Digitisation and documentation

Another crucial aspect of collections management that I was able to reflect on this week – digitisation refers to the conversion of an object, image or data into an electronic format. It is an issue that most cultural institutions are now faced with, or are at least beginning to encounter. However, the type of collections, resources, staff and technology available to cultural institutions invariably means that each will handle the task of digitisation differently.

The varied approaches to digitisation within the University of Birmingham alone highlights this. At the Cadbury Research Library, a high-quality scanner is utilised to quickly digitise large quantities of mostly flat, paper-based material. This method also allows for the capture of intricate details, for example the fine cross-hatched lines in an intaglio print, which could be studied to identify an engraving or etching. A different method is required at Research & Cultural Collections (RCC), which is mostly composed of three-dimensional objects. A professional camera and photo-editing software, studio lights and backdrop are used by a dedicated staff member, Patrick Dandy (Museum Photographer). During the week I joined 3 other students in a photography training session at RCC. Patrick took us through the standards and settings required to capture high-quality images of collection items, ‘as they really are’. We then had the opportunity to practise what we’d learnt, each setting up and photographing an object using the equipment at RCC. It was an extremely practical, informative and rewarding session.



Focus on Curating photography training session at RCC, 23 January 2014 (Photograph by Nadia Awal)

 But why go to all this trouble? A key reason is that digitisation improves the use and access to collections. With a high-quality image linked to an online catalogue, a researcher on the other side of the world has the ability to study an object in great detail. However, cultural institutions also need to make images available online in a way that is also objective, informative, inspiring and user-friendly.

Digitisation can also be an important tool in the preservation of collections. A digital record of an object can reduce the need to handle it. High quality images are also a key aspect of the documentation of collection items – for instance, when an object is first acquired by a museum or gallery, before and after it is displayed in an exhibition or goes on loan to another institution, and during conservation treatments – to record any changes to the stability or appearance of an object.

Condition reporting in the conservation lab

During the week, I also assisted Clare Marlow (RCC) and Sarah Kilroy (Wilson Conservation Studio) with the selection, transportation and condition reporting of four anatomical wax models from the Medical School Collection.  The teaching models were created by Friedrich Ziegler during the late 19^th century and will be featured in the upcoming ‘Art of Anatomy’ exhibition at the Cadbury Research Library. As is standard in conservation practice, before commencing any treatment I had to compile a detailed summary of the appearance, method of production, and condition (aesthetic and structural) of the wax models. It will be my job to clean them in the coming weeks!

Test cleaning a late 19th century wax model of a gibbon foetus, created by Friedrich Ziegler

Second week: Delving into the archives

I’m now nearly at the end of my second week and half-way through my placement. This week I started work on a few projects that will be ongoing, relating to two families significant to the history of the University and of Birmingham.

On Monday I met with Robert Wenley (Head of Collections and Learning) and Sarah Beattie (Collections Assistant) from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. My brief is to curate an online exhibition featuring items from the archives of Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber (Lady Barber) – a sizable collection of photographs and written material that offers a fascinating insight into the lives of the Barbers and the time in which they lived.

Sir Henry made his fortune as a solicitor and property developer during the expansion of Birmingham’s suburbs during the late 19th century and was able to retire by his mid-thirties. The Barbers resided at Culham Court in Oxfordshire for over forty years where they pursued their interests in agriculture, music, fine art, gardening and sport. During her lifetime, Lady Barber commissioned an extraordinary 25 portraits of herself, many featuring lavish costumes and interiors. They maintained close ties to Birmingham and the University, with Lady Barber donating funds to establish the Institute in 1932 in memory of her late husband.

 

My favourite image from the archive: Sir Henry and Lady Barber in fancy-dress costume, c.1910

 

I also spent a day at Winterbourne House and Garden, a former residence built in 1903 in an Arts & Craft style by John Sutton Nettlefold and Margaret Nettlefold, and home to their six children. The house has an interesting history - also home to the Wheelock and Nicholson families, before being bestowed to the University and used as a hall of residence for female students during the 1950s and 1960s, and by various University departments in the subsequent decades. The property has been carefully restored to resemble the everyday life of a wealthy Edwardian family.

I rehoused several fragile early twentieth-century books illustrated by Bynam Shaw and then searched through their archives for information relating to John Kenrick Nettlefold, the only son of Margaret and John. Winterbourne is planning an exhibition to commemorate the centenary of World War I and there is great interest in records of Ken Nettlefold’s wartime experiences.

 

http://www.winterbourne.org.uk/

 

Wilson Conservation Studio

As I am currently completing my Masters in Cultural Material Conservation with an intention to specialise in paper conservation, I was very excited to spend some time working at the Wilson Conservation Studio, based at the Cadbury Research Library. Paper conservators Sarah Kilroy and Marie Sviergula are both extremely knowledgeable and were happy to answer all my questions and provide demonstrations. Marie took me on a very thorough tour of the conservation studio and the storage facilities at the Library, which house some amazing material, including the Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts and important first editions, such as De Humani Corporis (1543) by Vesalius and the Complete Works (1616) of Ben Johnson.

It was interesting to compare disaster management plans, issues with pest management, and temperature and relative humidity control measures tailored to a Northern Hemisphere climate. I also had the opportunity to observe and discuss conservation assessment and treatment approaches to materials I had not encountered firsthand before, such as papyrus, vellum and parchment.

Wilson Conservation Studio

I assisted Sarah and Marie with preparations for an upcoming exhibition, ‘The Art of Anatomy’, which will feature historical medical drawings and models. Being a small studio, the conservators are often required to problem solve and perform a variety of jobs in the lead up to an exhibition – exhibition designer, art handler, mount-maker, lighting technician and curator (to list a few!).

Anatomical models on custom-made mounts for the exhibition
 

Constructing a mount (consisting of a backing support board and mount window) is a very useful skill for a conservator and one I was eager to learn. Mounts provide vital support to fragile works on paper, they help to ensure easy access in storage, reduce the risk of physical damage upon handling and enhance the display of works. Sarah and Marie guided me through measuring and cutting them mounts, attaching the mount-window to the backing board, trimming and positioning the image within the window with hinge mounts. A deceptively time-consuming process, it was very satisfying to reach the final product!

A work in progress

Final touches

First week: Balancing the use and care of collections

Time flies! I’m already one week into my placement at Birmingham. On Monday I met Clare Mullett (University Curator) and the rest of the Research and Cultural Collections team at ‘Red Marley’, a former residence at 32 Pritchatts Road now housing the offices of RCC and some of the University’s vast collections. Anna Young (Assistant Curator) provided me with an introduction to the collections at RCC with a tour of the building. Later in the day I was welcomed in the English tradition with an afternoon tea, where I had the opportunity to meet staff from some of the other institutions on campus I’ll be working with.

 

Research & Cultural Collections at 32 Pritchatts Rd

 

http://rcc-redmarley.tumblr.com/

 My first few days have been a lot of fun and undoubtedly ‘hands-on’! From a ‘Working with Objects’ handling session with graduates from the Cultural Intern Scheme, to assisting the Learning and Access team with a clay-modelling workshop for local school children responding to sculptures displayed at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. I also had the privilege to spend two days with conservators Sarah Kilroy and Marie Sviergula at the Wilson Conservation Studio based at the Cadbury Research Library, assisting them with preparations for an upcoming exhibition, ‘The Art of Anatomy’.

On my first day, I attended the introductory lecture for the module, ‘Making Culture: New Ways of Reading Things’, which seeks to explore material culture, how people engage with objects and the meanings, values and knowledge attached to them. These experiences and new skills have also encouraged me to reflect on the fundamental dilemma at the heart of all collections management activities – the use and access of collections balanced against their long-term care and preservation.

In addition to the use of collections in teaching or research programmes, at the University of Birmingham there is a strong program of exhibitions throughout the year, with collections displayed all over the campus (the majority in public or semi-public spaces). This frequent access to collections actually enhances their long term preservation. When we consider that objects become valued through regular contact and knowledge of them, ultimately collections will receive more care and attention. For example, cleaning objects so they are in a suitable condition for exhibition; or remounting a fragile work on paper so that it may be handled with less risk of physical damage.

 

 

First days in Birmingham

I finally arrived in Birmingham on Thursday – the late afternoon winter sunshine and a blast of cold air a perfect antidote to 20+ hours in transit! Previous Award winner, Katy Wade met me at the airport and very kindly helped me find my accommodation and get my bearings, with a drive through the city centre of Birmingham, the University grounds and the local High Street at Harborne.

I’ve spent the first few days getting over the jetlag by exploring the University campus, which is quiet until classes begin next week. There are certainly similarities to be drawn with the University of Melbourne campus, with the seamless mix of old and new architectural styles and gardens throughout.



A Birmingham University icon: 'Old Joe'

I spent a very enjoyable afternoon escaping the rain at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, situated on campus in a magnificent 1930s Art Deco building. The Barber has a very impressive collection, including 150 major paintings and a vast range of more than 1000 works on paper. One particular highlight was an exhibition of works by the contemporary British painter John Monks, an artist whom I was not familiar with. In a vibrant and gestural style, Monks depicted the interiors of historic buildings, with paint-layers manipulated to create a dynamic surface texture and rich interplay of colour.

http://barber.org.uk/

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

A visit to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has further improved my understanding of the city and its history as a centre for arts, crafts and industry. As the birthplace of Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones, Birmingham holds many of his works, alongside a vast Pre-Raphaelite collection including works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, Ford Madox Brown and others. I also enjoyed an exhibition of Birmingham industries – ceramics, metalwork and jewellery – that focused as much on the historical and artistic aspects, as the details of their materials and production technologies and techniques (always of interest to a student conservator!). Another highlight was a contemporary exhibition commemorating thirty years of printmaking by the Birmingham Print Workshop.

http://www.bmag.org.uk/

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

From my brief introduction, I can already appreciate that Birmingham has a vibrant cultural atmosphere – historical and contemporary. I’m excited to become involved when my placement officially begins in the coming days!