Becky,

Using real coal would be Ok if it were just a pile in an outdoor
setting, but real coal can have detrimental effects if it is intimate
contact with historic metals such as iron coal shuttles or hob grates
or stoves. First, there is almost always a fine dust that is present
on coal and this is messy to handle and can eventually work its way
into a room interior no matter how good your housekeeping practices
are. Second, most coal contains sulphur and when this is in intimate
contact with metals and you add the presence of ambient relative
humidity then you will eventually start seeing tarnishing and
corrosion effects on historic metals - and if there is any silver
nearby it will really be noticable. And then there is also the weight
of real coal, which can be an issue if you are doing sesonal changes
in room interiors.

Its not just a smiple matter of finding a good looking replacement for
things like coal or fruit or food in historic interiors but in finding
a relica product that is inert and which won't cause problems with
your collection. I know of several objects conservators who do
wonderful recreations of such things for historic sites and museums.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

On 9/5/06, Rebecca Fitzgerald <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Just a thought - why not use anthracite (hard) coal? My museum actually has
> a pile of coal that fell off of canal boats and was recovered from the lock
> during some restoration work. It's extremely hard, doesn't flake, etc. It
> just sits there looking like coal.
>
> Becky Fitzgerald
> Susquehanna Museum
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of Rachel Foster
> Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 11:13 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Source of fake coal and apples
>
> During a past exhibit, some Museum Studies students came up with the idea to
> gather some rocks and paint them black.  We had great success with this
> inexpensive method and you can't tell the difference from the other side of
> the Plex.
> Good Luck,
>
> Rachel Barnett
> Collection Assistant
> Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
> P.O. Box 2570
> Waco, TX  76702-2570
>
> Phone:  254/750-8631
> Fax:  254/750-8629
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of SBC Museum
> Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 3:04 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Source of fake coal and apples
>
>
> Hello, all--I'm writing to see if someone can point me in the direction of a
> place where I can purchase fake coal, the sort that looks more like
> shiny black
> rocks than the lumps we throw in our grills.
>
> I'm also looking for a place where we can buy a bushel's worth of fake
> apples.
>
> Thank you as always for any assistance you can provide!
>
> All best,
> --
> Christian Carr
> Director, Sweet Briar Museum
> Assistant Professor of Arts Management
> PO Box 144, Sweet Briar, VA 24595
> Phone: 434.381.6246 Fax: 434.381.6132
> (mailing address same as above)
>
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