Ramsay and Fashion: Exhibiting Collaborations with Conservators

About the author: Lesley Scott ACR is Regional Conservator for Edinburgh & East at The National Trust of Scotland.

Detail Egan Matthew & Rose cleaning surface dirt from Ramsay portrait of Magdaline Erskine, House of Dun. Worked at in their studio in Dundee. © Egan, Matthews & Rose

An exhibition of a selection of Scottish artist Allan Ramsay (1713-84) paintings and 18^th century textiles are the backdrop to examine the clothing, jewellery, and hairstyles the high society woman depicted in the paintings are wearing, and through that investigate related trades that were in Edinburgh during the mid-18^th century. 

The featured paintings and textiles, owned by The National Trust for Scotland, are normally presented within original room settings of properties in the North and East of Scotland, and in the case of a sackback gown and rare 18^th century textile accessory, in long term storage. 

There was a strong emphasis from the initial exhibition concept and collaborative planning with the regional curator and regional teams to ensure conservation was given a prominent voice, and that the specialist conservators and art handlers skills that were integral to enabling the items to be displayed were celebrated.

Tuula Pardoe ACR talking to Regional Curator Dr Antonia Laurence Allen (who curated the exhibition) and two Newhailes House textile volunteers who helped mount the 18^th century apron Tuula conserved into a display case in the exhibition. At Scottish Conservation Studio-site visit. © National Trust for Scotland

The approach taken for the remedial conservation of the paintings and textiles was firstly to enable stability for display, but also ensure any remedial intervention did not adversely alter or unbalance the appearance of the paintings and frames for when they return to their properties at the end of the exhibition. And that the textiles were available to an audience to encourage discussion around sustainable fashion, research and access, with a replica dress made as part of the engagement activities to fulfil the audiences desire ‘to touch’, with planned improvements to their longer-term storage for after display.

Painting, frame and textile conservators in Scotland were very generous in allowing either filming of their processes, group visits to their workshops or undertook remedial works whilst being public facing through conservation in action in The Georgian House. 

Colleen Donaldson ACR talking to staff and volunteers from The Georgian House about the structure and history of the carved, gilt frames from the Ramsay portraits during conservation and CPD events in the lead up to opening of exhibition. Frames from Leith hall and Newhailes House. © National Trust for Scotland

The Trust is supported by volunteers who contribute their time and enthusiasm, some with a strong emotive attachment to the collections at the properties they volunteer at, so it was paramount that these non-specialists understood the remedial treatments and conservation approach taken in the run up to the exhibition opening. They are a conduit to be able to promote the conservation work of the Trust as exhibition attendants for the duration of the exhibition, facilitating interactions with visitors. 

Alongside Conservation in Action, CPD events in frame conservation and gilding were run using non-collection practice pieces. Also undertaken in front of the public this offered an opportunity for collection care staff and volunteers to work side by side with the specialist conservators and art handlers, who were willing to support learning with understanding of their remedial treatments. Furthermore, the public could ask questions about the practices being undertaken, see the collections close-up and collection care staff could learn more about the items they care for.

Owen Davison showing how a painting canvas is tensioned to Icon Bute Intern Alice Law  during conservation in action at the Georgian House. Paintings are from Newhailes House. © National Trust for Scotland

Unlike a museum most of the Trust’s collections are on open display within their room settings so conservation practices are frequently carried out in full view of the public in the form of preventive care. The desire was to show that conservation is ongoing, time and resource consuming and a labour-intensive process rather than a ‘behind the scenes’ activity and that it involves a high level of expertise and knowledge to understand materials and how they are affected by the environments they are displayed in.  

Putting conservation at the forefront of access and engagement activities fulfils the public’s understanding of where membership, entry price and donations are spent and satisfies current appetites for seeing conservators undertake complex and skilled work. 

This approach could not have been achieved were it not for the freelance conservators in Scotland willing to collaborate and be so generous with their experiences. Thanks are extended to Egan Matthews & Rose, Colleen Donaldson ACR, Owen Davison, Tuula Pardoe ACR and art handlers Philip Pestell and Duncan Marquiss. 

Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion Exhibition opened 7^th June 2024 and runs till 24^th November 2024 at The Georgian House, Edinburgh.

Me in 3 – Jade

In this series we ask a conservation professional 3 questions. The sixth participant in this series is Jade Hill. Jade is an Icon Scotland events organiser and an emerging paintings conservator, currently working freelance in a private conservation studio. Although Jade specialises in easel paintings, she also has experience conserving wall and ceiling paintings, objects, and frames. 

Carrying out a tear repair of a canvas by re-weaving canvas threads.

My favourite thing about my job:

It’s too difficult to pick just one thing! I love the whole process from examining a painting, to all the intricate treatments, to watching it transform before my eyes. I also love the feeling of knowing my work will allow people to enjoy the art for years and years to come.

A skill you might not know I have:

I really love to bake – whether it’s cupcakes, buns, or sourdough, I rarely go a week without baking something, and I do it to relax and unwind. I’m also ambidextrous (which is useful as a conservator), and I once did the hula hoop continuously for over 5 hours! 

Something that can make me spring out of bed in the morning:

I am naturally a morning person and I think a good routine is the best way to feel energised. I don’t think I could function without peanut butter toast for breakfast! 

Surface cleaning a 19th Century gilded frame.

Icon24 Scotland Group – Perth Museum Conservation Tour

Join the Scotland Group on a tour of the new Perth Museum as we prepare for the Icon Conference.

• Friday 21 June 2024
• 11am – 12.30pm BST
• Perth Museum, St John’s Place, Perth PH1 5SZ
• Icon member £8; student member £5; non members £12

Perth Museum opened its doors on Saturday 30 March 2024 after a £27 million redevelopment project. This world-class cultural and heritage attraction highlights the fascinating objects and stories that put Perth and Kinross at the centre of Scotland’s story.

At its heart sits the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, one of Scotland and the UK’s most significant historical objects. Returning to Perthshire for the first time in over 700 years, the Stone is the centrepiece of this new Museum and is free for all to view.
Alongside the Stone, the new Museum displays Perth & Kinross’s Recognised Collections of National Significance as well as iconic loans and exhibitions from the UK and abroad.

The Museum is housed in a heritage Edwardian building that once served as a gathering place hosting everything from markets and concerts to political conferences and wrestling matches. This historic venue was transformed into a major visitor attraction by award-winning architects Mecanoo. The Museum also features the Stone Cafe, museum shop, and learning and events spaces.

Please join us to find out more about the conservation, curation, and exhibition design of the new Perth Museum. Both Culture Perth & Kinross project staff as well as two private practice conservators will share their experience of working on the project. The tour will finish with a hot drink and an opportunity to talk to colleagues.

More about the Perth Museum and how to get there: https://perthmuseum.co.uk/plan-your-visit/

Register for the event here.

Glass Bonding & Filling Workshop

Expand your skills during this 3-day practical workshop with experienced practitioners

EDIT – Event postponed until 2025

The Ceramics & Glass Group in conjunction with the Stained Glass Group and Scotland Group are hosting a 3-day glass conservation workshop led by Tiago Oliveira, ACR with teaching support from Ros Hodges, ACR.

This 3-day Workshop is aimed at conservators with previous knowledge but little experience of glass conservation, being objects or stained glass. The course will cover theory about glass degradation, conservation issues, conservation materials and techniques, and hands-on sessions on handling, bonding, mould making and filling flat glass and vessel glass surrogates. At the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear idea of common glass conservation issues, and options and strategies for their conservation.

Prior to the event, participants will receive an email providing further details including the workshop programme, what to bring, location information and other practical information.

If you are interested in hearing about future editions of the workshop, please email Ros Hodges rahconservation@gmail.com

Glass bonding and filling workshop

The Ceramics & Glass Group in conjunction with the Stained Glass Group and Scotland Group are underway organising a 3-day glass conservation workshop led by Tiago Oliveira, ACR with teaching support from Ros Hodges, ACR.

Workshop Summary

This 3-day Workshop is aimed at conservators with previous knowledge but little experience of glass conservation, being objects or stained glass. The course will cover theory about glass degradation, conservation issues, conservation materials and techniques, and hands-on sessions on handling, bonding, mould making and filling flat glass and vessel glass surrogates. At the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear idea of common glass conservation issues, and options and strategies for their conservation.

It is our aim to host this workshop twice in two different locations around the UK:

• Early April 2024 (between 2^nd-7^th) – London
• May 2024 (Either 4-6^th or 11-13^th) – Prestwick, Scotland

Approximate cost: £400.00

If you would be interested in attending, please register your interest by sending us an email at iconcgg@gmail.com by 26^th February 2024. Be sure to specify which location you’d like to attend, and in the case of Prestwick, the preferred date.

Note: This expression of interest is non-binding and simply for us to gauge the level of interest to support our planning.

Speaker bios

Tiago Oliveira, ACR: Tiago has set up his conservation business in London in 2015. His clients are museums, art galleries, collectors, the Trade and colleagues from other specialisms. Recent projects include freelance work for The Courtauld Institute and The Wallace Collection in London, the National Monuments Institute in Portugal and the Federal Monuments of Austria in Salzburg. He holds an MA, specialising in ceramics and related materials, from West Dean College since 2012 and a BA in Conservation and Restoration from Portugal’s universidade católica since 2006. His main interests are the conservation of architectural ceramics and historical glass objects. In 2022 Tiago gained his ICON Accreditation in Ceramics Conservation and in 2023 he was awarded the Nigel Williams Prize along with his colleague Inês Feliciano.

Ros Hodges, ACR: Ros is a Ceramics Conservator with 30 years of experience in the independent sector who gained her Icon Accreditation in June 2021. She is currently the Chair of the Ceramics & Glass Group Committee.

Her conservation practice is based in East Sussex, where she works on Ceramics, Glass, and Related Materials for a wide range of clients including private individuals, collectors, dealers, local Museums, and Heritage Bodies such as The National Trust and the Dean and Chapter, Westminster Abbey. Her special interests include assessing objects and preparing them for travel prior to exhibitions and training house staff in the care of ceramics and damage prevention. Before embarking on a career in conservation she was responsible for organising medical conferences at The Wellcome Foundation.

Conservation Tour of the Scottish National Gallery

Join Icon Scotland Group for a tour of the Scottish National Gallery!

• Friday 26 January 2024
• 9.30am – 11am GMT or 11.30am – 1pm GMT
• National Galleries of Scotland
• The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
• £5 to £12

‘Celebrating Scotland’s Art’, has been an ambitious NHLF-funded project to create new spaces for Scottish art in the Scottish National Gallery. The project began in 2016, and following an extensive programme of building works and collection preparation, the new galleries opened to the public in September 2023.

The displays include artworks which have never been shown before, such as the Bell Scott Screen, whose treatment brought together experts in the conservation of leather, paper and frames. And we welcome back artworks which have been away on loan for many years, most notably the painting of Christ Teacheth Humility by Robert Scott Lauder, which has been a focus for public engagement during the project. The new galleries include dedicated display areas for works on paper, and our paper conservators can discuss the behind-the-scenes research that was undertaken to enhance our technical knowledge of our ‘top 100’ works on paper.

The Princes St Gardens entrance will become the main point of entry to the Gallery, giving instant access to the Scottish collection and much easier routes to the rest of the building as a whole. The project will create a beautiful new space in the heart of Edinburgh, which will be free for everyone to use and enjoy. A series of large windows, running the length of the gardens-level façade, will fill the galleries with light and colour, and offer spectacular views over one of the most celebrated cityscapes in the world. Extensive new landscaping in the gardens will radically improve access to this much-loved part of the city, and a new buggy park will also make it easier for families to enjoy everything the Gallery has to offer.

This hugely exciting project will create the perfect showcase for the nation’s extraordinary collection of Scottish art, giving it room to breathe and showing it off with real pride to the world. All will be welcome, whether to come in and immerse themselves in the romantic paintings of the Scottish Highlands, to take part in a family day or just to linger, enjoy the views and maybe pick up one of our sketch pads

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland

Please join us to find out more about the highs (and lows!) of this exciting project. For tickets of the early morning tour check here, for tickets of the later tour check here.

Scotland Group: Paper Cradle Making for Exhibition Display of Books

Learn the basics of bespoke book cradle construction, mounting techniques and their requirements

• 13 December 2023
• 9am – 5pm GMT
• V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee DD1 4EZ
• £50 – £80

During this one-day workshop, delegates will learn how two different book conservators, Abigail Bainbridge and Brannah Mackenzie, make their bespoke paper cradles to support bound material while on exhibition display.

The workshop is being hosted by V&A Dundee, in their extraordinary building in the heart of the city which is easily accessible by train.

The workshop will cover:

• The basics of determining safe opening angles for a book
• Measuring for, and making cradles of two designs using conservation board
• How to strap the book to secure it

Participants will be provided with tools and books to use for the day and will be guided through making at least one cradle to take home.

The group will discuss options for other types of bindings with specific needs and how the cradles can be modified to fit accordingly.

This event is a collaboration between the University of St Andrews, V&A Dundee and the Icon Scotland Group.

About the venue:

Located on the river Tay waterfront, directly across the road from Dundee train station, V&A Dundee is Scotland’s first design museum and the only other V&A museum in the world outside London.

The building was designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, inspired by the dramatic cliffs along the east coast of Scotland, and is the show piece of the £1 billion, 30-year regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront.

Described by Kuma as ‘a living room for the city’ we are delighted to be welcomed into this extraordinary building for the workshop.

Click here to book.

Scotland Group: 26th Annual Plenderleith Memorial Lecture

Conservation and the Kelvin Centre: Supporting Growth in Scotland

• 30 November 2023
• 6.30pm – 8.30pm GMT
• £6 to £15
• Hybrid event, online and in person
• We’re also running our AGM and a Tour of Stirling University Art Collection on the 30th of November. More information coming soon!

Join Icon Scotland for our 26th annual lecture in memory of Dundonian Dr Harold Plenderleith (1898 – 1996), one of the key founders of modern conservation. As we do every year, we will commemorate Dr Plenderleith with a talk, followed by a drinks reception, and the opportunity to chat with other conservators, in what has become one of the main conservation get-togethers in Scotland.

Our invited speaker this year is Professor Christina Young, Director of the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research at the University of Glasgow. Christina will reflect on how the Kelvin Centre addresses issues facing the conservation landscape in Scotland today, and how the Centre is helping to promote and support the conservation profession.

Before being the Director of the Kelvin Centre, Christina was a Reader at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and a Leverhulme Fellow at Tate and GCI. Christina teaches and conducts technical art history, conservation and conservation science with an emphasis on developing conservation methodologies and materials for cultural heritage. Her recent research has been focused on the materials and methods of John Hoyland, the history of British scene painters and their materials, and environmentally induced fatigue in panel paintings.

This event is a collaboration with Historic Environment Scotland, and will take place at The Engine Shed, a HES building dedicated to digital innovation, heritage science, and building conservation. Find out how to get there here: www.engineshed.scot/find-us

If you have any dietary requirements or require any accessibility adjustments, please contact events@iconscotland.org.

This event will be preceded by Icon Scotland’s AGM, a free event which has to be booked separately.

Attendance to the AGM is free. Book your place here.

Me in 3 – Elina

In this series we ask a conservation professional 3 questions. The third participant in this series is Elina Rodriguez Millan. Elina is the Events Coordinator of the Icon Scotland Group and works behind the scenes to make Icon Scotland events happen. By day, she is a Stone Conservator at Historic Environment Scotland and works on the conservation of carved stone from Historic Environment Scotland’s collections, as well as HES’s numerous sites (more than 300!).

Elina conducting graffiti cleaning trials at Linlithgow Palace

My favourite thing about my job:

Having the chance to spend a lot of time with objects and elements of buildings that don’t usually get as much attention. Objects from the collections that are not currently on display, or things like gargoyles or other decorative and/or functional elements that I get to access via scaffolding or MEWP, and not many people get to see up close.

I also enjoy researching the monuments and objects I work on. Not just finding out about their history, but also their previous conservation treatments. The conservation records that we have at the HES Conservation Centre date as far back as the 1930s! The oldest ones are usually quite nice-looking handwritten notes and pictures, but they don’t always provide as much information as we’d like. Which is a good reminder. We need to thoroughly document our work!

A skill you might not know I have: 

I watch a lot of TV series, so I’m very good at identifying actors as “that guy from that other show I‘ve watched”. Sometimes even by the voice alone on animated shows or sci-fi shows where actors wear prosthetics.

Conservation-wise, I come from an archaeology/archaeological conservation background, and I worked on low-budget archaeological projects for a long time, so I can make packaging to transport archaeological finds out of almost anything.

Something that can make me spring out of bed in the morning:

I’m not a morning person, so I usually only spring out of bed when duty calls and I have to be on site early. But also for nerdy reasons like playing Dungeons and Dragons online with my friends on the weekends. My D&D character’s a mountain dwarf, which makes her really knowledgeable about stonework, a small nod to my day job. She also has a conservation-adjacent spell she can use to magically mend objects!

Steam cleaning at HES’s Conservation Centre

Conserving Scotland’s Industrial Heritage

By Emma Griffiths

Last December I embarked on a 12-month internship with AOC Archaeology, based in Edinburgh, and Go Industrial, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation that encompasses more than 14 different industrial heritage sites around the country.

The internship is made possible by Powering Our People, a project aimed at addressing the gap in conservation skills and specialist training within industrial heritage institutions across Scotland, by equipping workforces with the skills and resources to care for these nationally significant collections. This project is generously funded by a number of organisations, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Pilgrim Trust, and Museums Galleries Scotland.

Over the course of the last 9 months, I have been out to visit many of the Go Industrial sites, meeting staff and volunteers, getting a behind the scenes glimpse at the collections, and discussing the conservation needs of each institution. These have ranged from interventive treatments, to in house workshops and manuals to guide volunteers in the care of their collections, to advice on integrated pest management.

Scottish Maritime Museum

National Mining Museum Scotland

Many of the sites had certain objects they had identified for conservation, and one particularly interesting object was an early 20th century travel trunk made by luxury French fashion company Louis Vuitton. The trunk has quite a history, and had traveled back and forth across the Atlantic a number of times before being donated to the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine. When it arrived in the lab at AOC Archaeology for treatment, the trunk was locked, and there was no key! Therefore, in addition to cleaning the painted textile covering and reducing the corrosion on the monogrammed metal studs, I had to disassemble the locking mechanism on the top of the trunk before reassembling it unlocked so that the interior could be accessed in the future. Treating this object, which serves as a fascinating piece of Scotland’s immigration/emigration history, was such a rewarding experience, and can’t wait to see it on exhibition at the Maritime Museum later in the year.

Trunk after conservation

DC solvent cleaning painted textile covering

DC disassembled lock

Another interesting object I recently completed working on was a 20th century drafting table, which is now on display in a new exhibition at the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, in Coatbridge. This object was too large, and too heavy, to be uplifted back to AOC Archaeology, and so the treatment was completed onsite at the museum. However, since the timeline for the exhibition was extremely tight, it was decided that reduction of the metal corrosion and any work that may require solvents was to be completed in the store warehouse, with the remainder of the treatment taking place while the table was on display, which provided an excellent opportunity for public engagement with museum guests! It was great to see how many visitors were interested in what I was working on, and what tools I was using, and several older guests even lingered to discuss the differences between conservation and restoration.
Following on from the success of this ‘live action’ conservation, several other onsite projects have been planned for later in the year… stay tuned!

Before conservation

After conservation

drafting table treatment in-situ

As well as treating objects from each of the museums, my internship has also required me to work with collections managers and curators on discrete projects that will benefit the collections as a whole. These projects have varied across the sites, as there is such diversity in the collections, and it has been a challenging but rewarding experience to create workshops, demonstrations and manuals that are tailored to each museum’s needs: from basic conservation cleaning, to maintenance of outdoor painted objects, and even reducing metal corrosion and the application of metal coatings. One project that I have found particularly engaging has been researching the ethics behind working machinery, a project that pertains to the Verdant Works in Dundee, as they have many machines still in working order that demonstrate the procedure of jute processing. One of the main problems for the Verdant Works has been finding people with the appropriate expertise to maintain and care for the machinery to keep it in working order, an issue which further highlights the need for increased skills training in industrial heritage collections. In response to discussions with curator Mel Oakley I have been working on a set of guidelines and considerations that I hope will come in useful for sites that care for working machinery.

Verdant Works

Loom at Verdant Works

While each Go Industrial member site has their own set of conservation needs, there is one thing they all have in common…hazards! Industrial collections are often liable to contain a variety of hazards, so one of the main projects I have been working on is to create a hazards manual for each site, highlighting what type of hazards they can expect to find, how to identify them, how to safely store them, and how to mitigate them. This work is currently ongoing, but there is a manual rollout expected in December along with a demonstration of equipment and mitigation procedures. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this internship though has been meeting the people volunteering their time at each of the member museums. However, while there is no substitution for the wealth of knowledge that the volunteers working on industrial collections, those with engineering backgrounds, bring to the table, often this comes with a desire to restore objects to working condition, which can often be at odds with the principles of conservation. The hope is that through delivering the workshops and training sessions that have been planned for each site, we can impart a conservation mindset, and help staff and volunteers in their efforts to preserve these collections for future generations.

Working with volunteers at Maid of the Loch

Collections survey at Almond Valley Shale Oil

If you would like hear more about the Powering Our People project, check out my blog on the AOC website, or head to the Go Industrial website to find out more about the member museums!

https://www.aocarchaeology.com/blog/ims-internship

https://www.goindustrial.co.uk/