Call for papers--Alum

Call for Papers
The Alum Meeting

3nd Triennial Conservation Conference at Northumbria University

Organised by A. Jean E. Brown
Sep 11-13, 2006

Aims and Objectives: For centuries alum (aluminium potassium
sulphate) was one of the most highly prized materials in Europe with
a value so great that efforts to secure its monopoly sparked off
intensive trade wars resulting in a string of international
embargoes on its importation. Its value lay partly in the limited
number of sources from which the raw material could be extracted but
of equal importance was the extraordinary breadth of its many
applications and uses. Of particular interest to those responsible
for the care of collections was its use in the production
and/processing of a wide range of materials incorporated into  much
of our cultural heritage including textiles, paper, leather,
photographs, watercolours, stucco etc. The meeting will be a cross
disciplinary event that will not only draw together our
understanding of this widely used material but also contribute to
our care of artefacts into which it has been incorporated. Papers
will include the following:

    *   The techniques of alum extraction and processing.

    *   The alum trade

    *   The physical and chemical properties of alum

    *   The historic use of alum in conjunction with a wide range of
        materials

    *   The affect of alum on the condition, care and conservation
        of collections

Venue and Trip: The meeting will be held at Northumbria University,
Newcastle upon Tyne September 11-13, 2006 and will include a trip to
the alum extraction and processing sites in North Yorkshire as well
as an exhibition on the alum industry.

Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be submitted by July 1,
2005

Travel: A number of low cost airlines fly direct to Newcastle or
Teeside airports including Easyjet, Ryanair and bmibaby. If you are
planning to attend the IIC Meeting in Munich September 3-8, 2005 the
budget airline HLX (hlx.com) has direct low cost flights between
Munich and Newcastle.

A. Jean E. Brown
Local organizer
Northumbria University
Senior Lecturer
Conservation of Fine Art
Burt Hall
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST
+44 191 227 3250
Fax: +44 191 227 3250


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:53
                  Distributed: Saturday, May 14, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-53-009
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