Youth in the Service of Age

From the desk 

of Colleen Wilson,

Conservator at the 
Royal BC Museum

David Douglas was a hard-working Scottish botanist.   When he died, aged 35, he had introduced about 250 North American plants to British gardeners.   In addition to the Douglas Fir, he described 7,000 of the 92,000 plants known to botanists in the early 19^th century.  Over eighty plant and animals have douglasii in their scientific names.

Douglas' often requested book of sketches alongside a Pseudotsuga menziesii cone 

He travelled to the Pacific Northwest in 1824 and 1830.  His Book of Sketch maps of a Journey from the Junction of the Columbia and Okanogan Rivers to Quesnel and North, April to May 1833 is in the BC Archives and frequent requests are made by researchers who wish to view or photograph the manuscript maps.  Unfortunately the book is in very poor condition; it is too delicate to travel and photography is difficult because of the damaged binding.  The 25 single-sided pages containing the maps sketched in iron gall ink are relatively stable at the moment, but iron gall ink is notoriously destructive to paper.

We are very fortunate this summer to have Emilie van der Hoorn, an intern from the University of Northumbria (UK) working with paper conservator Betty Walsh.   Emilie has a particular interest in iron gall inks and she tested the pages with Iron Indicator Paper developed by the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage.  These revealed that there are loose Fe²⁺ ions present which will catalyze the degradation of the cellulose; in time the ink will eat through the paper. 

She has proposed that the iron gall ink be treated soon to preserve the relatively good condition of the sketches, and that the remaining pages of the book be washed and de-acidified.  There are two options for treatment.  The least invasive would be to interleave sheets of gelatin impregnated alkaline paper between the inked pages.  These would neutralize acids to a pH at which the gelatin could complex the Fe²⁺ ions preventing migration of the corroding ink to facing pages, but not preventing acids and ions embedded in the paper from degrading further.  Alternately the pages could be treated with a calcium-phytate method.  Developed by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed in the Netherlands, this would leave the paper cleaner, probably more supple, deacidified, and with an alkali reserve to counter future acid buildup; ink corrosion would not continue.  The book would have to be taken apart, and rebound after the treatment was complete, however the binding is fairly ordinary and, once apart, the manuscript maps could be better photographed for use by researchers. 

It is always a difficult decision to disassemble an artifact.  Although conservators aim for reversibility in their treatments, in many cases this is impractical.  Conservators also tend to be … conservative, unwilling to experiment with treatments that have not stood the test of time; there are many cases where doing nothing has caused less damage than elaborate “improvements”.  However, the problems with untreated iron gall ink are well known.  

Interns challenge us with their questions, inspire us with fresh ideas from their recent studies, and galvanize us with their youthful energy.  Because of the crush of other projects, treatment of the Douglas Sketchbook will happen after Emilie has returned to her studies, but in the meantime we have all benefitted.  Emilie examined, analyzed and articulated the treatment of a valuable artifact, the Archives received the perspective of two of the leading schools of paper conservation, and the manuscript maps of David Douglas are poised to illuminate future research.

An Acquired Taste

from the desk of
Genevieve Weber
Archivist
Collections, Research
and Access Services 
Royal BC Museum 

    

People often ask me what my favourite part of my job is.  The answer is easy: looking through the records.  I review new acquisitions, decide whether they fit with our mandate, and write proposals recommending whether we should add them to our collections or send them on to a more appropriate repository.  So, a big part of my job is looking through records – before anyone else!  Even better!

The BC Archives collects records relating to the political, business, and social history of British Columbia.  Often people and companies want to donate their records to the Archives, but before we accept them there are a number of things to consider.  For example, do we already have related records?  Were the records created in the province?  Was the creator from the province or did s/he spend a significant amount of time here?  Do the records provide evidence of activities, people, and life in the province?

As I research the records to determine these things, I often find interesting extras tucked in amongst the documents.  The archives generally accepts paper, photographic, audio-visual, cartographic and electronic records, but often other types of objects are included in an acquisition.  When this happens, I have a choice to make: the archives can keep the object and consider it a record; the object can be offered to another part of the museum, such as the Human History department and transferred accordingly; or it can be returned to the donor if it is considered to be irrelevant to the rest of the records.  In the past few months we have found some fascinating items:

• -      Driftwood painted with the image of a seagull (kept with the records of the B.C. Indian Arts and Welfare Society fonds)
•         A sad iron from the 19^th century (to be returned to the donor as the provenance is unknown and it is unrelated to the records)
• -      A lock of hair (re-housed and kept with the records – as it was with a letter it is considered to be a part of the correspondence)
• -      Pince-nez (armless eyeglasses) belonging to a former BC Premier (transferred to Human History)
• -      A 19^th century cash box, used to store the diaries of a former BC Premier (transferred to Human History)

Example of a 19^th century
sad iron

Cash box containing: 
diaries and pince-nez case
RBCM 2011.156

Sometimes I determine that the records would be better suited to another institution.  The BC Archives communicates with museums and archives throughout the province and the country to ensure that records are being stored in the most suitable place possible.  This spring we were offered a group of records that I determined would better fit the mandate of the Japanese Canadian National Museum in Burnaby.  The records, although created in BC, were related to a federal activity and therefore would be more suitable in a national institution.  The donor agreed, and the JCNM was thrilled to be the recipient of the donation.  Likewise, a colleague recently called me from Arizona to offer us some records that had been created in BC and which he felt were completely out of his repository’s scope but may fit in ours. 

Once I have determined that the records are related to BC and fit our mandate, I write a proposal to the Collections Committee, which has to approve each new acquisition before it can be added to the collection.  The proposal is jointly written by an archivist and a conservator.  For each item or group of records offered to the Archives, a conservator must ascertain the state of the records.  As the majority of records are paper, the main concerns are mold, bleeding ink, rust from staples or paperclips, disintegrations, etc.  However, there may also be a concern about “red rot”, something that happens to leather book covers, or photographic emulsion peeling back from the images.  Audio-visual records have their own set of conservation issues. 

Archival Conservator Betty Walsh
examining a registry that is part of
a new acquisition

Recently acquired records vary in scope: registers of mining company shareholders; personal photograph albums created by a Victoria teacher and administrator; the private records of politicians from the last two centuries; sketch books with images by a magazine illustrator; corporate records of BC companies and organizations; and commercial photographs taken of events and places around the province.  With so many intriguing records to examine I am constantly setting myself strict timelines – otherwise I would be at risk of spending all my time reading old letters and looking at pictures but never getting any work done! 

Do you like to look through old stuff?  I would love to hear your stories about interesting things you have found – perhaps in a relative’s home or even your own attic!

Beetlemania

From the desk of Kelly Sendall, 
Manager of Natural History
Royal BC Museum

The practice of preparing specimens for a museum's reference collection is by and large standard the world over. Chances are that a flying squirrel specimen collected for the museum in Paraguay would be prepared in the same way a flying squirrel specimen is prepared here at the Royal BC Museum. Most natural history museums, at least those large enough to have a preparator, will have a living colony of scavengers. I'm talking about beetle colonies maintained to help clean and prepare skeletons of birds and mammals. These are dermestid beetles, sometimes referred to as carpet or larder beetles, and are commonly found in the wild in most parts of the world. Those used most often by museums belong to the species Dermestes maculatus (right)

One of two cabinets at the museum
containing one colony each.

The beetle colonies are kept in a secure and beetle-tight room so that there is little chance any escapees can make their way back into the museum collection. This is important as the "untrained" beetles will indiscriminately munch away on a variety of natural materials not intended for them, therefore,  the door to the room containing the colonies and the cabinets themselves are sealed from the exterior with plastic pipe or ribbon gaskets.

A colony busy munching on a raptor skeleton
for the reference collection.
Ribs and breastbone are visible in the upper right
of the picture.

The beetles are very thorough at cleaning all muscle and connective tissue from carcasses and, for that reason, very important in helping out with museum specimen preparation. Although colonies can be started from wild caught beetles they may be carrying uninvited guests such as mites which compromise their ability to survive. Colonies may also be purchased.  The museum is fortunate to be able to share efforts with the University of Victoria in keeping colonies viable between the two institutions.

Here are 18 bats just dropped off for a
beetle cleaning. After a couple of weeks
these will be 18 beautifully cleaned skeletons.

Some prepared skeletons of
northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus)
ready for the collection.

The fine details of the bones are now visible
with virtually no damage to even
the tiniest of bones.

Being able to examine the fine details and accurately measure features or lengths of bones is often very important in identifying smaller species of mammals. The single bone in the small vial (pictured below) is only about 5mm long.

baculum from specimen of Glaucomys sabrinus

Once all the beetle work is done the skeleton
is reunited with the rest of the specimen
in the reference collection.

If you would like to read more about these beetles as preparators in natural history museums please see:

Use of Dermestid Beetles for skeleton preparation

Busy Beetles

Getting the Word Out

From the desk of Colleen Wilson,

Conservator at the Royal BC Museum

Visible light is  a small part of the radiation 
received from the sun.

Although our job is to preserve the museum’s collections, RBCM conservators actually want to preserve everything.   To that end we speak frequently to local groups who have an interest in history and are happy to answer enquiries about caring for the things they collect. 

But too much talking (and writing) cuts into the time we spend actually conserving.  So this summer, in addition to the Discover talks in the gallery by members of the department, there will be eight in-gallery presentations weekly by docents who have had a crash course in Basic Conservation Issues.

These dedicated volunteers will be found in the Old Town, probably in or near the Chinatown streetscape.   They will be recognizable by their out-going and captivating personalities (and possibly their second-hand lab coats); they will be prepared to share information about “Light, Dust and Insects.”

Light (Radiation)

Visitors frequently comment on the low light levels in the exhibits.  Placing our treasures on display means that people can enjoy and learn from them, but the risk of loss from light damage is great.  Light damage is irreparable (once faded a colour is gone) and cumulative (more exposure means more damage); we frequently have to choose between exposure and preservation.

Part of a quilt that was 
protected from 
overexposure to light

The same fabric 
from an area  that 
was in direct sunlight.

Dust

Conservator Kjerstin Mackie 
dusts John Lennon's 
Rolls Royce weekly.

Dust presents two problems in the Museum:  it makes the exhibits look … dusty.   And removing it is time-consuming, expensive and hard on the objects.  Although open exhibits are much more engaging, they are much more likely to get dusty – the forest and seashore dioramas look quite a bit less convincing when covered with lint and fluff.  But removing the dust has to be done extremely carefully, particularly in the artifact-rich settings of the Old Town.  Cleaning can be risky for materials that were not designed to be wash-and-wear, and it is essential that only dust that has fallen in the museum be removed; soil that is part of the artifact can contain valuable information.

Insects

In our temperate climate, insects are an ever-present threat.   Some arrive with potential donations, some come in with floral décor, some hitch-hike in on visitors fresh from the garden.  Once inside the Museum they seek out their preferred food groups, but they can gain sustenance from food scraps along the way.  Part of our Integrated Pest Management strategy are weekly patrols of the windowsills to remove dead flies (that could provide a strengthening meal for protein eaters); detailed examination of all flowers and props that are used in the galleries; and a ban on casual food and drink above the ground floor.

Moth larvae have dined on the wool cover of this 
WW1 water bottle.

The volunteer presenters will have examples to share, equipment to test and explanations for much that is not apparent to the average visitor.   They will have suggestions for things to look for in the galleries, and recommendations on how to care for treasures at home.  Best of all, their enthusiasm is sure to inspire visitors with a greater understanding of the complexities of preserving our cultural heritage.   

Dirty Laundry

From the desk of Colleen Wilson,

Conservator at the Royal BC Museum

Many of the textiles returning to Helmcken House after the installation of the new fire suppression system were very dirty.  To clean or not to clean?  Both the original appearance and the loss of evidence must be considered.  Vacuuming away dust that has settled on exhibits is one thing; washing away the fingerprints of use is another.  Could the grease stains on a pillowcase be from Dr. Helmcken’s hair oil?  Might the stains on a jelly bag reveal something about 19^th century fruit processing?  The lives of 150 years ago differ from ours in the details and it is amazing how much is not recorded about the minutiae of “everyday life”.  The information held in tea cosies and carpet slippers can be invaluable.

Not everything was created with laundry in mind, and years of use have enfeebled many aged textiles.  Composite artifacts may not withstand treatment more strenuous than vacuuming because the parts may respond differently creating destructive internal stresses: if the lace inserts shrink in water, the dresser scarf could self-destruct.  Many dyes developed in the 19^th century are not stable in water; some can be stalled by controlling the pH of the rinse water, but only if experimentation has established a safe procedure beforehand.  All fibres must be assessed, all colours, including those of patches and darns must be tested before wet treatment. 

Making the decision to wash textiles at the RBCM is made easier by the quality of water in Victoria.  Because it does not contain the minerals that make water “hard”, and requires only minimal filtering to remove particulates, delicate artifacts can be safely and effectively washed in tap water.  Positively charged calcium and magnesium ions can lock negatively charged soil to negatively charged fibres; conservators faced with hard water must use de-ionised or distilled water to prevent the formation of intractable “re-deposited soil”.

Old textiles can easily be damaged while wet.  To make the risk worthwhile, detergent should provide maximum cleaning but minimum stress.  In the past, laundering meant lots of heat and soap – very effective at getting things clean, but too harsh and alkaline for fragile artifacts.  Contemporary detergents, even those recommended for delicate fabrics, contain perfume and dyes to conform to our current ideas of how “fresh” and “clean” should look and smell (few of us would choose brown detergent!).   While additives cycle through our household laundry they can pose problems for artifacts that are rarely re-washed.  The traces of dye and perfume, not to mention “fabric conditioners” and “optical brighteners” can change colour or interact with older materials unexpectedly, as well as presenting a 21^st century version of “clean”.   

The attraction of an historic house is seeing artifacts in the context of their original settings, not isolated in protective cases.   Artifacts displayed in the open, though, are vulnerable to many dangers including soil and pollution; just the removal of dust can be very stressful for aged materials.  The rooms of the past, however, would not have been filled with a century of dirt.  While cleaning artifacts takes its toll, displaying soiled ones gives a less than historically accurate impression.

Dirt has sifted through the knitted bedspread on open display.

Soiled and stained textile being considered for washing.

The unstable red and green dyes have bled into the white wool of a child's embroidered coat. 

Snow Day

From the desk of Colleen Wilson,
Conservator at the Royal BC Museum

It snowed last week; it was quite beautiful and quite a novelty in Victoria. But abrupt changes of temperature and wild swings of humidity are bad news for artifacts; could winter weather mean problems for our collections?

One year, in a freak snow and wind storm, snow blew inside one of the ventilation pipes in the exhibit building. Occasionally the wet load on the Tower has leaked a little through the ceiling. In December there was a spate of minor issues – a fault in the sprinkler system, a plumbing leak, a damaged drain.

Conservation personnel are always available to respond to emergencies involving artifacts, and they are among the first to be called in response. To make sure the necessary supplies are at hand, Emergency Carts are parked in various locations through the Tower, Archives and Exhibits buildings. Towels, fans, spill pillows, mops, Tyvek suits, duct tape and more are poised to be deployed if a leak, drip, back-up or flood threatens the collections.

Mostly, however, we try to prevent the situations that could become disasters for artifacts. In discussions with Facilities, Conservators advocate for more precise and responsive environmental controls (keeping the humidity down by turning up the heat does not make for happy collections) and a sensible fire suppression system.

In most cases, however, the potential problems are the result of our aged building. It is in the nature of plumbing to leak sometimes, but we can’t really work in a building without water. If the building is not a perfectly protective shell, then the containers in which the artifacts are stored must do the job. If the artifact is unusual in its size or requirements, then its specific needs must be addressed (a pair of out-sized Chinese embroideries reside in a cozy container made from sewer pipe).

Where there is a possibility of plumbing or roof leaks reaching artifacts, collections are stored in water-proof boxes or protected by polyethylene sheeting. A minor toilet overflow could have disastrous results for artifacts on the floor, so all artifacts are stored on blocks or shelves.

Protection from water also mitigates the damage that might be caused by other potential calamities. Artifacts stored in water-proof containers are less likely to be damaged in the course of fire suppression. Customized supports within the containers will provide protection during an earthquake; in the meantime they moderate the effect of collections moves. And most importantly, the problems in December gave us the opportunity to practice. Our response was prompt and effective and it kept the issue on the minor end of the scale.

How Light and Light It Grows

From the desk of Colleen Wilson,
Conservator at the Royal BC Museum


Now that we are past the winter solstice, the days are getting longer and the light is getting brighter. Great! Unless you are concerned about the longevity of material culture, increasing illumination feels wonderful. For those concerned with preserving the physical evidence of the past, however, increasing light levels is bad news indeed.

The colours are much more vivid on the back of this Chilkat blanket.

Energy from the sun, captured, filtered or stored, enables life on earth to go on, but “going on” is just what preservation isn’t. When we conserve something we want it to stay the same, exactly the same; we want it to keep its colour and shape and chemistry intact. But in an organic system, change is not an option. Radiation from the sun provides the energy for materials to combine and the energy for materials to break apart. The energy in light causes the natural colours of fur, feathers, wood and basketry materials to fade; it breaks down the delicate proteins of silk and the gelatin of photographs; it causes paper to turn brittle, rubber to crack, skin to split. Dyed textiles, colour photographs, painted surfaces all lose the vivacity we prize.

And some light is more energetic than others. Ultraviolet radiation is a part of sunlight and of the spectrum produced by some artificial light sources. It is not visible to the human eye, but its high energy is particularly damaging. UV causes skin to suffer from sunburn and worse; artifacts exposed to direct sunlight or unshielded fluorescent light will not last long.

This is not a display of albino birds; they were much more colourful
before lengthy exposure in a sunlit case.

The effects of light exposure are cumulative. Brighter light or longer exposure means greater damage and the effects are irreversible. Like Humpty Dumpty once fallen, no number of horses or men can re-instate colour to a faded dye.

Displaying light sensitive materials is a balance between having enough light to appreciate them while exposing them to the least potential for damage. This is why there are no windows in the Museum’s galleries; sunlight is too dangerous. The glass walls of the entrance and any fluorescent tubes are coated to filter out ultraviolet radiation. Even so, you will not be greeted in the foyer by displays of weaving, butterflies or watercolours. As you move through the galleries, your eyes accustom themselves to less light. An internationally recognized standard for the illumination of sensitive materials, 50 lux, is not very bright, but once your vision is acclimatized it is easier to see fine details.

Most of the Museum’s collection is not on permanent display, however. To many this seems a waste – why keep things that you can’t see? But if we are to pass on the treasures of the past having preserved them for more than our immediate enjoyment, we must keep them safe from the most potent initiator of change. Light is necessary for viewing, but our heritage is safest wrapped in a protective layer of darkness.

Over-exposure to light has caused the dye to fade – the original colour can be seen
where the buttons shielded the fabric around the buttonholes.
On the exposed side of the cuffs, the silk and cotton blend fabric is now
in shreds as light has destroyed the silk.

Risky Business

From the desk of Colleen Wilson, Conservator

at the Royal BC Museum

In the past, Scots prayed to be delivered from “ghoulies and ghosties and long legged beasties and things that go bump in the night”.

But what about dropping and soiling and losses of data? We hope to deliver the collections of the Royal BC Museum to future generations free of these threats and more.

Judicious care can make a difference to longevity, but with huge and varied collections and limited budgets, what to do first? Replace cardboard boxes? Install ultraviolet filters? Put furs in cold storage? Put plastics in cold storage? Put all collections in cold storage?

This was a fur hat before the clothes moths found it and reduced it to hide. We have not had a major pest infestaion since Integrated Pest Management began 25 years ago.

In the Olden Days, such decisions were made by hoary alpha males with a lifetime of devotion to their particular discipline. Ornithologists argued for budgets for birds, archaeologists lobbied for dirt, cartographers for maps, but their expertise was in the study and acquisition of collections, not long term storage and maintenance. And there was considerable scope for charisma – a really eloquent historian, mounted on his hobby-horse, could corral money and staff, leaving a shrinking entomologist with little more than a butterfly net. Overall collections care was sometimes erratic.

We live in more rational times. The Museum’s experts now include collections managers and conservators who are at this moment involved in Collections Risk Assessment. Although it sounds like a project only an insurance adjuster could love, numbers can clarify in a way that words may not. When asked about the likelihood of a “probable” event, staff rated it as anywhere from 25% to 95%; “unlikely” could mean 1% to 45%, depending on whom you ask. Arguing for action is always more effective if data can be cited.

This fire at the Carving Studio happened in 1981. This winter Helmcken House will get a sprinkler system.

Using a formula developed at the Canadian Museum of Nature by Dr. Robert Waller, the Magnitudes of Risk are being determined using information from all collections. “Risk of what?” you may ask. Physical forces, fire, water, criminals, pests, contaminants, light, inappropriate temperature, inappropriate relative humidity and disassociation of information all threaten collections. They can be rare and catastrophic, sporadic, of intermediate severity or frequent and mild. We ask what fraction of each collection is susceptible to each risk. When is it likely to happen? How much of the value could be lost? Of course there are many kinds of value, so how can we recognize when value is lost? Some collections have monetary value, (for insurance purposes) but the worth of research specimens can scarcely be calculated in dollars and cents. Most items in our collections can never be replaced, and their cultural significance cannot be quantified. Is a basket less valuable when faded? What if the colour is still visible inside? Not surprisingly probability is easier to determine than value: we infer the future by examining our history and history is our business. How many artifacts have been stolen in the past ten years? How many roof leaks? How many specimens dropped?

A contracting protractor. Some plastics are not going to be with us forever - cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate break down giving off damaging fumes.

Risk Assessment is a means of ranking dangers. Is the risk of damage from an earthquake greater than the accelerating disintegration of cellulose nitrate film? Repeating the exercise demonstrates how effective improvements have been and pinpoints what to do next. This will be our third risk assessment to ensure that we are deploying resources wisely, protecting the province’s heritage from flooding and fading and acid migration, not to mention the things that go bump in the night.