PhD studentship at University of Glasgow

"From the Golden Age to the Digital Age: Modelling and Monitoring
    Historic Tapestries"
Leverhulme Trust fully funded studentship
University of Glasgow
College of Arts

We are recruiting a highly motivated PhD student to take part in an
exciting interdisciplinary project between the Centre for Textile
Conservation and Technical Art History and the School of Engineering
at the University of Glasgow, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Start Date: The three-year studentship will begin in January 2016.

Funding: The Leverhulme Trust Scholarship will cover Home tuition
fees for UK and EU applicants and will provide maintenance costs for
three years at UKP13,863 per year.

This studentship is open to international, home and EU applicants,
but will only cover tuition fees to the Home and EU level.

Project context: Many rich collections of tapestries survive and are
displayed in museums and historic houses but they are often in poor
condition and in need of extensive conservation treatment.  The
selection of tapestry support and display techniques is still
largely based on experience and intuition.  This study will, for the
first time, enable conservators, curators and conservation
scientists to base decisions in a more complete understanding of
material properties when treating these complex objects, using
computational modelling and strain monitoring techniques to gain
data on tapestry properties and behaviour.  The project offers
exciting opportunities to work on site in a world-class museum
environment at the Burrell Collection, and at one of Scotland's most
popular historic sites, Stirling Castle.

Research tasks: The student will carry out a literature review and
interviews with conservators to gain an overview of current methods
of tapestry conservation and display.  (S)he will focus on the
strain monitoring research using digital image correlation to test
different conservation stitching techniques and different display
scenarios.  The student will create physical models of tapestries
which will be subjected to loading tests using tensile testing
equipment before moving to test conserved samples of historic
tapestry from the Centre for Textile Conservation Reference
Collection.  This element of the research will also focus on
historic tapestries from the Burrell Collection and a newly woven
tapestry at Stirling Castle.

Supervision:

    Principal Investigator: Frances Lennard
    Centre for Textile Conservation

    Project Co-Investigator: Dr Philip Harrison
    School of Engineering

The student will be based at the Centre for Textile Conservation.

Entry Requirements: This is an opportunity for either a conservation
graduate or an engineering graduate; the project will require an
ability to cross discipline boundaries.  Over the course of the
project the student will be thoroughly immersed in both the theory
and practice of tapestry conservation, while also developing skills
in strain measurement, using digital image correlation, and
mechanical testing.  The student will ultimately gain a
comprehensive understanding of the application of engineering
techniques to conservation challenges; a valuable skill-set allowing
the successful candidate to continue with a career in either the
heritage sector, the industrial textiles/composites field or in
academia.

For further information or an informal discussion about the project
and the studentship please contact

    Frances Lennard <frances.lennard<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk>

or

    Dr Philip Harrison <Philip.Harrison<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk>

How to apply: Please send your application to
jeanette.berrie<-at->glasgow<.>ac<.>uk. Your application should include:

    A statement of no more than 1,000 words describing in detail
    your interest in and suitability for undertaking this project

    A current CV

    Degree transcripts (this may be an interim transcript if you are
    still studying)

    An example of scholarly work up to 3000 words in length (e.g.
    coursework essay, or a dissertation chapter)

    2 academic references (these may be sent directly from your
    referees if they would prefer)

Closing date: Sunday 8 November 2015


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:19
                Distributed: Sunday, September 27, 2015
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