Everything made from organic material is edible to one pest or another (including insects and rodents), which makes our strongrooms a positive banquet hall. Therefore, it’s important that we implement the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which essentially cover Prevention, Monitoring, Identification and Solutions. Prevention is far easier for us than a museum or… Read more The things that bug us…
After eight weeks, our Conservation Trainee Helen has completed her placement with us, and left us her final thoughts on her experience… — The time has flown and I have now reached the end of my placement at Dorset History Centre. This placement has been invaluable in my training as a Conservator and I have… Read more Conservation Tales: Thoughts of a Conservation Trainee
Conservation Trainee Helen has been working on various things during her period with us at Dorset History Centre. In this post, she takes a look at some interesting glass plate negatives… — Dorset History Centre has recently acquired a new set of glass plate negatives, mainly of Thomas Hardy. As part of my placement here… Read more Conservation Tales: Glass plates of Thomas Hardy
In July, Dorset History Centre welcomed a new trainee Conservator… — Hello to all the blog readers! I’m Helen, a masters conservation student at Cardiff University and I am currently in the middle of an 8 week placement here, at the Dorset History Centre! As a local girl I was really keen to come back… Read more Conservation tales: A Conservation trainee
Since the formation of books as we know them, endpapers or endleaves have existed in some form, situated between the textblock and the binding. Not unlike endbands which were discussed in a previous blog, endpapers have evolved through time from providing protection for the textblock and structural support to becoming integral decorative features. Endpapers in… Read more Conservation tales: Endpapers and how to spot them!
Last year saw the cataloguing of the Herrison Hospital Archive completed by our Project Archivist, Sophie Smith. Sophie’s timing was perfect, leaving us just two days before the first lockdown. However, the conservation of the collection, which still had several weeks to run, was postponed due to the pandemic. This part of the project has… Read more The Conservation of the Herrison Hospital Archive
The sewing structure of a book is mostly invisible and, unlike a decorative cover or marble endpaper, is rarely noticed or admired. However, it is the keystone upon which the rest of the binding is made. Choose an inappropriate style, materials or tension and the lifespan of the book will be greatly shortened. This blog… Read more The techniques that bind us!
Amongst a collection of items belonging to Dorset County Museum, that were brought to the Dorset History Centre for conservation, were two music books. One belonged to Thomas Hardy’s father, and the other his grandfather (who were both also called Thomas). These books are fascinating examples of home-made bindings, with atypical sewing and making use… Read more Repairing the Music Books of Thomas Hardy
In October 2018 Dorset County Museum closed for a multi-million pound redevelopment, incorporating new galleries, a learning centre, library and visitor facilities. Whilst designing the new galleries a number of archival items were identified as requiring conservation treatment before they could be put on display. Forty documents that will be exhibited in the Hardy’s Dorset,… Read more Working with Dorset County Museum
If we look closely, archival documents can tell us so much more than that which is written in their pages. Even the most unassuming volume, such as these accounts of the church wardens and constables of Beeby, can tell us a great deal about how the volume was used, some of the personality of its… Read more Conservation Tales: The Accounts of Beeby
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