Exhibition Objects

The BA (Hons) Conservation of Cultural Heritage degree is a multidisciplinary course that assesses artistic ability, decision-making, and knowledge of practical and theoretical conservation. In our final year, we are given the freedom to choose artefacts from the teaching collection and encouraged to be bold with treatment options while we still have access to technology and the support of the conservation staff. The objects in this exhibition are a showcase of our accomplishments and progression throughout this degree.

Our Collections

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Natural History Collection

Untreated taxidermy Golden Plover bird on natural peat brick mount beside scale. The bird is leaning heavily to its left and features a gap in the throat, where stuffing is visible.
Taxidermy Golden Plover
Taxidermy owl perched on a completed green natural style base, with conserved taxidermy mouse.
Taxidermy Owl and Mouse

Phrenology Collection

(Front view) Object prior to conservation treatment. Plaster cast bust of a girl with phrenological markings on the side of the cranial (on the right side of the image). The surface is painted a dark yellow brown, some of the white plaster is visible in areas of damage. Paper label attached with string around the neck reading “Dr Elliotson’s Daughters”.
Phrenology Bust of a Girl
Front view of the plaster death mask - removed non-original yellow ochre pigment applied previously to unify the surface. Visible loses to original surface coating and exposed restored area on the right side of the figure's face. Colour and scale reference card included.
Death Mask
Grey/brown plaster death mask of Oliver Cromwell with some patches of missing paint, facing the camera. Scale located to the right of the face.
Death Mask of Oliver Cromwell
Front view of human skull cast prior to conservation. White bloom can be seen over the surface of cast, and the surface is discoloured to a dark brown colour. The skull sits next to a paper scale.
Plaster Cast Skull

Working Objects Collection

The wooden metronome with the front panel removed to show the reattached tempo marking strip and mechanism.
Metronome
Internal view of a wooden box containing crank powered pulley. There is a complex metal mechanism made of steel plates, cogs, gears and driveshafts inside the box. A metal bar with a wooden handle that turns the mechanism extends from the mechanism through the side wall of the box to the outside of the box.
Unidentified Crank Powered Pulley Mechanism
Victorian Table Clock after treatment.
Victorian Mantel Clock
A dark brown wooden veterinary box with a dark brown leather(?) closure. On the front facing side is a deteriorated green label with gold lettering and red detailing. Areas of damage, especially on the lid are slightly paler than the main box.
Veterinary Box
View from above: an enema equipment in a mahogany case with the lid opened. Object prior to treatment.
Victorian Enema Equipment

Textiles Collection

Flapper Dress
A black velvet full length cloak draped on a mannequin in the University of Lincoln’s conservation World Culture’s lab.
Opera Cloak
The doll wearing an ankle length off-white silk dress. The dress has brown staining and large tears in the centre. The dolls pink face is dirty with old adhesive where the wig was previously attached. The right foot is damaged.
Porcelain Doll
A view of the thigh decoration from above before treatment. The object is rested on acid free tissue, half the object visible on the red velvet side with silk rouches, the side with space for the loose piece at the top allowing a view of the shattering silk on the other side below it.
Medieval-Style Thigh Decoration
Two plain style sun bonnets side by side on head mounts, one is degraded, and the colour is a faded yellow. The other is a brighter white modern replica with lines of piping cord on the brim and crown of the bonnet, and two layers of pleated capes.
Lydia Lawrence Bonnet Replica

Parchment and Paper Collection

The manuscript after treatment. It has a decorative heading with smaller black writing underneath. Red lines are used to guide the writing.
18th Century Parchment Manuscript
Front of parchment document with writing, held down at each corner with weights, scale in bottom right corner.
Parchment Document, c. 1649
Parchment document – unfolded prior to treatment. The faded cream parchment has multiple areas of damage including a loss in the upper right middle. The parchment is hand illustrated at the top and the calligraphy is in black ink spanning across the bottom section of the parchment. There is an engraving style print of a woman in the top left corner.
Parchment Document, 1702
The inside of a log book. It has slips of paper inside the front cover. The first page has hand-written certifications of qualifications.
RAF Log Book
Schoolteacher’s Album – examining paintings, on the left side there is a watercolour of a pale woman with dark hair looking to her right, wearing a dark red top over a blue undershirt and on the right is of purple flower study winding up the page.
Schoolteacher’s Album
Painted Photograph on Canvas

Metal Antiquities Collection

A conical archaeological iron shield boss placed pointing upwards. The soil has been removed revealing the surface of the shield boss covered in corrosion.
Archaeological Iron Shield Boss
The torc viewed from above after cleaning. The torc’s surface is black and lays flat on a workbench, the neck ring is the centre of the image and the eight chains attached to the base of the ring extend downwards.
Archaeological Chain Torc
Front view of the maker’s cab plate before conservation treatment. Visible loses to original surface coatings, areas of corroded iron, surface soiling and stains. Colour and scale reference card included.
Cab Plate – Welsh Pony
A cavalry sword and cleaned scabbard on black background.
Cavalry Sword

Decorative Artefacts Collection

Two large fragments of the bottom and sidewall of a brown ceramic barrel on a white background. The pale buff inside of the barrel is visible and is covered in smears of black dirt.
Stoneware Spirit Barrel
A plaster-of-paris Nativity figure of Joseph, wearing a yellow robe and purple cloak on a black base. He is kneeling and looking down with his right arm extended. The figure is coated in a glossy varnish which is visibly yellowing. There is a break around the neck and several chips in the body.
Nativity Figure: Joseph
A pair of pale cream ceramic lamp bases, with varying intricate details, placed in a lab setting. On the left is a more rounded shape, decorated with a pair of mermaid figures, while the right is thinner and holds a pair of griffins.
Ceramic Lamps
A side by side image of the front and back of a shattered polychrome sheet of glass that depicts an infant St John in white robes leaning over the lap of a young seated St Elizabeth, robed in gold and blue, and is receiving an olive branch on a platter from and elderly St Zachariah, robed in green and red. The three figures are outside, there is a tree to their right, and mountain behind them. The fragments of glass are arranged in their correct position but with visible space between them.
Reverse Glass Mezzotint

Toys Assortment Collection

The doll wearing an ankle length off-white silk dress. The dress has brown staining and large tears in the centre. The dolls pink face is dirty with old adhesive where the wig was previously attached. The right foot is damaged.
Doll
A wooden puzzle with random-cut interlocking pieces. It depicts Knole House, painted by Charles Essenhigh Corke. One piece is missing approximately two-thirds of the way across and two-thirds of the way down.
Academy Jigsaw Puzzle

Antique Gilded Frames Collection

19th Century Frame gold leaf gilded frame on black background.
19th Century Picture Portrait Frame
Neoclassical style silver leaf gilded frame on black background with scale in bottom right corner
Shuttleworth Frame