Conservation of Objects
Email: mick@cartmelconservation.com
Cartmel Conservation can work with you to provide specialist conservation skills for objects in your collections. Together, we will establish a conservation plan looking at the condition, storage and display requirements.
I can conserve objects to stabilise them in an ‘as used condition’ to prevent further deterioration or adopt a more extensive programme of conservation work to preserve an object’s longer-term future and understanding. Working objects require their own maintenance and running procedures which are a key component of collection care.
See examples of previous work below or get in touch to discuss your project and how my knowledge can help you.
Conservation of the Boy on the Barrel
This was the conservation of a ten-foot wooden statue situated on the roof of a listed public house in Huddersfield. The statue was to be returned to the roof of the building so safety precautions and future protection were high priorities when agreeing its conservation plan. The conservation work included treating and stabilising many of the original components, replacing rotten wooden sections that were beyond conservation, the addition of some new steelwork to improve strength and stability and a new protective paint coating.
The Boy on the Barrel was shortlisted for the Conservation Award in 1995 at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre.
Conservation and Restoration of a 14ft Wooden Waterwheel
This project was very much a restoration project as the waterwheel was to be a working exhibit powering a small corn mill. After research, it became clear that the current waterwheel comprised the original metalwork however the timber components had been completely replaced at least once during the wheel’s working life.
To ensure the restored waterwheel could power the corn mill it was agreed that all the decayed timbers would be replaced. The waterwheel has a complex jointing system which only became apparent when it was dismantled: a model was built to understand how to re-construct the full-size waterwheel. The waterwheel was rebuilt in an offsite workshop and then dismantled for reconstruction in situ at the corn mill. The original timbers were treated and conserved before being returned to the museum’s collection for future reference and research.
Conservation of a 4ft Cast Iron Cod
The conservation of this four-foot cast iron Cod, used as a donation box by the Lifeboat Association at Robin Hood’s Bay, was done with as little intervention as possible. The conservation work included minor repairs and a new protective paint layer due to its exposed location.
The paint layers were removed and small areas of corrosion filled. The lock and the access door, for removing the donations, were thoroughly cleaned and treated as they would be in daily use. The fish was repainted using a high-quality metal paint protective system and the distinctive markings of the cod were applied.
Conservation of a Horse-Drawn Hearse
The conservation of the horse-drawn hearse was a mixture of conservation cleaning to maintain the original black paint wherever possible and the removal of the corrosion on the undercarriage. The undercarriage was in a poor condition so this was cleaned more aggressively and a new paint layer was used to match the original paintwork. The horse-drawn hearse was to be displayed in an everyday life exhibition scene, so some of the wooden decoration around the top of the carriage was replaced due to them being missing or beyond conservation.
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