The Chantry Library, the reference collection of conservation literature owned and managed by the Oxford Conservation Consortium, has introduced a series of subject bibliographies to it's website, with the aim of providing curated information through key information sources about a given subject, chosen by a specialist. The bibliographies include a brief description and evaluation, to [...]
Last week I was invited to attend the international conference on NANOmaterials for the RESToration of works of ART, (NANORESTART ), held at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen 29-30 November 2018. The conference marked the conclusion of the Nanorestart European research project - mentioned previously in this blog here: Gels in Conservation. The [...]
Two Saturdays ago a workshop on advanced imaging techniques was held at the Egypt Exploration Society in London. It was taught by Dr Kathryn Piquette, of the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities. The purpose of the workshop was to train those working in the field in Egypt in a new generation of imaging techniques [...]
I have just completed a phase of conservation work at Magdalen College Oxford’s historic Dining Hall. I was asked to undertake the conservation treatment of three historically fascinating areas of C16th carved and painted panelling set within the wooden linenfold panelling which lines the Hall’s walls. These areas of polychrome carvings depict a range [...]
I have been excited recently to have the opportunity to peruse the Oxford-based Chantry Library https://chantrylibrary.org/how-to/. This an important reference collection of conservation literature which has been owned and managed by the Oxford Conservation Consortium since 2016, following previous custodianship by ICON (the UK Institute of Conservation). The library is located next to the OCC [...]
January and February saw the 2018 season of the Archaeological Mission to the Theban Necropolis of the Université libre de Bruxelles, and the University of Liège (MANT). The mission has the concession for the study and conservation of three neighbouring tombs: Amenemope TT29; Sennefer TT96A; and C3 - the work at C3 also included [...]
While following the issue of digital documentation, reproduction and in particular its use to record at risk cultural heritage I was very interested to attend a conference and workshop event at the V&A in early December, which discussed the uses of digital reproduction in heritage protection. The workshop was part of the museum's Culture in [...]
A pioneering international conference on the use of gels in conservation was held in London last month. Its aim was to give a snapshot of current theory, research and practice on the use of gels for treatment processes in the conservation of art objects and decorative surfaces. The range of gels featured included those drawn [...]
The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum in Malta reopened to the public this month, after a period of closure to assess and improve its environmental management systems: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/maltas-hypogeum-one-worlds-best-preserved-prehistoric-sites-reopens-public-180963397/. I was interested to see this having been involved in an environmental impact study at the St Paul's Catacombs in Malta last autumn, with UCL's Institute for Sustainable Heritage. [...]
Having been linking articles and writing on the subject of virtual reconstruction https://www.biancamadden.com/bamyian-buddhas, replicas https://www.biancamadden.com/tutankhamun-tomb-reconstruction/, and 3D digital recording https://www.biancamadden.com/digital-archaeology/ on this blog, this recent article from The Art Newspaper by Robert Bevan, author of The Destruction of Memory, seems important to include. It puts these various elements together and very eloquently debates the issues [...]
