On Tuesday, March 26, Anita Cohen-Williams wrote:

>Question, Dave,

>  If you advise not to handle the artifacts, how is she supposed >to
transport
>them to a conservator? Or, will the conservator make a >house call?


Anita,  when someone calls me and describes an object as "crumbling" I
believe that the only safe and ethical course of action for a conservator is
to visit the object for initial examination, if at all practicable.  And if
laboratory treatment is agreed on, for the conservator to set the standards
for object packing and transport.

A severely deteriorated "crumbling" object can suffer irreversible losses in
the mechanics of packing and movement not to mention the senitivity of
organic materials to sudden changes in temperature and humidity brought on by
such transport, however well-intentioned.  This is especially important when
you have organic materials applied to an inorganic substrate, such as the
leather or shagreen applied over tinplate in a scabbard or the wooden grip
applied over the iron tang of the sword blade.

I have seen such things happen because well-intentioned, yet misinformed
folks, wrapped that "crumbling" scabbard in a terry cloth towel, or took the
"olde"  musket on a three day drive only to find the stock splintered because
of relative humidity cycling.

Almost all materials found in our objects tend to reach a relative
equilibrium with their long-term environments.  This is why only a few
decades of human visitation with its attendant relative humidity in the form
of breath has so-deteriorated the fabric of the Egyptian tombs.  This is also
why wet-site and underwater archaeological artifacts must be kept hydrated
and carefully monitored until examination and laboratory treatment.  This is
why some paintings with a history of damages which are RH reactive are
sometimes not allowed to travel by their institutions and owners.

If you really want to see the veins bulge out in a conservator's face just
watch when you unwrap your object with a pile of little flakes pouring out on
the table as you say, "Do you think you can do anything?".

In short, when facing severely deteriorated "crumbling" objects I personally
prefer to make the "house call".

(I'd be interested to hear some of my colleagues thoughts on this).

Dave

David Harvey
Conservator of Metals & Arms
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, VA  23187-1776  USA
voice:    804-220-7039
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]