Examination and Treatment Report for a Carpenter & Co. Lock Found at SERC: Museum Conservation Institute #6955

An aged and heavily corroded horizontal iron rim lock for the left side of a door was examined at the request of the director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). The lock was reportedly found by a contractor on SERC’s property during renovation, and the iron corrosion is typical of exposure to the elements. It was anticipated that the lock would date from the time of the oldest part of the Sellman/Kirkpatrick-Howat house constructed in 1735 or its Greek Revival enlargement in 1841. Examination of the lock included x-radiography. A recommendation was made to not conduct further conservation treatment, such as removal of iron corrosion, because it would threaten the structural integrity of the object. Instead it was advised that the lock be exhibited in a case with conditioned silica gel and regularly monitored, which should keep it in stable condition.

Workshop: Care & Conservation of Zoological Collections

Zoological collections house a huge range of biological diversity preserved in a wide variety of ways ranging from microscope mounts to whole animals preserved in fluids. The result is that these collections consist of a wide range of differing materials which can make the long term care and conservation of such collections a considerable challenge. This workshop is designed for museum professionals with the aim of giving an introductory overview on museum conservation approaches towards the care of zoological collections. This will be achieved through identifying the key risks and looking at the application of both remedial and preventative conservation methodologies to their care. The format of the workshop will be lectures on specific topics with group discussions, along with (where feasible) activities in small groups and practical examinations of specimens. Topics covered will include: Introduction to the concepts of ‘museum conservation’ and its application within the Natural Sciences. The types of material found in zoological collections – an overview of the core collection types, the chemistry of preservation and the potential long term challenges these present. An overview of the key agents of deterioration. Environmental effects and how to recognise them. Awareness of hazardous materials and core H&S issues encountered with the care and handling of zoological collections. Assessing collections and deciding conservation priorities. Fur, feathers and bones - practical conservation approaches to cleaning, consolidation and repair. Fluid collections - practical conservation approaches to handling, identifying fluids and carrying out remedial activities. Other key collection areas – e.g. conservation of entomology and other dried invertebrate collections; microscope slide collections. Consideration of the care and conservation of specialist collections e.g. historic models such as Blaschka glass models. Discussion and feedback from attendees will be a core part of the day.

Play Dead: Dance, Museums, and the “Time-Based Arts”

This article examines some recent dance exhibitions where a strong speculative involvement of choreographers from the so-called trend of “conceptual dance” has been at stake. Both the open question of the history of dance and performance and the possibility for choreographic thinking to engage with the forms of the exhibition display became objects of experimentation in important projects and museum pieces conceived by Boris Charmatz, Xavier Le Roy, and La Ribot. In turn, the latter activated further concerns around the way dancers and choreographers address the question of heritage and its transmission; in this regard, examples of Richard Move and Jérôme Bel are also brought in the discussion. The article considers these shifts within the hypothesis of a dance museum currently engaging with a wider statement and critique about the “time-based arts” (a term first coined in the context of film, video, and new media museum conservation) and the ongoing new, time-related configurations of the exhibition space.