Conservation Research at the Swiss National Museum · Analytical Strategy Seminar, 26th November 2019, ETH Zürich Preventive conservation Testing of materials for exhibitions, transportation,

Conservation Research at

the Swiss National Museum

Tiziana Lombardo (Researcher, PhD)

Katharina Schmidt-Ott (Head KF, Conservator, PhD)

Vera Hubert (Researcher, PhD)

Erwin Hildbrand (Lab assistant)

Konservierungsforschung.

The Swiss National Museum, SNMhttps://www.nationalmuseum.ch/e

Landesmuseum, Zürich Château de Prangins, Nyon

Forum Schweizer Geschichte, Schwyz Sammlungszentrum, Affoltern am Albis

Analytical Strategy Seminar, 26th November 2019, ETH Zürich

Sammlungszentrum/Collection Centrehttps://www.nationalmuseum.ch/e/affoltern/

10.000 m2 of depot (3 stories)

850.000 objects

5.000 m2 for workshops

24 conservators

21 Admin /Logistic/Photogr.


Katharina Schmidt-Ott (Head, Conservator, PhD) Tiziana Lombardo (Researcher, PhD)Vera Hubert (Researcher, PhD) Erwin Hildbrand (Lab assistant)

Conservation Research Lab


Tasks• Material analysis

• Development-adaptation of conservation

treatments

• Preventive conservation

• Health and security

Target groupsConservators, curators, archaeologists,

historians.

Internal (SNM) or external (universities and

public cultural institutions)

Service- or project-base


Material analysis

To answer questions about:

Characterisation, use, technology

Conservation state and history

Provenance

Dating

In which context:

Knowledge of objects

Conservation interventions

Exhibition catalogues

Projects


Development of conservation

treatments

Conception of projects as well as analytical &

technical support for conservators or other

scientists

Examples:

MICMAC: use of bacteria and siderophore to

extract FeS-species from waterlogged wood

CHANGE: digital techniques to monitor glass

corrosion

Decontamination from Biocides using liquid

CO2


Preventive conservation

Testing of materials for exhibitions,

transportation, storage and conservation

Developping corrosion monitoring tools

Involvement in issues related to light and

climate control

Mainly for conservators (SNM as external)

both as « service » or on project base.


Challenges of our analytical approach

• NON DESTRUCTIVE

• or micro-invasive

• but still representative (!)

• Molecular & elemental analysis techniques

• If possible portable


Examples: Medieval objects or Historicism copies?

lead-tin yellow (L)

cinnabar (C)


Examples: Provenance of Neolitic bronze axes


Example: Glass corrosion documentation, monitoring

and mitigation

Walczak et al., 2016


Biocide contamination: detection & mitigation

• Assessment: marker elements (Cl, Pb, As, Hg, Cr, Br)

© K

ästn

er-A

rch

ive,

Go

then

bu

rg, S

wed

en


Biocide mitigation

PCPDDTPermethrineLindane

Objekt

Filter(variables Filtermedium)

Umlaufende Rohrleitung für Heizmedium

CO2-Destillation/ Abtrennung

CO2 flüssig

CO2

f lüssig

Flüssiges CO2

• Decontamination with liquid CO2

• Proof of concept on artificially contaminated materials

Lombardo et al., 2020


Biocide mitigation

• Decontamination with liquid CO2 of museum objects

• Out of 9 objects tested positively for Cl

only in 4 biocides emissions (PCP, DDT,

Lindane, Clhropyrifos) were measured.

• Li-CO2 extraction was succesfull

Wörle et al., 2020


Limitation

• Marker elements are not enough

Lang and Zimmer, 2016


• Same limitation for heavy metal (Hg, As, Pb, Br, Cr…)

Lang and Zimmer, 2016


Thank you for your attention!

Any question?


Thank you for your attention!

Documents

Conservation Research at the Swiss National Museum · Analytical Strategy Seminar, 26th November 2019, ETH Zürich Preventive conservation Testing of materials for exhibitions, transportation,