Call for papers--Conservation in the Nineteenth Century (CiNC)

Call for papers
"Conservation in the Nineteenth Century (CiNC)"

This is a call for papers for a conference to be held at the
National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, May 13-16, 2013 entitled:
"Conservation in the Nineteenth Century" (CiNC)

The conservation profession has its roots in the intellectual
movements of the first half of the 19th century, which followed the
Enlightenment. Scholarly study of objects made available by
important archeological excavations and discoveries gave birth to
the first debates on theoretical issues of preservation. Also
playing a significant role in conservation practice were political
events disrupting Europe in the first decades of the 19th century,
in particular, Napoleon's appropriation of works of art.

We have come to think of the nineteenth century as a time marked by
much negative activity resulting in practices that are much
criticized nowadays, such as widespread impregnation of porous
materials with organic substances, or the transfer of paintings,
both from walls and panels, to canvas supports, or restorations of
paintings and sculptures based on artistic fabrications. As much as
early conservation treatments do create many problems for
conservators nowadays, we also can acknowledge that, in some cases,
they did prolong the life of an object that might not exist today.
In some of these treatments we can see the inchoate interest in
scientific methods that comprise the foundation of current
conservation treatments. An example of a 19th century contribution
that has had both positive and negative aftermath is the alum
treatment of waterlogged wood, where methodological shortcomings
acted as the spur to the development of modern treatments with PEG.
Artistic restorations prevalent in the 19th century were decisive in
the formation of antipodal views on reconstruction and over-painting
that have strong influence on the appearance of paintings today.

Nineteenth century technical inventions brought about by the
industrial revolution led to the mass production of many materials,
such as paper, textile and metals. These have also a positive and
negative influence on conservation. On the one hand, new techniques,
such as the electrochemical treatment of corroded metal have marked
an advance in conservation interventions. On the other, many mass
produced materials were often inferior to the traditional materials
used in the production of artworks and objects, and inherent
weakness and impermanence of such materials afford special
challenges to conservators nowadays.

Conference themes: This conference will focus on both the
theoretical and technical aspects of conservation in the nineteenth
century, as well as their impact on the profession today.

    Nineteenth century treatment methods that have withstood the
    test of time (are there any?)

    The evolution of documentation and its impact on the
    professionalization of conservation.

    Case stories contributing to new knowledge about nineteenth
    century treatment methods.

    Use of nineteenth century technology in the conservation of
    cultural heritage.

    Finding solutions for problems caused by nineteenth century
    interventions.

    Finding solutions for problems caused by nineteenth century
    materials.

    Historical persons' contributions to conservation and their
    impact on the field.

    Philosophical trends and their impact on practice.

Conference publication: The presentations will be published in the
form of Preprints. The papers will be subject to a peer review and
editing process. Selection will be based on the relationship to the
theme of the meeting,

Authors are invited to submit abstracts related to these topics by 1
March 2012 to cinc<-at->natmus<.>dk

All work submitted must be original and not have been published
elsewhere. Abstracts between 500-800 words should include the title,
authors' names, profession, e-mail and address of the corresponding
author. The language of the symposium and proceedings will be
English. We kindly request that all submissions be proofread by a
native English speaker.

Selections will be made by 1 April 2012, authors will be informed
accordingly. Deadline for invited papers: 1 September 2012.

Proceedings of the symposium go to print 1 January 2013, and will be
available to delegates on the first day of the conference.

The conference program and information about fees and registration
will be posted at the end of 2012 at

    <URL:http://www.natmus.dk/CiNC>

Isabelle Brajer
Senior Research Conservator
Department of Conservation
National Museum of Denmark
I.C. Modewegsvej, Brede
2800 Kgs. Lyngby
Denmark
+45 20 20 95 65


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:32
                  Distributed: Monday, January 9, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-25-32-002
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