An Introduction to Conservation

We recently spent two days with a conservator to receive some specialist advice on how to best preserve our holdings. A number of Archives do not have an in-house conservator therefore many, such as ourselves, pay an annual fee to receive advice and visits from external conservators to recommend how to best care for particularly fragile archives.

It is really interesting how the main aims and goals of long term preservation are shared by Archivists and Conservators yet those who work in archives are rarely given formal training in conservation techniques, which is what makes these visits so important.

Day 1

In our Archives we hold reel tapes, contained in metal tins, which belonged to photographer Ian Stern, currently suffering from deterioration, which  crucially need to be repackaged, in order to slow this process of deterioration down prior to digitisation.

The conservator, Claire, believed it is important to suggest methods that are achievable with the resources and budgets available to individual institutions. Therefore she taught us a simple way of making temporary envelopes out of the Microchamber paper, that we already had, which removes by-products of pollutants in the atmosphere. The envelopes were constructed using a clever folding technique which meant they did not need harmful adhesives to hold them together.

 

 

I was struck by how our Archivist, Sarah and Claire together decided that it was best to keep the reel tapes with their original metal tins, when repackaging, as although they are not archival containers, they believed the many finger prints on them were just as much a part of the record as the tapes themselves.

Day 2

On day two, we travelled up to the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus to join our colleagues here for further training with Claire in book cleaning. These skills will be particularly useful with our increased responsibility for Special Collections.

With a cardboard box on its side to catch the dust, we used a very soft brush to clean the books, gently sweeping the dust from the spine outwards. For the really dirty books, we learnt that the best way to clean them was by gently dabbing away the dirt using a smoke sponge. 

It was fascinating to then have the chance to look at some individual cases of archives that needed particular care in the Exeter holdings such as this book, below, which appears to have suffered from pest damage.

I feel that both these days have taught me skills which will continue to be useful to me throughout a future career in archives. It is as much a way of thinking, as specific practical skills, which I feel I have gained, through Claire’s training, in order to achieve the best possible care with the resources that are available to you. I have also learnt that often minimal preservation treatment can be better care for an archive.

Furthermore it has opened up many questions for me to think about, such as, if the container or box which the archive is held in is not archival grade, then should it be removed or is it part of the record? Can it instead be argued that the container gives an idea of the context of the record and could possibly offer us further information? This experience has opened my eyes to many questions to consider during my study of the MA in Archive and Records Management  qualification next year.

Wandering down Woodlane

Our Archive Assistant, Carole and I recently visited Woodlane Library at Falmouth University’s Falmouth Campus to meet the staff based there. The two libraries are a part of one service based across two sites and while our Archives are all held at the Penryn campus, there are lots of possibilities for collaborating with our Woodlane Library colleagues in the use and promotion of our Special Collections.

 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

I was especially keen to visit because Woodlane Library is home to the Roger Towe Illustrated Books Special Collection which I have heard so many positive things about.

Roger Towe was a librarian at Woodlane who sought to build a collection of books chosen predominantly for their illustrative qualities rather than their narrative. This meant that they could be used by as sources of visual inspiration, first and foremost, rather than as your typical secondary, critical texts. This was to best suit the needs of students studying creative subjects, such as Art and Design, Illustration and Graphics. The result was a really eclectic and unusual mix of books, covering a diverse range of subjects, but which all share beautiful illustrations. This gives the collection real charm and character as you never know what you are going to find next - be it a graphic novel, a fairytale, a classic work of literature, a book written in a different language or even a volume which features no words at all. 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

I have learnt that you really can’t predict where a student may find inspiration. It has been particularly fascinating on this traineeship to compare the vastly different ways in which many students use the Archives and Special Collections to inform their work. There may be a student who wishes to view a Camborne School of Mines rare book for research into mining practices, and there may be a student who also wishes to see the same book in order to take artistic inspiration from the aesthetics of the structures of the mines - both students, of course, studying very different disciplines. 

Similarly, our Kneehigh Theatre collection is currently being used by two students for their dissertations but in strikingly different ways. One is an English student researching the way in which Cornish myths and legends are re-told through modern literature, whilst the other student is interested in ascertaining the impact the company has had on the Cornish community, through reading reports held in the collection.

Furthermore, we are home to some delightful nineteenth-century rare books on the subject of British moths and butterflies which have been of interest to Biology students from an entomological perspective, and yet equally as desirable to a student seeking to sketch the exquisite coloured plates, instead appreciating their aesthetic qualities. This is the beauty of providing a service to two universities, which together, offer such a vast range of courses. 

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

The staff at both Woodlane and Tremough library have been looking into displaying examples from each other’s Special Collections for cross-promotion. Woodlane library recently featured a display of some of the Christmas books held within our Chris Brooks Collection of Victorian Culture, including a lovely edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, of course! Our Special Collections here and at Woodlane often complement each other and we can learn so much from the different ways we both promote and use them. I am looking forward to developing this relationship further and I will be spending more time at Woodlane in coming months to consider joint displays and promotional activities.

Roger Towe Illustrated Books Collection

Hello!

A little bit about me

My name is Rosemary Everritt and I am very happy to introduce myself as the new Graduate Trainee Archive Assistant at Archive & Special Collections, Falmouth University & University of Exeter, Penryn Campus for 2013-2014.

I hope to use this blog, throughout the year, to track my journey into the world of archives, whilst I undertake this traineeship. I hope that I can introduce to you some of the tasks that a Graduate Trainee is likely to encounter, as well as showing you some interesting items in the collections that I come across along the way- and why you too should discover archives!

I know I found it helpful and interesting to read Mary’s and Graces’ blogs whilst I was learning about archives, so I hope that mine can perhaps go some way to being similarly useful for you.

Having relocated from Portsmouth for this post, I can't wait to explore Cornwall and its heritage whilst I am here. So far I have become particularly intrigued by the Cornish language used in the Gorsedh Kernow Collection! Diskudha Kovskrifenn, as is in my title, translates as 'discovering an archive'.

A selection of books held in The Chris Brooks Collection of Victorian Culture

 

 How I discovered archives

Over the last few years I have been volunteering in archives whilst studying English Literature at University of Portsmouth, most recently for The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection. Prior to this I also volunteered for the Dickens Community Archive Project with Portsmouth City Museum which sought to create a website highlighting the recent history of Portsmouth and its residents in celebration of Dickens’ bicentenary. Before this, I first of all carried out an internship with my local theatre as it began to set up an archive.

Therefore it was the study of literature and a personal interest in history that brought me to archives so now I can’t wait to have a peek at the Chris Brooks Collection of Victorian Culture, here at the Penryn Campus, with all those lovely Victorian novels!

I hope that this blog might be helpful in some way and I would love to hear from you about your interests in archives or these collections specifically, so please do feel free to get in touch.