Mayer, Debora D.; Puglia, Alan:
Many Hands, One Method: the Weissman Consolidation Protocol for illuminated manuscripts
2018
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This poster is a summary of a protocol developed at the Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard Library for the consolidation of flaking and friable media common to European illuminated manuscripts. The protocol was refined and tested during the preparation of 160 illuminated manuscripts for the scholarly exhibition Beyond Words: Illuminated Manuscripts from Boston Collections (2016-17). The protocol is rigorous and includes guidelines for the evaluation, treatment, and documentation of the manuscripts. The purpose of the protocol is to ensure uniformity in treatment and judgment across a team of conservators. Consensus between conservators is essential with large projects that involve many hands, and we have learned that treatment quality is greater when team members agree to follow the same guiding principles. This approach goes beyond the details of procedure—it aligns decision-making and judgment. The result of having our team follow the same protocol gives the appearance that a single, experienced conservator treated the entire collection of manuscripts. Developing the protocol required extensive discussion, open-mindedness, and ego suppression. Most surprising was our conclusion that a team was able to arrive at the minimum amount of consolidation required to stabilize flaking media more efficiently than the solo conservator.
Consolidation and Communication. Materials and Methods for the Consolidation of Cultural Heritage: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue.
HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, Hildesheim 25-27 January 2018
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Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 Germany License.
10.5165/hawk-hhg/364
http://www.hornemann-institut.de/english/Consolidation.php
