meriton Apartments to conserve all of the elements so that the building could be re-erected in a park in the centre of the site.

We worked with heritage consultants Geoff Ashley and Rebecca Hawcroft of Godden Mackay Logan and structural engineers Simon Wiltshier and Alison Naimo of Hughes Trueman to develop an agreed approach to conservation of the Grissell building. In the end, we:

Blasted the cast-iron columns before painting with a zinc-rich epoxy primer and 2 pack polyurethane topcoat
Repaired the three broken columns by pinning the pieces to a new galvanised steel CHS installed inside the columns
Undertook various other repairs to the cast iron columns, including casting new capital plates
Deconstructed the trusses to straighten the wrought iron angle and flat bar tension members
Cast new compression strut members to replace broken or missing pieces of the struts
Installed new purlin angle supports to carry a new roof
Blasted and painted the trusses to match the columns

We were assisted with this work by Wrought Artworks (trusses), Traditional Stonemasonry (columns) and IMP Coating (blasting and painting).

The project had many challenging moments. The transport and hoisting of the nine roof trusses, which are quite lightweight, and therefore very flexible, caused us some of the most nerve-wracking moments.

The reconstruction of the Grissell building is now completed, with additional new roof truss components to help interpret the original configuration of the building. It is located in the public park between South Dowling Street and Broome Street, and serves as a shelter and seating area in the park for residents of the surrounding apartments.

Drop in and enjoy the delicate tracery of 19thC cast and wrought iron work sometime.

David West
International Conservation Services

Christo visits Frank Stella?

2009-01-22T12:02:00.003+11:00

Observant passers-by in George Street, Sydney may have noticed the three giant Frank Stella artworks in the lobby of Grosvenor Place are currently swathed in plastic. No, Christo has not been in town. But we have been wrapping the artworks, so as to protect them whilst the floor is re-laid.

Entitled "Pillars and Cones" these three paintings are part of a series that Stella created between 1984 and 1987. These three were specially acquired for Grosvenor Place by Harry Seidler, the building’s architect.

They were painted in New York using oil paint on magnesium, an effect that allowed the surface to be etched and provide a distinctive sculptural quality, and were then shipped to Australia. Unfortunately during or after shipping the container they were in was partially filled with water, causing a major breakdown of the paint adhesion to the magnesium (and a court case resulting).
They remain the most prominent examples of Stella’s work in Australia. Stella was born in 1936, and remains one of the most significant post –war American painters who are still working.

Have a look next time you are near Circular Quay.

Julian

a starting point

2009-01-13T18:06:00.002+11:00

At International Conservation Services, our wonderful team of conservators regularly tell me how proud they feel about working on the many fascinating objects and places that we conserve or consult on. Indeed, many of our projects involve items of enormous cultural or heritage significance.

Our conservators apply their skills to care for all manner of heritage objects and materials. They also provide advice to our clients on how best to care for and manage their collections.

The purpose of this blog is to tell you some of the stories that we contribute to; to share with you some of the wonderful objects and places that we are proud to work on; and to open a small window for you to look into our world.

I'm looking forward to sharing our world with you through this blog. But if you can't wait, you can find out more about us from our website.

David