Major Projects |
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Audrey Blakman Bequests, St.
Cross College, Oxford
I undertook a two-year conservation program for
the treatment of this major bequest in collaboration
with a conservation framer. We assessed, prioritised,
conserved, mounted and framed a wide variety of
watercolours, prints and drawings ranging from 17th
Century watercolours to 20th Century screen prints. |
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Mucha Trust, Czech Republic
I undertook conservation work for the Trust working
on more than 125 drawings, pastels and posters by
Alphons Mucha. These included a large gouache and
ink design for a stained glass window and a 2m pastel
portrait of Sarah Bernhardt. I inspected some of
the conserved works in the Mucha Museum (Prague)
in 1999. |
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The Revival Company
(Disaster management)
I became responsible for paper conservation for
this disaster management company. Over the years
I have dealt with items subjected to fire, flood
and malicious damage. These included the cleaning
and conservation of “The Acrobat” (David
Hockney) a screen print that had suffered extensive
fire and smoke damage. |
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Antique’s Road
Show Exhibition, Wycombe School
I was invited to join a panel of experts and Phillips
Auctioneers at an Antique Roadshow. This was a day
long opportunity for the public to bring along items
for expert assessment, advice and valuation. |
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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
I worked as the paper conservator for the museum’s
Department of Western Art during the period of Judith
Chantry’s extended leave. In addition to treating
a number of items in my own studio I also advised
the museum on the suitability of prints, drawings
and watercolours for travel and exhibition. |
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River and Rowing Museum,
Henley
Prior to the opening of the museum I was engaged
to conserve in excess of 200 items. I advised on
the suitability of pieces for exhibition and provided
designs for the display of oversize items. The conservation
work covered of a wide variety of items including
maps, ephemera, prints, drawings and books. Most
recently I have repaired a set of collages by John
Piper and an album of early 20th Century photographs. |
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Report and Disaster Response
Plan for Lord Canarvon
Highclere Castle
I inspected and assessed paper objects in-situ in
response to the appearance of mould in the Egyptology
exhibition. I then prepared a detailed report with
recommendations for the care of the collection,
from cataloguing to display, and developed a complete
disaster response plan for the exhibition. |
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Stratfield Saye House, Berkshire
I am currently undertaking the conservation of a
number of pieces in Lord Duro’s collection. |
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| Specialist Projects |
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Elizabeth 1st Royal Charter.
Gunn Street Gallery, Reading
Treatment of six illuminated parchment leaves sewn
together with silver thread secured within a broken
wax seal which had been damaged and distorted in
a flood. Treatment included the relaxation and separation
of the leaves, re-stretching of each leaf, repair
of fractures and support of weakened areas, repair
of wax seal and re-sewing with original thread.
After conservation the Charter was inspected Her
Majesty the Queen. |
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Victorian Scrap Screen. Private
Client
Cleaning and repair of a Victorian six (5ft x 2ft)
panelled varnished paper scrap screen. The stretched
linen/paper support and paper decorations had been
damaged during removal and the varnish layer had
discoloured over many years. Treatment included
cleaning of varnish, repair to support, patching
with toned reproduction scraps, re-varnishing. |
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Tambourine. Private Client
Cleaning and conservation of a damaged vellum tambourine
decorated with a portrait painted in oils and varnished.
Treatment included removal from wooden frame, removal
of damaged and discoloured varnish layer, repair
to fractures in the vellum, lining onto an acid-free
support, re-varnishing and re-attaching to wooden
frame |
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Pair of Globes. Private Client
Conservation of a pair of globes (terrestrial and
celestial) made by T. Patrick & Co. (1808).
Treatment included removal of damaged and discoloured
varnish layer, cleaning of paper gores in situ,
repair to damaged gesso layer, repair of missing
areas with toned antique paper and re-varnishing.
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| Walter Sickert and Jack
the Ripper
In 2003 I was asked to assess and conserve a collection
of sketches and drawings by Walter Sickert belonging
to Reading University. This lead to an invitation
to join a team of experts including forensic scientists
and art historians who had been drawn together
by the author Patricia Cornwell to re-test the
evidence that Walter Sickert was also the notorious
Victorian murderer Jack the Ripper. I provided
advice regarding the origins of materials and
media. I also undertook cross-comparative analysis
of the drawing techniques employed by Sickert
with those of the murderer, preserved in the famous
collection of Ripper Letters and Drawings held
at the Public Records Office at Kew. The research
project lead directly to a book ‘Portrait
of a Killer’ by Patricia Cornwell and a
television documentary by BBC1.
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