Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. RE: Job Opening: Photograph Conservator - Auckland Libraries, New Zealand 2. RE: Cleaning glass inside showcases 3. RE: Cleaning glass inside showcases 4. RE: Practical question for Paper Conservators - Cleaning with bamboo ash in water 5. LAMINATION 6. Final Reminder – Survey Closes July 25, 2025: Large Language Model and Black Crusts in Built Heritage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Damen Joe Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 7:23 AM Subject: RE: Job Opening: Photograph Conservator - Auckland Libraries, New Zealand Message: Please use this link to view and apply for this job opening! https://careers.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/job-invite/29267/ <https://careers.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/job-invite/29267/> ------------------------------ Damen Joe Team Leader Conservation Ngā Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland Libraries Newmarket New Zealand [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 07-23-2025 19:24 From: Damen Joe Subject: Job Opening: Photograph Conservator - Auckland Libraries, New Zealand Date: 22 Jul 2025 Location: Auckland Wide, NZ, 1010 Company: Auckland Council Unique opportunity for a conservator with expertise in the treatment and care of photographs Work within a creative, innovative team, to protect the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection Salary $85,000 - $100,000 He angitūtanga: The opportunity Conservator – Photographs: Permanent, Part-Time Position (20hrs/week) | Central City Library This is a rare opportunity to join the Auckland Libraries Conservation Team as part of the Communities department. As a Conservator at Auckland Council, you will contribute to the wide range of conservation care practices undertaken to ensure these collections are protected and accessible for generations to come. Your expertise in remedial treatments for heritage photographs will complement an understanding of the interrelated preventive conservation knowledge required to effectively provide world-class heritage care. You will join a collaborative and supportive team of conservators and technicians, working together to create innovative solutions for realising heritage exhibitions, solving storage challenges, and taking a lead role in disaster preparedness. In this role a few of your key responsibilities will be: Undertake specialist remedial treatments for the photographic collections Develop and carry out preventive conservation measures for heritage areas of the library, with special focus on heritage photographs Design and lead the creation of custom-made protective enclosures Support the coordination of exhibitions to raise the profile and access to Auckland Libraries Heritage Provide training for lab staff to undertake conservation activities Take a lead role in Disaster Readiness for Auckland Libraries heritage He kōrero mōu: About you You'll have proven documentary heritage experience in both preventive and remedial conservation for photographs, with a relevant tertiary degree. Accreditation or membership of a professional body such as the New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Materials, AICCM, ICON, or the American Institute of Conservation. Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer An exciting opportunity to join a specialised team and play a key role in the care and long-term preservation of our heritage collections. We are a dedicated team and we're looking for someone exceptional to join us. If you are looking for an opportunity to draw and expand upon your passion for conservation of heritage collections, then look no further. To view a copy of the position description, please use this link: click here <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtrL2VTP9tLVU9BGufAx8FEZypj-kFLp/view?usp=sharing> Applications Close 10th August The official title for this role is Conservator, with primary responsibilities for the conservation of Auckland Council's Heritage Collections, with an emphasis on photographic media collections as outlined in the Position Description. Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process. ------------------------------ Damen Joe Team Leader Conservation Ngā Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland Libraries Newmarket New Zealand [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ 2.From: Efstratia Verveniotou Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 7:25 AM Subject: RE: Cleaning glass inside showcases Message: Hello Anais, As others have mentioned, we've also experienced recurring haze or fogging on a subset of our display cases. This appears as an iridescent, oily residue that standard conservation-grade glass cleaning methods have been unable to fully remove. The haze typically reappears within months and is not linked to specific specimen types, materials, or environmental buffering-affecting both older and newer cases. FTIR analysis of the affected glass identified sodium nitrate, sodium sulfate, and other sodium salts, consistent with findings by Poulin et al. (2020). We achieved excellent results using a very weak Symperonic A7 solution sprayed onto the glass, wiped with non-fibrous tissue, rinsed with distilled water, and finished with a Karcher window cleaner. Stubborn residues were removed with a light IMS wipe. While there are some logistical considerations when cases contain specimens, overall, this has been our most effective approach. Best regards, ------------------------------ Efstratia Verveniotou Senior Conservator Natural History Museum London United Kingdom ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 07-21-2025 04:48 From: Anais Ellis Subject: Cleaning glass inside showcases Hi all, I'm a Project Conservator at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, currently working on the re-display of the Natural History Gallery, and I'm seeking advice on what other institutions use to clean the glass inside showcases. Historically, we've experienced a few instances where a white, crystalline residue forming inside the cases. We think this was likely caused by cleaning products on the glass, possibly applied at the point of showcase production. We're currently considering using microfibre cloths to clean the glass. But in instances of stubborn smears, we are considering IMS/RO water solution to clean the glass. But with the use of alcohol comes the considerations for good ventilation/extraction. We'd be very interested to know what is considered best practice elsewhere. Any recommendations or insights would be greatly appreciated! ------------------------------ Anais Ellis Student University College London London United Kingdom ------------------------------ 3.From: Andrew Calver Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 7:25 AM Subject: RE: Cleaning glass inside showcases Message: This has been an ongoing problem and was first reported 20 years ago. Once you know about it you can easily spot it by shining a torch along the glass of a display case even if it's not normally visible. I suspect the issue has been around for longer but only became readily apparent when display case lighting practice moved away from integrated light boxes which were designed to not illuminate the glass (precisely to avoid highlighting dust and fingerprints). Lighting now tends to be from above or uses fibre optic fittings along the edges of the case which highlights any deposits. As an aside I think display case lighting is very poorly designed in many cases not only because of this but designers seem to delight in making the lighting a 'feature' with the light source visible with the consequences that the brightest objects in the field of view is the light emitter. A good article which references much of the research into this issue is: Poulin, J., Coxon, H., Anema, J. R., Helwig, K., & Corbeil, M. C. (2019). Investigation of Fogging on Glass Display Cases at the Royal Ontario Museum. Studies in Conservation, 65(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2019.1674479 Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/00393630.2019.1674479?needAccess=true Best wishes ------------------------------ Andrew Calver Consultant Manningtree United Kingdom ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 07-22-2025 10:19 From: Ingrid Seyb Subject: Cleaning glass inside showcases Hi Anais, I have seen white crystalline formations on the inside surface of a glass case that were proven with analysis to be formate compounds, presumably coming from formic acid from an mdf case deck, which had not been thought worth marvelsealing because all the objects going in the case were porcelain. Unless all your interior case materials (and the objects themselves) are perfectly inert, I would suspect off gassing from those before glass cleaning materials. IMS and water is an excellent glass cleaner. If your microfiber cloths are good, you can keep the IMS very low in the solution to minimize your ventilation worries and still get a streak-free result. Best regards, Ingrid ------------------------------ Ingrid Seyb Objects Conservator New Orleans Museum of Art New Orleans United States ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 07-21-2025 04:48 From: Anais Ellis Subject: Cleaning glass inside showcases Hi all, I'm a Project Conservator at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, currently working on the re-display of the Natural History Gallery, and I'm seeking advice on what other institutions use to clean the glass inside showcases. Historically, we've experienced a few instances where a white, crystalline residue forming inside the cases. We think this was likely caused by cleaning products on the glass, possibly applied at the point of showcase production. We're currently considering using microfibre cloths to clean the glass. But in instances of stubborn smears, we are considering IMS/RO water solution to clean the glass. But with the use of alcohol comes the considerations for good ventilation/extraction. We'd be very interested to know what is considered best practice elsewhere. Any recommendations or insights would be greatly appreciated! ------------------------------ Anais Ellis Student University College London London United Kingdom ------------------------------ 4.From: Khader Alsomali Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 10:30 AM Subject: RE: Practical question for Paper Conservators - Cleaning with bamboo ash in water Message: Fist time hearing about this method. It will be great to share. Thank you. ------------------------------ [Khader] [suliman] [Paper conservator ] [King Abbdulaziz Foundation for Resarch and Archivs] [Riyadh] [Saudi Arabia ] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 07-22-2025 05:49 From: Valeria Duplat Subject: Practical question for Paper Conservators - Cleaning with bamboo ash in water Dear colleagues, this method, developed by Paper Conservator Minako Wada from the Prado Museum, utilises bamboo ash in water to clean works on paper damaged by oxidation marks, such as foxing. I discovered this fascinating method on a webinar organised by the Japan Foundation. Has someone experimented with this method before? I need to ascertain the amount of ash to water. The ash I got is of the finest quality, and in my tests, my water remains grey, even after decanting and filtering several times. Ta! Valeria Duplat Valeria Duplat Oporto Paper Conservation www.valeriaduplat.com <http://www.valeriaduplat.com/> 5.From: Khader Alsomali Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 10:31 AM Subject: LAMINATION Message: Dear colleagues I want to know the effect of thermal lamination on paper documents and manuscripts. Is there an announcement from a reputable institution prohibiting the use of thermal lamination on paper? 6.From: Zejiang Pang Posted: Thursday July 24, 2025 2:29 PM Subject: Final Reminder – Survey Closes July 25, 2025: Large Language Model and Black Crusts in Built Heritage Message: Dear all, This is a final reminder that my survey "Large Language Model and Black Crusts in Built Heritage" will close by the end of this Friday. If you have not yet had a chance to complete it, I would be truly grateful if you could take a few minutes to do so. 🔗 Survey link: Microsoft Forms <https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=_oivH5ipW0yTySEKEdmlwnDVrUomuPZPj_i_NNVKib5UN1ZCS0kxRkhUVjdJRDU0VDcxU1MzVUpHMy4u> Cloud remove preview Microsoft Forms View this on Cloud > <https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=_oivH5ipW0yTySEKEdmlwnDVrUomuPZPj_i_NNVKib5UN1ZCS0kxRkhUVjdJRDU0VDcxU1MzVUpHMy4u> ⏳ Time required: approximately 2 minutes 📅 Closes: 25 July Your responses will directly support my MSc dissertation research at UCL. Thank you again for your time and valuable input! Warm regards, ------------------------------ Zejiang Pang MSc Student in Heritage Science UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage London United Kingdom ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. 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