Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. "Collecting and Preserving Colour Photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago" lecture by Sylvie Penichon 2. [EVENT] Restoring the Waldorf Astoria's Landmarked Murals' 3. 2026 Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar 4. RE: Degradation of light yellow glass in leadlights in insulating glass units 5. The Walters Department of Conservation and Technical Research: The First Fifty Years ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Esther Ng Posted: Wednesday December 10, 2025 7:30 AM Subject: "Collecting and Preserving Colour Photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago" lecture by Sylvie Penichon Message: Dear All, The Heritage conservation centre of Singapore is pleased to announce that Sylvie Pnichon, Director of Paper, Photography and Media conservation at the Art Institute of Chicago, will be giving a public lecture on "Collecting and Preserving Colour Photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago" on Monday, 5 January 2026, 3.00 4.00 pm. The talk details are below. Please register for the talk here: https://form.jotform.com/253380760012044 <https://form.jotform.com/253380760012044> This talk is co-organised with the National Gallery of Singapore. <https://form.jotform.com/253380760012044> Registration for "Collecting and Preserving Color Photographs at the Art...Please click the link to complete this form. <https://form.jotform.com/253380760012044> Kind regards, Esther 2.From: Katarina Trajkovic Posted: Wednesday December 10, 2025 6:08 PM Subject: [EVENT] Restoring the Waldorf Astoria's Landmarked Murals' Message: Restoring the Waldorf Astoria's Landmarked Murals' Restoration of an icon of glamour and luxury 20 January 2026 7pm – 8.30pm GMT | Online The Waldorf Astoria New York City, located at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan, is a luxury hotel built in 1931 after the original Waldorf Astoria on 5th Avenue was demolished in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building. The Park Avenue hotel quickly became an icon of glamour and elegance, and it has been undergoing a major renovation from 2017 to 2025. Since 2022, ArtCare Conservation has had the privilege of treating 64 painted murals in three of the Waldorf Astoria's landmarked rooms: the Park Avenue Foyer, the Silver Corridor, and the Basildon Room. Each room features a series of murals that reflect the grandeur and opulence of the era. The artworks include pieces created specifically for the Waldorf Astoria, a series saved from the Astor Gallery in the original Astoria Hotel, and paintings from the Basildon Estate in Berkshire, England. Together, these mural series presented both fascinating and challenging conservation work, carried out onsite within an active construction setting and in the studio. Join our speakers, Kelly O'Neill and Oliver Watkiss ACR, as they share more about their work on this remarkable project. Will we see you there? For booking and more information, please visit Icon's Event page <https://www.icon.org.uk/events/restoring-the-waldorf-astoria-s-landmarked-murals.html>. ------------------------------ Katarina Trajkovic Student, MA Conservation of Fine Art (Easel Paintings) Northumbria University Newcastle Program in Preventive Conservation/Conservation of Fine Art ------------------------------ 3.From: Marieka Kaye Posted: Wednesday December 10, 2025 6:08 PM Subject: 2026 Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar Message: Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar Course dates: 2-weeks, 3-14 August 2026 Application Deadline: 1 February 2026 Place: University of Michigan, Papyrology Collection, Ann Arbor, MI The Papyrology Collection of the University of Michigan Library will host a two-week seminar in papyrus conservation from Monday, 3 August to Friday, 14 August 2026 taught by Director of Preservation Services for physical collections, Marieka Kaye. Participants will receive an in-depth, hands-on introduction to papyrus conservation. They will learn about the tools and materials used in papyrus conservation as well as the theory and methodology behind current conservation techniques. They will then utilize these techniques to perform a range of treatment on papyri from the University of Michigan's collection, including written documentation, digital photo-documentation, mechanical cleaning, damp treatments, reduction of folds, alignment of fibers, alignment of fragments, and methods of housing and storage. Due to space constraints, the number of participants is strictly limited. Preference will be given to scholars and conservators who are directly involved with papyrus collections, whether in conservation, archaeological contexts, or papyrology. There is no course fee for the seminar, which is supported by the University of Michigan Papyrology Collection; participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and meals. Please indicate your need for financial assistance in your application. All required tools will be provided for use during the seminar. All participants are required to offer a presentation on their home institution's papyrus conservation issues, experiences, and concerns. A certificate of participation will be provided at the end of the seminar. The Instructor: Marieka Kaye began to work in the field of library conservation as a Preservation Assistant at Brandeis University in 1998. She is currently the Director of Preservation Services, Physical Collections, at the University of Michigan Library, where she leads the in-house preservation and treatment of physical materials, both special and general collections. Marieka came to U-M in 2013, after serving as a book and paper conservator for eight years at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. She received a Master's degree and Certificate of Advanced Study in Art Conservation from SUNY Buffalo State University and a Master's of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. Marieka trained in papyrus conservation for six years with Leyla Lau-Lamb. To apply please send contact information, a statement summarizing relevant conservation or papyrological experience and responsibilities (maximum 600 words), and one letter of recommendation in PDF format to: [email protected] Deadline for applications is 1 February 2026. ------------------------------ Marieka Kaye Director, Preservation Services, Physical Collections University of Michigan Library Ann Arbor, MI 734-647-8461 [email protected] ------------------------------ 4.From: Barry Knight Posted: Wednesday December 10, 2025 6:08 PM Subject: RE: Degradation of light yellow glass in leadlights in insulating glass units Message: Dear Janneke, It's a bit hard to tell from your photo, but this looks rather like crizzling. If the surface of the glass has become depleted in alkali metal ions by leaching, it may shrink and flake off when moved from its original cold, high RH environment to a warmer, low RH environment inside the protective glazing. The surface behaves more like silica gel: it shrinks when it is dehydrated. What is the composition of the glass? Is it particularly susceptible to leaching? Does the flaking only occur on the original external side, or on both sides? Best wishes, ------------------------------ Barry Knight Conservation Scientist St Albans UK ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 12-08-2025 11:10 From: Janneke van der Stok Subject: Degradation of light yellow glass in leadlights in insulating glass units Dear community, Recently, several glaziers in the Netherlands have experienced a very peculiar degradation phenomenon in historic light yellow glass. When present in a lead panel, and subsequently placed in an insulating glass unit, the surface of the glass starts to flake off in a specific pattern, making the glass semi-transparent (see attached image). This process can already take place after a few weeks. It appears that light yellow mouthblown cylinder glass with a slightly undulated surface (often called Goethe glass) from around 100 years old is specifically prone to this. We, at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, would now like to know what is actually happening and why, so that we can identify glass at risk and try to prevent this from taking place in the future. There are a lot of variables playing a possible role: the microclimate with elevated temperatures, relative humidity, possible offgassing of putty/sealant/solder/…, the glass composition, the production process of the glass, the 'thermal history of the glass', the orientation of the window, et cetera. So as a start, we would like to know whether anyone has comparable experiences, and is willing to share this with us? Can anyone guide us towards literature about this very specific degradation phenomenon? Any other ideas are also very much appreciated! Thanks a lot for your help! With kind regards, Janneke van der Stok Janneke van der Stok, Ph.D. specialist (building) materials: glass, metal & cork ........................................................................................... Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Smallepad 5 | 3811 MG | Amersfoort P.O. Box 1600 | 3800 BP | Amersfoort | the Netherlands ........................................................................................... T +31 6 50 08 99 58 E [email protected] <[email protected]> ........................................................................................... present: Mo; Tue morning; Thu; Fri ........................................................................................... ------------------------------ Janneke van der Stok Materials specialist (glass, metal, cork) Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands ------------------------------ 5.From: Angie Elliott Posted: Wednesday December 10, 2025 6:09 PM Subject: The Walters Department of Conservation and Technical Research: The First Fifty Years Message: The Journal of the Walters Art Museum, the oldest continuously published scholarly art museum journal in the United States, has released Volume 78 <https://journal.thewalters.org/volume/78/> celebrating the museum's 90th year in 2024. This is our fifth volume as a fully open access digital publication. In celebration of Conservation and Technical Research's 90th year in 2024, I wanted to share this volume which has a large number of contributions by conservators but also a lead essay by Julie Lauffenburger, Conservator Emerita and former Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of Conservation, Collections, and Technical Research, entitled "History of the Walters Department of Conservation and Technical Research: The First Fifty Years <https://journal.thewalters.org/volume/78/essay/history-of-the-walters-department-of-conservation-and-technical-research-the-first-fifty-years-1934%e2%80%921984/>. Some of you might also enjoy a video in that essay's appendix which features an oral history interview with Terry Drayman-Weisser, Conservator Emerita and former Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of Conservation, Collections, and Technical Research. I invite you to explore past issues as well. There is a lot to discover with contributions by conservators in each volume! Best, Angie ------------------------------ Angie Elliott William B. Ziff, Jr. Managing Head of Conservation and Technical Research & Terry Drayman-Weisser Head of Objects Conservation The Walters Art Museum Baltimore United States ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to https://community.culturalheritage.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?UserKey=d16eaa87-0f69-494b-9f2f-303dbc1222e1&sKey=fab9aa4f27a04c5d876e&GroupKey=757a8f16-505f-4323-8e74-e376757aa9f7.
