Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Job posting: Paintings Conservator (x3), Tate, London UK 2. RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs 3. Thank you 4. Job Posting: Object Conservator Position Chicago 5. RE: Lecture series Sustainability in Conservation 6. RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs 7. RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Madeleine Ewing Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 10:38 AM Subject: Job posting: Paintings Conservator (x3), Tate, London UK Message: Paintings Conservator Reference: TG4338 Opportunity Type: Fixed-term, Full-time and Part-time Working Hours: Please find details in the job description Salary: £38,394 per annum (prorated accordingly to hours worked per week) Location: London Closing date for Application: 13 February 2025 at midday We are looking to recruit three experienced and motivated Paintings Conservators to join our Paintings, Frames & Workshop Conservation team. Each of the three roles focuses on a different programme area – Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Loans/Tate Liverpool. You will focus on Tate's programme of exhibitions & displays and loans, documenting, preparing and treating paintings within Tate's Collection. We are seeking collaborators, who can work flexibly and work with us to provide innovative solutions to solve complex challenges for collection artworks and ensure high standards of preservation. You will hold a recognised qualification in the Conservation of Easel Paintings and have demonstrable practical experience treating and stabilising a broad range of paintings with full consideration of the practical and ethical issues. You will have performed condition surveys, prepared estimates and will understand long-term care issues for paintings. Effective communication will be essential, as well as good time management, project planning skills and the ability to work well under pressure and to meet deadlines. The roles are based across the London sites, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Tate Stores. These positions are offered on fixed-term contracts - details can be found in the job description. For how to apply online and the job description, please follow this link: Working at Tate | Paintings Conservator <https://workingat.tate.org.uk/pages/job_search_view.aspx?jobId=10653> Our jobs are like our galleries, open to all ------------------------------ Madeleine Ewing Paintings Conservator Tate Modern Bankside London SE1 9TG E: [email protected] ------------------------------ 2.From: Sarah Coggins Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 10:38 AM Subject: RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Message: Hello conservation community Thank you to all who replied publicly and privately. I'm going to try to reply to all of your questions, here goes; -The sensors were calibrated in July 2024 -I have checked the Hanwell sensors against a Novasina hand held sensor. The results are below; Gunner large section Gunner small section Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor 19.8°C 62.1% RH 19.9°C 39.4% RH 19.8°C 72.8% RH 19.8°C 50.6% RH However, as I left the Novasina sensor in the case for 10-15 minutes and afterwards I put a Hanwell sensor in the case for a few days and it eventually read the same as the other sensors in the case I wasn't confident in the Novasina readings. -There is no known water source in the case, however this is something we will have to investigate more closely if we can't confirm that its a sensor issue. -When silica gel was put inside the case there was an initial drop in RH of around 5% but the RH was back up at the same high of 81% within a week. Having worked with silica gel in cases before this seems unusually fast for RH to be going back up and as I said it is reasonably well sealed. I just thought, I'll have to check the colour of the gel to see if its exhausted. -The raw data from the case shows that the RH is still fluctuating, not indicating a sensor issue. Interestingly the 2nd Hanwell sensor that I put in the case was put back in an environment of 55% a week ago and is still not reading the same as the other sensor in that space. Next I'm going to try to find paper RH strips, look at the IT and software, talk to Hanwell (an obvious choice) and change the batteries. Thanks again for all of your help. Best ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-23-2025 11:40 From: Sarah Coggins Subject: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Hello conservation community We have two Hanwell RH and T sensors inside a showcase that are reading an RH of >75%. The temperature readings are in an acceptable range of 19-21 degrees centigrade. We cannot determine the cause of the high RH, the small HVAC systems in the case are turned off and isolated and there is no source of water anywhere near the case. The RH in the gallery is low, at around 30-40% although the case is well sealed at 0.23 air exchanges/ day. I have also put a good quantity of silicag gel in the case that has not brought the RH down as would be expected. Equally in the past when cases have had high RH there has been condensation on the interior of the cases and this is not visible on the case in question. The objects inside the case are regularly monitored and we have seen no changes or degradation that would be expected if the RH was in fact >75%. I have replaced the sensors in the case with ones from a very stable area that maintains 55% RH and the sensor quickly read the same high RH but when I put it back in the area with a constant RH of 55% the RH reading has not come down in line with the other sensor in the area. Does anyone have any experience of this happening in their collection? I think I heard once that VOCs can have an effect on the accuracy of RH sensors but I can't remember where I heard that. There may be painted MDF in part of the display mounts or on the objects may be off gassing. I would love to hear your ideas or advice. Thank you ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ 3.From: James Martin Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 10:39 AM Subject: Thank you Message: Dear All, I found a home in conservation, a place to plant and grow my mind and a place to and use my eye and hand skills to preserve what others had created, while in the good company of other professionals who found the same home. I found that home after a chance meeting with a conservator at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where I was copying a large work painted by William Merritt Chase. I paused painting to learn conservation and to create practical conservation science services and laboratories to benefit conservators, art historians, collectors, and others. After tens of thousands of hours closely studying the facture and chemical composition of works that others created - and - with no bigger, unachieved professional goals - I have returned to painting, with a better eye, a visual memory of thousands of master works, and passion without pressure. I am immensely grateful to the many hundreds of conservators and conservation scientists with whom I learned, shared, and worked. Thank you. It's been a pleasure and an honor. With a little effort, you can find me on Instagram and LinkedIn, if you like. I leave you with these thoughts that I published in 2015, which guided me and remain true to me: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thoughts-15-years-extraordinary-success-james-martin?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thoughts-15-years-extraordinary-success-james-martin?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via> All best, Jamie James Martin Williamstown, Massachusetts Sent from my iPhone 4.From: Joshua McCauley Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 10:50 AM Subject: Job Posting: Object Conservator Position Chicago Message: Assistant Objects Conservator The Conservation Center Chicago, IL, USA The Conservation Center is soliciting applicants to join the company's Objects Department as an Assistant Objects Conservator. This department provides conservation treatments on different types of artifacts ranging from cultural heritage, decorative arts, archaeological and ethnographic objects, and modern and contemporary art. The ideal candidate should have the following: working knowledge of materials, techniques, and ethics of object conservation; extremely fine manual skills; the ability to carry out treatments of minor to major complexity; sound judgment; the ability to meet scheduled deadlines; and the ability to work effectively with colleagues and clients as a positive and productive team member. QUALIFICATIONS: An advanced degree in art conservation with a specialization in object conservation preferred; or an advanced degree with comparable training, and a minimum of two years of relevant post-graduate experience. Thorough understanding of conservation theory and practice. Strong grasp of the methods and materials utilized in object conservation. Ability to provide written condition reports, treatment recommendations, and post-treatment reports for a wide range of objects. Ability to perform highly skilled conservation treatments on different types of materials including, but not limited to the following: ceramics, glass, wood, lacquered surfaces, gilt wood, polychrome, ivory, leather, metal, plastic, and stone. Strong communication skills, and the ability to collaborate with other departments to execute treatments. Ability to adhere to strict deadlines. Ability to work in disaster recovery and triage situations. Exhibits skills necessary to complete all aspects of projects, throughout the treatment process. Previous experience in private practice strongly preferred. This is a full-time salaried position, which requires occasional travel. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience - benefits include medical insurance, vacation pay, and a 401 (k) retirement plan. Compensation: $50,000 - 60,000/year, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Conservation Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified candidates are encouraged to contact Heather Becker at [email protected]. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references which illustrate qualifications. If applying from outside the US, a US work visa is required before applying. http://www.theconservationcenter.com/careers-internships/ <http://www.theconservationcenter.com/careers-internships/> Heather Becker, CEO ------------------------------ Joshua McCauley Senior Conservator of Objects and Frames The Conservation Center Chicago United States ------------------------------ 5.From: Brenda Bernier Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 10:50 AM Subject: RE: Lecture series Sustainability in Conservation Message: Claire, this looks like an interesting series. Any chance it will be recorded for greater access? Thanks. ------------------------------ Brenda Bernier Malloy-Rabinowitz Preservation Librarian | Director of Preservation Services Harvard Library | 90 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Pronouns: she, her, hers ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-27-2025 06:04 From: Clare Richardson Subject: Lecture series Sustainability in Conservation The first of a series of lectures on Sustainability in Conservation will take place at The Courtauld next week - its free but booking is essential! Hope to see you there. https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/sustainability-in-conservation/ <https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/sustainability-in-conservation/> Clare Richardson Head of Conservation Department of Conservation The Courtauld Institute of Art Somerset House, Strand London WC2R 0RN Tel: +44 (0) 20 3947 7659 [email protected] <[email protected]> www.courtauld.ac.uk <http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/> Find out more about what's on at The Courtauld - courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on <https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/?see-all> Book tickets to The Courtauld Gallery's permanent collection and temporary exhibitions at courtauld.ac.uk/gallery <https://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/> For more information on studying at The Courtauld, visit courtauld.ac.uk/study <https://courtauld.ac.uk/study/> Visit The Courtauld Shop for carefully curated products inspired by art and artists in our collection: shop.courtauld.ac.uk <https://shop.courtauld.ac.uk/> 6.From: Christian Mueller-Straten Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 11:00 AM Subject: RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Message: Thanks for this interim report. Keep us updated. Sometimes the batteries really are the wrong type. :-) ------------------------------ [Christian] [Mueller-Straten] [Researcher, Publisher, Art Historian] [Owner] [Verlag Dr. Christian Mueller-Straten] [Munich] [Germany] [0049-89-839 690 43] [https://www.museum-aktuell.de] https://www.museum-aktuell.de/CEO ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-28-2025 08:12 From: Sarah Coggins Subject: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Hello conservation community Thank you to all who replied publicly and privately. I'm going to try to reply to all of your questions, here goes; -The sensors were calibrated in July 2024 -I have checked the Hanwell sensors against a Novasina hand held sensor. The results are below; Gunner large section Gunner small section Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor 19.8°C 62.1% RH 19.9°C 39.4% RH 19.8°C 72.8% RH 19.8°C 50.6% RH However, as I left the Novasina sensor in the case for 10-15 minutes and afterwards I put a Hanwell sensor in the case for a few days and it eventually read the same as the other sensors in the case I wasn't confident in the Novasina readings. -There is no known water source in the case, however this is something we will have to investigate more closely if we can't confirm that its a sensor issue. -When silica gel was put inside the case there was an initial drop in RH of around 5% but the RH was back up at the same high of 81% within a week. Having worked with silica gel in cases before this seems unusually fast for RH to be going back up and as I said it is reasonably well sealed. I just thought, I'll have to check the colour of the gel to see if its exhausted. -The raw data from the case shows that the RH is still fluctuating, not indicating a sensor issue. Interestingly the 2nd Hanwell sensor that I put in the case was put back in an environment of 55% a week ago and is still not reading the same as the other sensor in that space. Next I'm going to try to find paper RH strips, look at the IT and software, talk to Hanwell (an obvious choice) and change the batteries. Thanks again for all of your help. Best ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 01-23-2025 11:40 From: Sarah Coggins Subject: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Hello conservation community We have two Hanwell RH and T sensors inside a showcase that are reading an RH of >75%. The temperature readings are in an acceptable range of 19-21 degrees centigrade. We cannot determine the cause of the high RH, the small HVAC systems in the case are turned off and isolated and there is no source of water anywhere near the case. The RH in the gallery is low, at around 30-40% although the case is well sealed at 0.23 air exchanges/ day. I have also put a good quantity of silicag gel in the case that has not brought the RH down as would be expected. Equally in the past when cases have had high RH there has been condensation on the interior of the cases and this is not visible on the case in question. The objects inside the case are regularly monitored and we have seen no changes or degradation that would be expected if the RH was in fact >75%. I have replaced the sensors in the case with ones from a very stable area that maintains 55% RH and the sensor quickly read the same high RH but when I put it back in the area with a constant RH of 55% the RH reading has not come down in line with the other sensor in the area. Does anyone have any experience of this happening in their collection? I think I heard once that VOCs can have an effect on the accuracy of RH sensors but I can't remember where I heard that. There may be painted MDF in part of the display mounts or on the objects may be off gassing. I would love to hear your ideas or advice. Thank you ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ 7.From: Kim Hewitt Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2025 4:26 PM Subject: RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Message: Hi Sarah,Possibly small pieces of dark toned tissue papers placed within the case might show minute tide lines that indicate a presence of moisture. Most likely if any water is present it is microscopic and not visible without proper instrumentation. Kind regards, Kim ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 1/28/2025 8:12:00 AM From: Sarah Coggins Subject: RE: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Hello conservation community Thank you to all who replied publicly and privately. I'm going to try to reply to all of your questions, here goes; -The sensors were calibrated in July 2024 -I have checked the Hanwell sensors against a Novasina hand held sensor. The results are below; Gunner large section Gunner small section Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor Hanwell sensor Novasina sensor 19.8°C 62.1% RH 19.9°C 39.4% RH 19.8°C 72.8% RH 19.8°C 50.6% RH However, as I left the Novasina sensor in the case for 10-15 minutes and afterwards I put a Hanwell sensor in the case for a few days and it eventually read the same as the other sensors in the case I wasn't confident in the Novasina readings. -There is no known water source in the case, however this is something we will have to investigate more closely if we can't confirm that its a sensor issue. -When silica gel was put inside the case there was an initial drop in RH of around 5% but the RH was back up at the same high of 81% within a week. Having worked with silica gel in cases before this seems unusually fast for RH to be going back up and as I said it is reasonably well sealed. I just thought, I'll have to check the colour of the gel to see if its exhausted. -The raw data from the case shows that the RH is still fluctuating, not indicating a sensor issue. Interestingly the 2nd Hanwell sensor that I put in the case was put back in an environment of 55% a week ago and is still not reading the same as the other sensor in that space. Next I'm going to try to find paper RH strips, look at the IT and software, talk to Hanwell (an obvious choice) and change the batteries. Thanks again for all of your help. Best ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-23-2025 11:40 From: Sarah Coggins Subject: Hanwell RH and T sensors and VOCs Hello conservation community We have two Hanwell RH and T sensors inside a showcase that are reading an RH of >75%. The temperature readings are in an acceptable range of 19-21 degrees centigrade. We cannot determine the cause of the high RH, the small HVAC systems in the case are turned off and isolated and there is no source of water anywhere near the case. The RH in the gallery is low, at around 30-40% although the case is well sealed at 0.23 air exchanges/ day. I have also put a good quantity of silicag gel in the case that has not brought the RH down as would be expected. Equally in the past when cases have had high RH there has been condensation on the interior of the cases and this is not visible on the case in question. The objects inside the case are regularly monitored and we have seen no changes or degradation that would be expected if the RH was in fact >75%. I have replaced the sensors in the case with ones from a very stable area that maintains 55% RH and the sensor quickly read the same high RH but when I put it back in the area with a constant RH of 55% the RH reading has not come down in line with the other sensor in the area. Does anyone have any experience of this happening in their collection? I think I heard once that VOCs can have an effect on the accuracy of RH sensors but I can't remember where I heard that. There may be painted MDF in part of the display mounts or on the objects may be off gassing. I would love to hear your ideas or advice. Thank you ------------------------------ Sarah Coggins Conservation Engineer Mary Rose Trust Southsea United Kingdom ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. 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