41st Annual Meeting – Textile Session, May 30, “New and Current Materials and Approaches for Localized Cleaning in Textile Conservation” by Elizabeth Shaeffer (co-authored by Joy Gardiner)

I had the pleasure of attending Elizabeth Shaeffer’s session exploring current and developing approaches used in the localized cleaning of textiles.  Her fast-paced, well-delivered lecture provided a wealth of information on localized cleaning techniques from the traditional use of cellulosic materials (cotton sheets, blotter papers and cellulose pulps) to gel systems (both viscous and rigid).  She then concluded the session with a more in-depth discussion on a sampler treatment followed by comparison charts on the different methods.  I will not go into all the detail that she went into, but I will provide a brief overview.  We all should look forward to reading her post-prints as they will provide a more in-depth discussion.  Being an objects major with a subspecialty in textiles, I was excited to hear her talk, as the reduction of stains or adhesives is found in all conservation specialties including paper, objects and paintings.
Cellulose Poultices
Beginning with the use of cellulose poultices to reduce stains from a textile by capillary action during drying.  Shaeffer described a treatment performed by Joy Gardiner at Winterthur, with whom she conducted a lot of her research, where a series of cellulose poultices assisted in the reduction of a tideline on the upholstery fabric of a rather fragile chair.  The textile was dampened followed by blotter wicking for the initial removal of discoloration.  Blotter wicking was continued until no more discoloration was removed.  At this point, dampened cellulose pulp was used for better contact.  The difference between the before and after images were dramatic; the treatment was quite successful.
Viscous Gels
Unlike cellulose poultices, gels are used to deliver cleaning solutions (which might include chelators and enzymes) with the added benefit of being able to limit the amount of solution to water-sensitive surfaces and to increase the solution contact time.  Viscous gels still maintain a fluid-like property and can flow into the interstices of a fabric, which could make it difficult to remove.  She discussed the thick application of a methyl cellulose (MC) poultice on a dye sensitive sampler.  MC (50% concentration) can be made very thick and molded by hand into the desired shape.  The residue question can be reduced by the addition of a barrier, but this also can reduce the efficacy.  Enzymes can also be included in MC poultices and alpha-amylase is currently available in a pre-made system, the Albertina Kompresse.  Additionally, lowering the concentration of MC with shorter application times and the application of sodium chloride to the rinse solution can reduce resides.
Xanthan gum, another viscous gel, was discussed and it’s unique shear force properties, which was interesting.  When the gel is agitated on the surface of a textile, soils will be suspended in the solution phase and then trapped in the gel structure when the force is removed.  Also, xanthan gum is compatible with non-water miscible solvents such as benzyl alcohol or tolulene.  The gel structure has “pockets” in the network allowing oil in water emulsion. Reducing bleaches cannot be used as it will break gel.  Be sure a buy “highly purified” xanthan gum.  Consider adding a biocide, as it can grow mold.
Laponite RD was also covered briefly.  The benefit is that it is compatible with bleaches since it is inorganic.  Studies do show that residues left may cause discoloration, so the use of a barrier like gampi paper should be considered.
Rigid Gels
The first rigid gel discussed in the session was agarose, which is a product already familiar in conservation.  When dissolved in heated water and cooled, agarose forms a rigid three-dimensional polymer network with pores.  These pores can hold solutions and can be combined with chelators, enzymes and even water miscible solvents.  Depending on the concentration of agarose used, the pore size will differ thus affecting amount of solution released, and therefore can be tailored for each treatment.   Shaeffer described her experience with a chelating test kit developed by Richard Wobers with varying pHs.  She found that on a test linen, the higher pH was more effective no matter what the chelator.  When Shaeffer was an intern at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, she used this information along with the system that Laura Mina and Kate Sahmel developed for removing dye bleed, to remove discoloration of the ground fabric of a sampler.  (Laura Mina and Kate Sahmel presented their treatment at AIC last year.)  Shaeffer’s treatment was successful but very labor intensive since each small area was outlined with cyclododecane followed by the “cut to shape” agarose (with EDTA) gel..  Agarose is easy to manipulate and reusable, something to consider.  Finally, gellan gum was quickly mentioned as a recently introduced rigid gel finding its way into the consideration of conservators.
In Conclusion
The comparison charts, when the post prints are released, will be good to review again, since so many types of techniques, solutions and recipes were only briefly discussed.  In the post-prints, she will be discussing at greater length her research and treatments (including “recipes”).  Elizabeth’s warm delivery tone allowed me to be swept away into an in-depth discussion of gels and poultices used in textile treatments.  In this blog, I have seriously only briefly touched on the discussion.  It was a topic that embraces not just the textile specialty group, but other conservation specialties.  She hopes that some of the material discussed will spark our interest; encouraging us to share our findings as we proceed.  I, for one, will be now be considering these materials into my “toolbox” of techniques!

41st Annual Meeting- Textiles + Wooden Artifacts Joint Session, June 1, “Two's Company: Supportive Relationships” by Nancy Britton

Nancy Britton presented several interesting examples of innovative upholstery treatments using carbon fiber support for the underupholstery. She also shared interesting discoveries from examining construction methods and written markings on multiples and sets of furniture from the same workshop and from the same collection.
The treatments used carbon fiber as woven “fabric” sheets which can be cut, shaped, and embedded in epoxy to create very strong, rigid supports for the upholstery layers above. Nancy has used the carbon fiber/epoxy matrix by casting it onto an ethafoam base, casting smaller parts to assemble, and making a one-piece shell.  She also makes up flat stock to have on hand which can be cut and shaped more quickly than casting pieces.
Carbon fiber is also available in many other forms from numerous suppliers, including a sandwich board similar to honeycomb aluminum panels, available from the company Protech: http://www.protechcomposites.com/categories/Sandwich-Panels/ (Please note, I am not aware if this specific product is suitable for conservation use.) More information on carbon fiber is available over on the wiki: http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Carbon_Fiber
Next, I was very interested to see and hear how Nancy examines pieces, and all the information that can be gained even from a bare, deupholstered frame. By looking at the tool marks, hole patterns, and remaining hardware, she has been able to see differences in working method that she feels indicate the work of different craftsmen. One set of furniture she examined had identical materials but differences in working style that suggest they were made in the same shop and  time period, but upholstered by different people.  Variations in the stitching also provide clues.
Finally, Nancy showed examples of markings (numbers) found on chair frames and upholstery layers of pieces from the Met’s Hoentschel show at Bard Graduate Center.  By looking at the marks and comparing them to early photographs of installations at the Met, along with other exhibition information from the archives, she was able to learn more about the upholstery timeline and how the chairs looked in the past.
Nancy’s talk reminded me that careful documentation of an entire piece, down to the smallest and apparently insignificant details, can provide a wealth of knowledge. We may discover new information about the piece’s history, and learn more about past upholsterers, who remain largely unknown.

41st Annual Meeting- Textiles + Wooden Artifacts Joint Session, June 1, “Slipcovers: Old and New” by Anne Battram

Anne Battram presented a shortened version of a talk given at the “first International Conference in Europe focused on upholstery history,” held in Vadstena, Sweden.  Proceedings of the Sweden conference, “The Forgotten History- Upholstery Conservation” ed. Karin Lohm are available from Linköping University.  Several people noted that this publication can be difficult to obtain- check with Anne or the University. Archetype may also have copies.
The talk gave an introduction to the history of slipcovers in America, and was jam-packed with specific examples and great visuals.
Anne explained that slipcovers have been used for seating furniture, footstools, and tables. They are often used to protect the surface below, which might be an expensive or fragile upholstery fabric, underupholstery, or finished wood.  In a home, sturdy slipcovers might be removed to create a fancier appearance in honor of an esteemed guest. But in some instances, the slipcover itself is made of an expensive, extravagant material, and can be removed and stored when not in use. One example of a close-fitting, fancy slipcover was secured to the chair using cords attached to the cover, threaded through holes drilled in the frame.
Adding slipcovers to worn or outdated furniture has been used as a less expensive alternative to having them reupholstered. Slipcovers also allowed rooms to be re-decorated “en suite” with matching fabric for the upholstery, cushions, and window treatments.
Slipcovers are differentiated from dustcovers, which are used to protect furniture when it is not in use (e.g. in storage or when a house was closed). Dustcovers tend to be less form-fitting, usually extend all the way to the floor, and often are made from solid colored fabric.
Striped and checked fabrics were popular for slipcovers used to protect upholstery from everyday use. Sturdy chintz and toile patterns were also common. Colonial Williamsburg has an example of a leather slipcover.
Construction details vary: some examples of early slipcovers were made with the seams facing out and bound, (giving an appearance similar to welting) which would make the fitting process simpler and add definition to the final shape. Some slipcovers are very loose, barely fitted and might be attached with ties. Skirts and flounces added to a slipcover would give added protection to projecting curved or carved legs.
Check out the postprints, and the proceedings from the Sweden conference, for all the well-researched details on slipcovers.

41st Annual Meeting – ECPN Happy Hour sponsored by Tru Vue, May 29

Photo courtesy of Molly Gleeson.
Photo courtesy of Molly Gleeson.

 
This year, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network’s (ECPN) Happy Hour was sponsored by Tru Vue, who generously provided food and drink tickets. It was a great success, with at least 100 attendees. Since the Happy Hour was on Wednesday, it was a great opportunity to mingle and relax before launching into the busy conference. It also directly followed ECPN’s Portfolio Seminar, which provided a nice segue and allowed participants to continue their conversation over food and drinks. We hope you’ll join us at next year’s Happy Hour in San Francisco!
Photo courtesy of Molly Gleeson.
Photo courtesy of Molly Gleeson.

 

41st Annual Meeting – Architecture Session, May 30, "An Evaluation of the Conservation History of Chagall's Les Quatre Saisons," by Jamie Clapper Morris

Marc Chagall's Les Quatre Saisons
Marc Chagall’s Les Quatre Saisons (1974), Chase Tower Plaza, Chicago

Jamie Clapper Morris, an associate at Wiss, Janney, Elsther Associates, Inc. presented this paper on behalf of Deborah Slaton, principal at Wiss, Janney, Elsther Associates, Inc. and herself.
Les Quatre Saisons is a mosaic by artist Marc Chagall, which is exhibited in a public plaza in the Loop district in downtown Chicago. It was a gift from Chagall to the people of Chicago in 1974, and it is located at the Chase Tower Plaza (formerly First National Bank of Chicago Plaza). The mosaic has tesserae placed on precast concrete panels with more than 250 colors. It was constructed in the Byzantine Style and assembled in southern France.
The original maintenance on this piece included biannual cleaning and annual sealing with silicon sealant. In 1988, the roof of the mosaic had completely deteriorated with 25% loss on the west side. In order to repair it, granite panels were put on the roof. In places where tesserae had fallen off, they were reinstalled in slightly different way in order to distinguish it from the original. In 1993, a bird deterrent gel was added but then removed because of staining. Visual assessment and lab studies were performed, including chemical analysis and scanning  electron microscopy studies. The majority  of the distress was on the west side. From 1995 to 1996, repairs were being performed on the adjacent plaza, and the mosaic was protected with an enclosure. A protective canopy was built for the mosaic, and wind tunnel studies were performed to ensure maximum protection. When repairing the mosaic, a lot of tesserae from the roof were used. The canopy was finished in 1996.
From 2009 to 2010, facade cleaning and limited condition assessments were performed, including some sounding and field microscopy. Expected distress was found. In 2011, a more detailed assessment was performed and it was sounded at 100% with xylophone mallets. Some  expected distress included efflorescence and mortar loss. Limited maintenance was performed, including removing general atmospheric soiling, graffiti, and bird deterrent (which didn’t work). It was surface cleaned, and the graffiti was removed with acetone and water. Areas of loss were repaired and tesserae were re-installed. Ongoing maintenance is recommended.

41st Annual Meeting – Contemporary Art Session, May 31, “Automating Classification of Historic Photographic Paper from Surface Texture Images,” by Paul Messier

Screen shot 2013-06-08 at 9.55.59 AMFor over ten years, Photograph Conservator Paul Messier has been researching the physical properties of historic photographic papers—fibers, thickness, optical brighteners, and manufacturer markings.  Most recently, Messier and co-authors* have been working to objectively characterize the surface texture of papers as a means to classify individual photographs as well as collections.
Using his personal collection of over 5,000 historic paper samples along with photographs from the Thomas Walther collection at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, photomicrographs of each surface were captured using a “texture-scope” available only at the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art. The images were then processed to abstract the features of the paper and allow for easier measurement of the distance between each vector height (i.e. texture peak). The data were sent out to various engineering teams with the goal of creating affinity diagrams that reveal patterns of paper matches. Although each team came up with a different methodology for matching samples, they all achieved results very similar to human detection showing a spectrum of matches from the same sheet of paper, same package, or same manufacturer.
With these successful results, Messier hopes to continue collecting images to be stored on an open-access database. Eventually, institutions and collectors should be able to upload their own photomicrographs and search within the system to discover affinities across a collection. This information about the paper’s manufacture can then be applied to connoisseurship and conservation purposes.
*This project was a collaboration between Paul Messier, Richard Johnson, James Coddington, Patrice Abry, Philip Klausmeyer, Andrew G. Klein, Eric Postma, William A. Sethares, Sally L. Wood, and Lee Ann Daffner. To read more, please see the studies listed on the Paul Messier website.

41st Annual Meeting – Photographic Materials Business Meeting and Luncheon, May 30, “Conservators as Diplomats,” by Mary-Jo Adams

FincaVigiaThe PMG luncheon was business as usual, with an approval of the minutes and budget, and a welcoming of the new committee, but we also had the privilege of hearing from Mary-Jo Adams, Executive Director of the Finca Vigía Foundation.
Founded in 2003, the Finca Vigía Foundation is an American organization developed to preserve Ernest Hemingway’s house and property in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, about 12 miles outside of Havana. Hemingway lived in the house from 1939-1960 and it was opened to the public by the Cuban government after Hemingway’s death. In 2005, Finca Vigía (“Lookout Farm”) was deemed one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Places, and in 2006 it was added to the World Monument Fund’s 100 Most Endangered Sites. The house itself is still filled with original furniture, artwork, and other objects, including Hemingway’s car and personal library. During Adams’s talk, she detailed the work that has been done up to this point to restore the site to its original appearance.
The majority of funding for the Foundation’s preservation efforts comes from corporations, as donations to Cuba can be a bit tricky for the private sector. With that money, Adams and her team have been able to bring in specialists in architecture, engineering, and conservation to begin the process of repairing the estate and the collection. NEDCC has partnered with the foundation to consult on the conservation of archival materials, and photograph conservator Monique Fischer traveled to Cuba in 2012 to contribute to the efforts. All of the necessary materials were brought from the U.S. to treat, digitize, and re-house the books, papers, and photographs in the library collection.
Another part of the initiative includes the training of Cuban volunteers on site and in preservation classes and workshops held in Havana. As Adams described, the greatest challenge has been to collaborate with the Cuban people through their many cultural and language differences. For instance, the Spanish word for “endangered” roughly translates to “neglected,” so it is Adams’s job to explain the ongoing risks to the estate and best practices for its preservation. The title to the talk, “Conservators as Diplomats” refers to the need for cultural heritage professionals to work at gaining the trust of their foreign colleagues before trying to force help upon them…It also doesn’t hurt to have the assistance of international celebrities like Cuban-American home improvement guru Bob Villa, who not only advised on areas of the building repair, but has advocated for site’s preservation.
Adams expects that active restoration efforts of Finca Vigía should be complete by 2017. For more information, please visit the Foundation’s website.

41st Annual Meeting, Book and Paper Session, May 30, “Conservation of Dieter Roth’s Snow,” by Brenna Campbell, Scott Gerson, and Erika Mosier


[a conservation conundrum: “wait, later this will be nothing”]

Erika Mosier, Paper Conservator at The Museum of Modern Art, presenting on behalf of co-authors Brenna Campbell (Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Conservation, MoMA) and Scott Gerson (Associate Paper Conservator, MoMA), highlighted some of the conservation and exhibition challenges presented by Snow, a major book project by Swiss-German artist Dieter Roth. Snow is the centerpiece of the MoMA’s current exhibition [February 17 – June 24, 2013] “Wait, Later This Will Be Nothing: Editions by Dieter Roth.”

Snow represents a transitional moment in Roth’s career, a movement away from his earlier Constructivist works towards more experimental book forms and explorations of entropy and decay. The treatment and exhibition of Snow not only posed an array of physical and material challenges but also raised questions about the biases, values, and long term considerations of our work as conservators. These considerations, as well as attempts to balance a respect for the integrity of the object with the artist’s intent, were further complicated by the fact that this particular artist was especially interested in material decay and viewed museums as “funeral parlors.”

Roth was commissioned make an artist book in 1964; over the course of three months, he produced thousands of drawings, prints, and notes in preparation, tacking them to the walls of his studio. Though the book was never published as originally conceived, Roth compiled a few hundred of the notes and drawings into a cardboard album and titled it Snow. In the late 1960s he fabricated a table and chairs to house and display Snow; the book was exhibited open on the table with a selection of pages removed and hung on the wall.

[Roth’s definition of a book: “a community of like-minded things”]

The mixed media nature of Snow posed a variety of conservation challenges. In addition to tracing papers, diazo types, printing proofs, plastic sleeves, and pressure sensitive tapes, the book includes a small wax still-life, paper cups, plastic tubing, and is housed in what is essentially a cardboard suitcase. Roth’s abundant use of pressure sensitive tape resulted in extensive damage, especially at the edges of the plastic sleeves where the deteriorating adhesive caused them to stick together. Sticky residue leaching from the PVC sleeves has made it difficult to remove items. A previous stabilization effort (initiated by Roth) involved adhering the tracing papers to cellulose acetate film, leading to structural and chemical damage.

Conservators also faced the challenge of attempting to determine the original order of the pages. Some elements appear to be missing and the conservators and curators had to guess at Roth’s original order, using clues such as evidence of stubs, lining up holes on the pages that were shot through with a BB gun, and comparing stains from failed adhesives.  Roth was making changes to Snow into the late 1960s. For example, neither the plastic sleeves nor the cellulose acetate sheets were present in the 1964 version of Snow; these were added later at Roth’s request in order to stabilize the pages for exhibition. Though the artist added these elements, curators determined that they were not part of his original concept for the piece and since they had already caused irreversible damage, it would be acceptable to remove them in the course of conservation treatment.

Treatment goals for Snow included stabilization for handling and display, identification of materials used, and treating individual components for imaging. Removing the acetate linings allowed the tracing paper pages to move and drape more naturally. Torn tracing paper was then repaired with a 1:1 Lascaux:water heat set tissue. Acetone and xylene were used to reduce the staining and stickiness of remaining adhesive residues, and a water/ethanol mix was used to reduce stickiness on the PVC sleeves. Failing pressure-sensitive tapes were either removed or re-attached with PVA.

Snow is now displayed open on the table with many more elements displayed on the walls. Digital images of all pages can be viewed on a display screen in the gallery.  In its current iteration, Snow does not function as a book but could technically be returned to book format if requested for use by a researcher.

41st Annual Meeting – Objects Session, May 31, "Beyond the Visible: Macro and Micro Analytical Forensic Imaging for the Documentation and Investigation of Archaeological Objects,” by Alexis North and Dr. Ioanna Kakoulli

There are two things you should know up front before you read this post. 1) This talk was fascinating. 2) I am not going to do it justice. I couldn’t take notes quickly enough and it didn’t help that I was frequently mesmerized by the beautifully colored images.
This paper briefly reviewed current methods for digital analytical imaging using visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light, but its true focus was on exploring and adapting technology from crime scene investigation for use in object examination. Specifically, the authors looked at the use of an alternative light source (ALS) combined with a different filters on a modified digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR – modified by removing the UV/IR blocking filters). The ALS allows the user to choose specific wavelengths of light for illumination and, by using filters on the DSLR, reflectance/fluorescence can then be captured between 350nm and 1000nm. In this case, a Mini-CrimeScope 400 ALS was used along with a modified Nikon D90.
Multiple projects were featured to show the capabilities and limitations of the technique, all focusing on the investigation of archaeological ceramics. The authors began by creating reference panels of expected ancient pigments and binders, as well as of potential modern materials including adhesives. They then experimented to find successful combinations of excitation and emission. For one of the projects used as an example, an ancient Greek incense burner with a figure of Nike, this method of investigation was able to identify Egyptian blue and madder lake pigments. In this example, illumination was in the green spectrum and capture was in the red and vice-versa (if I’m remembering correctly).  On a Roman figurine, the technique identified madder lake, but also pointed to the need for further testing of a green pigment which did not fluoresce (it turned out to be green earth).  Additional examples included a Pre-Columbian ceramic and two Italian ceramics.
In summary, this paper demonstrated that forensic photography with a broadband light source can successfully be used for qualitative identification of a variety of ancient and modern materials. What’s exciting about this (at least for me) is its potential application to archaeological field settings. After all, crime scene investigation happens entirely “in the field” and this technique is completely portable. It also promises to be relatively simple once successful combinations are worked out for different materials. The ALS price tag is not exactly cheap, and the cost is likely to vary a bit depending on who’s buying (police department, university, etc.), but at roughly 15K it is in a more affordable category than, say, portable X-ray fluorescence. Plus, you end up with visually appealing and instructive images, which would frankly be great in both scholarly publications and museum didactics.
This paper also highlighted (for me) the debt we owe to graduate students like Alexis North (currently at the UCLA/Getty Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials) and faculty like Ioanna Kakoulli (also at UCLA in the Materials Science and Engineering Department and Chair of the Conservation Program). Where would we be without graduate student research? Many of my archaeology colleagues will be delighted to know about this non-destructive possibility for investigating objects in the museum and in the field.

41st Annual Meeting, CIPP Seminar, Wednesday, May 29th presented by Alexandra Darraby

The CIPP strikes again with a well-attended and informative seminar to assist all of us in Private Practice. This year the topics covered business structures, service agreements aka the contract and insurance with an overarching theme of Risk Management. We then had an interactive roll-play so we could see an example of how the pieces all work together.
Business structures are one component for risk management and are determined by state law. The details of a Sole-Proprietor, Limited Liability Company and Corporation were covered (I’ll add to the wiki soon). The main differences: Sole-proprietor can have their personal assets attached by a creditor. An LLC (not no liability, just limited) has the pass-through taxation benefits of a sole-proprietor, but is made up of members, who can be individuals, corporations or other LLCs. Corporations have shareholders with stock holdings as well as Officers, Directors, Committees and annual meetings. So while thinking about what structure is best for your business, one needs to consider all the intricacies that go with each structure, as well as your tolerance for risk and tolerance for paperwork. Check out the business links on the CIPP web-page: http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/cipp/blinks.html.
Taxes play a part in your business structure –Sole-proprietors are pass-through, so they go with your personal tax return. Corporations do it a little differently and so the IRS has come up with some options: S-corp and C-corp. And then there is an LLC, which can file using most of the tax options. I would recommend consulting with an accountant.

Conservators In Private Practice seminar at the 41st Annual Meeting
Conservators In Private Practice seminar at the 41st Annual Meeting

Ms. Darraby, in conjunction with CIPP and the AIC Board, produced a Professional Services Agreement in 2009 and it can be ordered from AIC: http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.&prod_cat_ID=17. It is free to CIPP members and comes with guidelines for use. The template was reviewed by lawyers and insurers and uses language that will hold up in court. Because each state has its own special idiosyncrasies, it is important to adjust the template for your business and the state it is in. And here is where I would recommend consulting with an attorney, especially if a client asks to make changes in your service agreement. A balance is needed to make sure your business is protected and you are upholding best practices for the client and their art. Sometimes one must ‘just say no’, although I know that can be extremely difficult.
Next we had a panel discussion regarding insurance with representatives from DeWitt Stern and Claire Marmion, an adjuster from Haven Art Group. Insurance can be the survival of your business because it protects you and your assets. But, you must read all the fine print and consult with your broker to make sure you have the coverage you need.
A few key points:
-Superstorm Sandy has led to some changes, such as restricting water coverage and likely higher premiums going forward.
-Your homeowner’s policy probably does not cover your home business.
-General Liability insurance follows you as business owner – so you may have coverage while working on-site.
 
As an adjuster, Claire outlined some key things an insurance company would want from us if we come in as the conservator assessing a piece post-event:

  1. the treatment proposal needs to state categorically if the damage is reversible or not, i.e. will the client be pleased post-treatment.
  2. Include as much exact detail about the treatment steps as possible
  3. Be upfront about your fee to assess
  4. Commit to a cost – a range is ok
  5. Give a timeline for finishing the work; if you can expedite the treatment for an additional fee, add that in too.

If the insurance company is being too slow and you know leaving the piece in its’ current condition will be problematic the longer it goes untreated, be sure to have the client push the broker to push the claim through.
We had a few paintings conservators who had done assessments that took a very long time to go through the insurance process and the wait made the treatment more difficult and time-consuming.
The interactive element was fun. We were given a scenario and paired up to discuss what the different people should/could do. We then had four intrepid volunteers (Sue Blakney, Yuri Yanchyshyn, Gordon Lewis and Claire Marmion) enact the meeting between the parties to see what the solution might end up being and then discuss the outcome. Ms Darraby noted that the volunteers were just too nice!
Please add comments, especially if you feel I left out something!