The central role of the Church of England is mission and ministry and the strategy of the Church’s Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division is to support buildings for mission. Over three quarters of the Church of England’s 15,700 church buildings are listed, although the Church is not a heritage organisation. Discussions on conservation of church heritage focus on the buildings: conservation of historic

(2020). Integrating the Classroom with the Community: Collaboration with the Hewitt Mansion in Buffalo, New York. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

Clinical multislice X-ray computed tomography (MCST) was performed on a seventeenth-century panel painting from the collection of the National Academy of San Luca Gallery in Rome. The use of MSCT allowed us to detect the numerous characteristics of the wood used, the panel construction, and its condition, leading to a complete preliminary interpretation of its structural characteristics.

The restoration of the Roman building of the third-fourth century CE called Minerva Medica, in Rome, highlighted a problem concerning the choice of the color of the bricks for integration. Current conservation practice in Italy favours a restoration that as much as possible is consistent with the original but leaves some visible differences to a careful observer. Color measurement is usually performed

Thirty-eight thangkas have been displayed in the Buddha Room in the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian) of the Palace Museum, Beijing, for more than 270 years. A huge and systematic project is presented including the conservation of thangkas, the environmental control of the historic buildings, as well as research into possibilities for display and storage. The methods and materials used to conserve

(2020). The Preservation of Façades for Pre-Hispanic and Historical Buildings in Mexico. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Integrated Strategy to Assess Conservation Treatments on Sandstone. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

The discovery of blue copper salts prompted scientific studies of a collection of ‘silver’ white metal jewellery from Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia dated from the end of the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century. Surface examination along with compositional and microstructural analysis was carried out to explore the alloys and manufacturing techniques of the artefacts. A total of

One of the most telling artifacts in the 9/11 Memorial Museum is the slurry wall, a vestige in situ of the pre-9/11 World Trade Center complex, preserved under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This subterranean 20 meter long section of the perimeter wall that surrounded 4.5 hectares of the Trade Center site was never meant to be seen or tell its story. Made of reinforced concrete

(2020). The Recreation of Historic Ceiling Tiles for Buxton Crescent. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

The Centre Block in Ottawa is a classified federal heritage building housing Canada's parliament. Nearly a century after its formal opening, it closed in 2019 for a decade-long rehabilitation. This neo-gothic building will undergo complete structural, engineering, seismic and security upgrades while preserving its heritage character and materials. The lessons learned during the rehabilitation of other

This paper evaluates the pros and cons of housing collections in historic buildings as opposed to creating new, purpose-built buildings. Previous studies have compared the costs of adapting existing buildings to those of new construction, showing the former to be better value for money. Those findings will be re-examined in the light of BS EN 16893, passive standards and renewable energy developments;

Photo-oxidation has been identified as a main cause of the light-induced color and brightness changes to which historical objects in exhibitions may be subject. Therefore, a possible approach to reduce the risk of light damage is the reduction of the oxygen content in the atmosphere surrounding these objects. In order to estimate the efficiency of this approach, this work presents a comparison of the

The Burrell Collection, which opened in 1984, was built to display and house the fine and decorative art collection given to the City of Glasgow by the ship owner, politician and philanthropist Sir William Burrell. The building design was chosen via a competition in the 1970s, with the structure fully listed in the early twenty-first century. It is one of the best examples of late twentieth-century

This paper reports on an investigation into slanted support, an increasingly common method of displaying tapestries in mainland Europe. Two factors contribute to the efficacy of slanted supports for tapestry: the angle of display and the degree of friction between the tapestry and the support. Initial analysis demonstrated that a small degree of slope, of 5°, has only marginal impact on reducing the

An extreme environment poses challenges, and forces one to implement solutions that require mixing state-of-the-art techniques with local knowledge and resources, to achieve results that are appropriate, effective, and sustainable in the long term. This is the case at Dangeil, Sudan, site of a first-century CE Kushite temple and cemeteries. Archaeological excavation and conservation were initiated

The design and evaluation of site-specific injection grouts for the stabilisation of delaminated wall paintings is often challenging to perform in situ, due to constraints such as time, availability of materials and reliable testing procedures. In this research, a rigorous design and testing methodology, including the development of a new adhesion test, was adopted on-site for the development of injection

(2020). A Reflection on Current Conservation Policy through the Adaptive Re-use of Haw Par Mansion and Conservation of Three Tiger Balm Garden Sculptures. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

In the Central European context the imitation of natural stone is called stucco marble or scagliola. During its manufacture, the mixture of gypsum, animal glue and pigments produces a marble-like structure and after several sanding and polishing processes it attains a glossy surface. Scagliola plays a significant role in the history of interior design in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in central

This paper presents the results of a full-scale experiment where a newly-developed thermal insulating mortar was applied to four vaults in the medieval church in Annisse, Denmark. The intervention aimed to stabilize climatic conditions, mitigating potentially harmful processes that often contribute to deterioration and decay. Vaults are exposed to soiling by fine particulate matter, discolouration

Many countries in the Mediterranean region face the enormous challenge of conserving detached mosaics abandoned in storage for decades without any re-backing support and with only their facings to hold the tesserae in place. As part of the MOSAIKON initiative's technician training courses, sustainable techniques have been developed to address this problem, providing national authorities with the skills

The earthquakes in 2015 brought Nepal to the centre of attention of the global heritage community. At the Patan Durbar Square and Royal Palace – part of the Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – considerable progress has been made in the conservation and reconstruction of damaged, built cultural heritage, mainly made of brick, timber and stone. Collaborative work between the Institute of

(2020). Casa de Pueblo, Spain: Bridging the Divide Between Built and Moveable Heritage Conservators Through Social Media. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

This paper presents the conservation treatment of original 1960s polyester design elements in the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus, which was performed as an integral part of a major restoration of the landmark building. It is shown how the structural and usage-related context of the design influenced the decision-making process that led to the conservation treatment. This was relevant both for the choice

(2020). And So To Bed: Inside or Outside the Box?. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Delivering Decisions with Due Diligence: A Research-led Approach for the Conservation of the Rubens Ceiling at Banqueting House, Whitehall, London. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Mind the Shadow Gap: Reflecting on 20 Years of the Museum of Scotland and Looking Forward to the Future. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Protecting the National Gallery’s Paintings Collection From the Impact of Vibration During Building Work. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Preventive Conservation Measures for Stone Statuary in the Outdoor Environment: Three Case Studies from Austria. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

This paper describes a pioneering in situ study of the daylight characteristics of a historic house interior. A combination of lux measurements inside and outside a historic showroom and recording of sunshine hours have been used together with a log of the room blind operation to understand the daylight characteristics of the room under different weather conditions, blinds settings and season. Average

(2020). Materials Used for Paper-based Interior Decoration in the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian) in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Conservation of Exterior Wall Paintings in Slovenia: Deficiencies in Traditional Practice and Solutions for More Sustainable Preservation. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

Vibration generated by use of masonry equipment can be a threat to wall paintings. Its assessment, mitigation and control is of critical importance to risk management and the safeguarding of works of art, particularly those which are immovable. The planned programme of window restoration in the Royal Gallery, Palace of Westminster, started in 2016, directly above the monumental wall painting of Trafalgar

The Nimrud Rescue Project is a collaborative project to recover fragments of Neo-Assyrian sculptures bombed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2015–2016, and to develop a long-term plan for the preservation and use of the site and its architectural remains through capacity-building and support of Iraqi heritage professionals. The Smithsonian Institution has been working with colleagues

(2020). On-site Surface Cleaning of Japanese Architecture Using Gels Incorporating Organic Solvents. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

The main building of Fengguo Temple, located in Yixian, Liaoning, China, is one of the oldest wooden architecture structures, built in 1020. The inner walls of the building are decorated with Buddhist paintings drawn in the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). In the 1980s, in parallel with strengthening the columns, the mural paintings of the inner walls were restored by installing the new support made of a

(2020). Cleaning of Oil-on-Stone Wall Paintings: Lessons Learned From Easel Painting Conservation. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

Adsorbent materials can be used for the removal of organic acids from air in storage rooms with heritage collections. The organic acid removal efficiency of two commercially available activated carbon air-filters were tested in situ in two unoccupied stores with densely packed collections. One filter was designed for outdoor type pollutants (Filter A), while the other was designed for organic acids

(2020). A Multi-Analytical Investigation of the Materials and Painting Techniques of Wall Paintings in the Eighth to Tenth-Century CE Jain Caves at Ellora, India. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

Nanolimes are the first nanomaterials used in heritage conservation for natural stone consolidation. Thanks to their size, they show good penetration depth into substrates, high reactivity resulting in a faster carbonation process, and the ability to bridge cracks through the formation of a network of calcium carbonate cement. Two commercial nanolimes, CaLoSiL (IBZ Salztchemie) and Nanorestore (CSGI)

(2020). The Chinese Wallpaper from Strathallan Castle, Scotland, and its Peregrinations. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT Reigate stone was extensively used in medieval London and is prone to rapid decay. A variety of different conservation treatments has been applied in the past; in many cases, these have not mitigated on-going decay. This paper presents an overview of wax, limewash, silane and ammonium tartrate treatment at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. Documentary analysis and visual inspection

England’s East Anglian region has c.550 late-medieval screens still in their original churches, one of Northern Europe’s most significant in situ collections of medieval panel painting. The churches are managed by non-specialist volunteers and are not museums. In many, congregations are shrinking and long-term sustainability will involve varying uses of the building. The buildings and their collections

(2020). 3D Documentation and Analysis of Porosity in Deteriorated Historic Brick. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Copying Artworks for Preserving the Entirety of Architectural Monuments in Ukraine. Studies in Conservation. Ahead of Print.

Earthen sites in China have great historic, artistic, and scientific values embedded in archaeology, raw materials, and construction techniques. However, high concentrations of salt could potentially cause severe deformation to these earthen sites, and heavy local precipitation can greatly facilitate the process of dissolution and recrystallization of salt. In this study, environment-simulated experiments

This article analyzes different ontological categories and how they relate to the conservation of contemporary art. Faced with the necessity of apprehending the work of art from an ontological point of view, a theoretical approach is made on the concepts that most affect the conservation of contemporary art: quiddity, truth-authenticity, identity, quality, consistency, and interpretation. These are

Historic rock reliefs are magnificent monuments that represent special events of the past. Due to exposure to the natural environment, these monuments are affected by natural and human erosion mechanisms. Many of them have disappeared over time and are no longer recognizable. This research seeks to find a way to understand the initial shapes of the rock reliefs that have been exposed to steady and

This article presents historical and scientific analysis, as well as the conservation treatment of a newly rediscovered Roman wall painting fragment, now in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Although the piece has not previously been published, it was among a group of fragments removed from a Roman villa near Boscotrecase in southern Italy, an area that has been key to the study of Roman wall

In this paper an overview of recent applications of mid-wave infrared imaging techniques to the study of books is presented. Studies performed by thermography and mid-wave infrared reflectography are reviewed to demonstrate how they can be used to investigate the main features of books. The capability of these techniques is exploited in the analysis of structural elements of the bookbindings and writing

This article presents the study of the main phenomena of material weathering and structural damage that affect traditional architecture built in adobe, analysing the damage found in 553 case studies, representative of different technical varieties of adobe construction in Spain. The analysis methodology proposed in this text made it possible to quantify and identify the risks of damage appearing, establishing

Sticky rice paste is a viscous material commonly used in traditional Chinese construction. It has the basic properties of high viscosity and viscoelasticity, good corrosion and weather resistance, and a small coefficient of expansion. Sticky rice paste is usually added to site soils to modify their basic physical and mechanical properties. This study found that gelatinized sticky rice-paste-modified

Historic Japanese textiles from over 1000 years ago generally show marked deterioration and only very rare examples show their original forms and much information about textile reproduction has been lost. The replication of textile braids lacks systematic methodology and is still being practiced by only few individual braiding experts. The recreation of original braids as close as possible to original

Preservation of cuneiform tablets made with clay minerals is an ongoing conservation issue. A treatment based on TEOS consolidation has been used since 1996 at the Louvre museum. The characterization of the tablets pointed out kaolinite, illite, and smectite as the three main clay minerals constituting the objects. In this research, the physico-mechanical aspects of the treatment are investigated.

This paper focuses on the study and conservation of the gods painted on the doors of traditional temples in Taiwan. These paintings are continually exposed to poor environmental conditions (especially sunlight, rain, and pollution) and human factors, such as continuous ritual activities. After reviewing the technical characteristics of these paintings and their origins, traditional views and contemporary

The forms of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy are varied, including hanging scrolls, horizontal scrolls, screens, hand scrolls, and albums. Hanging scrolls are hung on the wall for display, but curling edges often appear on both sides of the hanging scroll. Various factors influence the deformation of paintings and calligraphy, such as temperature and relative humidity and the susceptibility

The aim of this research was to produce reference data for the study and identification of fibres of carbonised excavated textiles. Thus, the effects of carbonisation (incomplete burning) on the morphology and dimensions of selected fibres used in textile production were investigated. A set of standard test, commercial, and hand-made fabrics, of four cellulosic (cotton, flax, hemp, nettle) and two

As an important part of art and culture, ancient murals depict a variety of different artistic images, and these individual images have important research value. For research purposes, it is often important to first determine the type of objects represented in a painting. However, the mural painting environment makes datasets difficult to collect, and long-term exposure leads to underlying features

Zinc (carboxylate) soaps, formed by reactions between zinc oxide (ZnO) and fatty acids in a drying oil, are known to cause deterioration in the paint layers of modern and contemporary oil paintings. This study investigates zinc carboxylates that developed in an oil painting test panel designed to mimic the aging and degradation encountered in actual works of art. Following accelerated and natural aging

ABSTRACT Many museums are housed in historic buildings, sometimes the building itself is part of the museum collection. Creating a stable environment by providing a nearly constant temperature and relative humidity at correct levels decreases the risk of object degradation. Maintaining this steady indoor environment, however, increases energy consumption and risks to the historic building. Museum display