By Caterina Celada Prior, Intern at ZTC Summer 2019. This summer I moved from the Scottish Glasgow rain to the sunny Brighton to spend an excellent time as intern at Zenzie Tinker Conservation studio, following the first year of the MPhil in Textile Conservation from the University of Glasgow. I have enjoyed my time working …
By Ania Golebiowska and Jamie Robinson The Royal Pavilion is rather extraordinary; a celebration of styles from across the globe with no discernible links. The Prince Regent’s ‘Pleasure Palace’ is purportedly the first case of interior design existing outside of architecture. George IV employed the theatre designer John Nash to transform the grounds during 1815-1820, …
Continue reading “Stephen Jones Hats: A Pragmatic Approach to Mounting 160 Objects in 30 Days”
We have been lucky enough to have conserved more than twenty Diaghilev Ballet Russes costumes over the years from both public and private collections. Once when we were working on a number of Ballet Russes there was a knock at the door and man from a neighbouring business asked if he could have a look …
We keep thinking things can not get any busier or more exciting work wise and then they do – 2018 has been no exception! This year we have been particularly challenged space-wise as our long term site work teams from Westminster Abbey and Knole came home to roost bringing mountains of equipment back with them …
Charles Frederick Worth was the Lincolnshire designer who dominated the Paris fashion scene in the latter part of the nineteenth century, otherwise known as the ‘father of haute couture’. [1] It is a rare treat to have such sartorial history pass through your hands and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to work on …
Continue reading “Dressed For Best: conserving couture, restoring its Worth”
The Westminster Abbey Funeral Effigies Layers! One of the most fascinating but problematic things about redressing the effigies were the multiple layers of clothing (some wearing as many as 18 items!). The under layers were often fine and beautiful and never seen – there because that is how they were worn in life, or just …
The main themes of this last busy year seem to have been dust and BIG, complex, dirty textiles. Oh and scaffolding. We bought our own scaffold tower this year and then had to buy extensions to make it even taller. The new equipment is great but what makes these big projects possible is the amazing …
For its winter exhibition ‘Inside the Collection’ Scotney Castle celebrates ten years of public access by delving into its own stores for inspiration. This card-adorned fancy dress costume was recently uncovered in the castle’s costume collection, worn and accumulated by the Hussey family from the late eighteenth century until the house was left to the …
“The word of the day is lambrequin”, was one of the comments on our Facebook page in response to a posting about the conservation of the Leeds Castle Drawing Room lambrequin. A lambrequin is a short piece of decorative drapery, in this case hung below the elaborate cornice of the Drawing Room over the top …
Part two – April 2017 Once the initial condition survey of the colours was completed, Heather Newton Head of Conservation at Canterbury Cathedral came to the studio to discuss and negotiate the way forwards. We had many competing and sometimes contradictory aspects to consider not least our conservator’s gut instinct to want to conserve the …