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In 1999 the Scottish Architects' Papers Preservation Project (SAPPP) and the Dick, Peddie & McKay Project (DPM) began cataloguing and conserving 185,000 architects' papers comprising of 25 individual collections. Since the project began a team of paper conservators have been working to safeguard the future preservation of this material and make it accessible to the public. This exhibition aims to give an insight and better understanding of paper conservation and the part it plays within the SAPPP and DPM projects. Discussed will be: the types of objects treated, condition of the objects treated and the treatments carried out by conservation staff on architectural papers.
The American Institute of Conservation describes preservation as: "The protection of cultural property through activities that minimize chemical and physical deterioration and damage and that prevent loss of informational content. The primary goal of preservation is to prolong the existence of cultural property. ("AIC Definitions of Conservation Terminology," in Directory, 1999.) The term 'Conservation' is more particular and is applied to the action of treating an individual item. There are certain ethical considerations that determine good conservation:
· Minimum intervention
· Keeping the historical integrity of the object
· Thorough documentation of the object and any treatments/materials used
· Examination and investigation of the object's composition
· Use of archival quality material, tried and tested techniques and reversible methods/materials that do not harm the object immediately or in the longer term
· Consideration of the object's future storage, function and context
The first three years of the SAPPP and DPM projects were dedicated solely to preventative treatments across all 25 collections. The majority of work involved dry cleaning, removing pressure sensitive tape and masking tape, carrying out tear repairs and rehousing. In 2001 and 2002 the DPM and SAPP projects respectively received an additional grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out further cataloguing and conservation work. This additional grant allows repair work and involves a wider range of treatments. This repair work is being carried out on items curatorially selected from the Lorimer & Matthew, Sydney, Mitchell & Wilson and Dick, Peddie & McKay Collections. By the end of 2004, the team of conservators will have conserved 1000 items from these Collections.
Three qualified paper conservators and a conservation assistant currently staff the conservation unit at RCAHMS.
The collections contain material dating from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. They consist of rolled and flat architectural drawings, photographic material and manuscripts. The collections contain a diversity of supports as illustrated below:
Tracing paper
Plan and sections of New Street and Walls
at Lauriston, c.1850. Dick Peddie & McKay Collection. Tracing paper,
graphite, ink and watercolour.
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Treated linens
The Longmore Hospital for incurables, 1896.
Dick Peddie & McKay Collection. Drafting cloth, graphite, ink and
watercolour.
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Linseed tracing paper
Elevation of cope to top of oriel, Crighton
Royal Infimary, c.1880. Sydney Mitchell & Wilson Collection
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Secondary supports
Full size details of the Commercial Bank,
Aberdeen, c.1880. Sydney Mitchell & Wilson Collection
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European papers of various types
Caledonian Station, 2nd Class Bar No.394,
1894. Dick peddie & McKay Collection. Paper, graphite ink and watercolour.
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Vandyke print
Princes Street Gardens Bandstand, c.1870.
Dick Peddie & McKay Collection. Vandyke print on paper with paper
secondary support, graphite and ink.
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The collections were originally stored in the architectural practices from which they originated. The collections came to RCAHMS suffering from a long list of problems:
Previous storage of rolled plans
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Detail of rolled plans
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Detail of acid damaged plans
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Detail of mouldy drawing
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Detail of delaminated support
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Detail of heavy surface dirt
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Detail of folds and creases
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Detail of tears and losses
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Detail of Pressure Sensitive Tape
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The aim of the treatments is to stabilise the items/objects making them available to be handled by the public. No restorative work is carried out, as it would be inappropriate for such objects.
The studio is well equipped, enabling a wide range of conservation treatments to be performed. Below is a list of treatments regularly carried out on the paper objects from the Sydney, Mitchell & Wilson Collection, the Dick, Peddie & McKay Collection and the Lorimer & Matthew Collection:
· Dry cleaning
· Tear repairs
· Washing
· Pressure Sensitive Tape and stain removal
· Infilling
· Lining
· Mould removal
· Pulping
After treatment the objects are either rolled or stored flat in environmentally controlled conditions and made available to the public.
Linseed tracing - Before
Documentation photograph.
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Linseed tracing - After
Documentation photograph.
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European Paper - Before
Documentation photograph.
Top: DSC00354
Bottom: DSC00355
European Paper - After
Documentation photograph.
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European Paper - Before
Documentation photograph.
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European Paper - After
Documentation photograph.
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The images above show a small selection of the photographs and drawings from the SAPPP Collections which can be consulted in the public search room from Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. Click on an image to view the full-size version. Prints of all images can be obtained by contacting RCAHMS directly at info@rcahms.gov.uk quoting the name of the site or building, the SC number, the size and nature of each image required. A price list of services for photographs, digital images and other copies can be found under the price list page.
