Those of you who follow us on Instagram might have seen our updates over 18 months from late 2021 – early 2023 as we worked on a rather special project. The Manx Museum on The Isle of Man, home to the world famous (and arguably most dangerous) TT motorcycle race, …
It was a pleasure to return the beautiful Anglo-German tapestries designed by weaver Ursula Benker Schirmer to Chichester Cathedral this week after new linings and a thorough surface clean. The tapestries have a vertical warp so after freezing for a slight moth infestation, a deep clean and new linings, we …
Continue reading “Chichester Cathedral’s Benker-Schirmer tapestries”
The Royal Museums Greenwich ‘Battle of Solebay’ tapestry is now finally back in the Queen’s House where Willem Van de Velde the elder and his son designed this very set of tapestries more than 350 years ago for Charles II. After a long weekend finishing off the lining of the …
Brighton University MA Curating Collections and Heritage student Harriet Brown reflects on her work placement in our studio For the placement module of the MA Curating Collections and Heritage, I worked at Zenzie Tinker Conservation (ZTC). This was an incredibly varied placement where I supported a wide variety of projects. Over …
Continue reading “Conservation work placement: a patchwork of skills”
By Tabby Gibbs, Studio Intern, Summer 2022 My name is Tabby, and I was lucky enough to spend my summer as an intern with the team at the Zenzie Tinker Conservation studio in Brighton. As I am now beginning the final year of my MPhil in textile conservation at the …
Finally we are released from the press embargo and can formally introduce one of our major tapestry conservation projects for this year – the conservation of the Royal Museums Greenwich Battle of Solebay tapestry. The tapestry will be part of an exhibition ‘The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the …
I want to extend a huge thank you to Zenzie Tinker for the amazing opportunity to work with her team for the beginning of June to the end of July on different site works, such as the vacuuming of William Morris wall coverings at The Ironmonger’s Hall, condition checking Lee …
Continue reading “A summer internship (with Camille Lafrance)”
Unable to complete an in-person placement as planned in the summer of 2020 as part of the Textile Conservation programme at the University of Glasgow, I was fortunate to instead complete a virtual placement with Zenzie Tinker Conservation (ZTC). ZTC Ltd assigned me a research project; to produce a testable …
Continue reading “A month in the life of Zenzie Tinker Conservation (with intern Catherine Harris)”
Conservation of a Pale Green House of Worth Ballgown (Part 2) Having focused mainly on the skirt conservation in my previous Conservation Story about this gown, I would like to turn now to the bodice. While similarly dishevelled in state to the skirt, its return to splendour posed a completely …
My first Instagram post of the year, 2nd January 2020 showed a photo of a clean, tidy, empty studio and said, “Happy New Year and new decade to all our followers. It feels like the lull before the storm – we look forward to sharing some of it with you this year”. Of course at …