British Library Conservation Centre

British Library Conservation Centre

The Conservation Centre is located within the British Library. This separate department is protected behind locked key card doors. The items within are priceless materials that staff are diligently working to preserve. I was amazed by the work they are currently doing. Being able to observe the process of piecing together a flag that has all but disintegrated, weave a binding in its original style, and manipulating the fibers of a vellum manuscript to repair a tear was fascinating. What was even more incredible is that each project is assigned to just one person. It makes sense in order to maintain consistency throughout the repairs, but is also seems like a formidable task with how many hours are involved in each project.

The conservation work being performed is incredibly diverse. Staff is specifically trained in conservation, but there are so many other skills that come into play for the different kinds of objects and materials that pass through the center. They work with fabric, vellum, parchment, string, and gelatin. What is all of this used for? The staff at the conservation center provides preventative care against issues such as temperature, humidity, pests, handling, and natural disasters. There is also scientific research done by chemists to investigate the deterioration of materials. Image specialists work with faded images and text. One of the biggest questions I had was how do they decide what merits conservation since the collection is so vast. The answer is that once a year they prioritize based on consultations with subject specialists. They discuss the condition of items as well as how unique they are. Basically they ask questions in order to choose what they will focus their
time and resources on.

One of their current projects is the restoration of a flag. The conservationist charged with resurrecting this once vibrant piece of cloth told us that 350 hours of work have been earmarked for this single item. To date she has been able to clean the long buried fragments of fabric and piece them back together like a puzzle. There are many sections missing due to deterioration. The plan is to use a pattern based off of a painting that features images of the flag. It's amazing to see what has been accomplished in terms of bringing something so damaged back to life. Once the surviving material is placed over the pattern they will be able to use other materials to supplement the gaps. Each step in the process is time intensive and requires a delicate touch. What struck me the most about this project is that there is a certain element of creative license the center must take. In order to repair, some brand new element has to be used and integrated into the original in order to strengthen or patch it back together. How this is accomplished is not always predetermined. The conservator has the task of preserving or recreating something in the most authentic way possible and that is truly amazing.