Removing soot from plaster and silver leaf

Jennifer Dennis <jelemede<-at->gmail<.>com> writes

>I am an objects conservator in private practice.  An artist I know
>recently has had a layer of fine particle, silt-like soot deposited
>on about 20 paintings that include (burnished) Venetian plaster and
>silver leaf (due to work on a chimney).  The soot adheres to
>surfaces and smears if brushed.  I don't have experience with this
>condition.

This sounds like it could be a case for laser cleaning.  It's hard
to say for certain without examining the artwork but it might be
worth looking into.  In case you are not familiar with the
literature, the LACONA conference series can provide a baseline,
particularly LACONA VI.  If you want to contact an institution that
has such a system ones that I know of are at Harvard Strauss
Center/MFA Boston, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, here at Yale's
Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Duke University
(although their Er:Yag laser system may be less suitable for this
particular task), and the Gardner Museum.  There are several systems
in private practice as well.  Some that I know are: Conservation of
Sculpture and Objects Studio (Chicago), and Adam Jenkins
(Philadelphia).  I'm sure there are others that I don't mean to
leave out but unfortunately am.

Pablo Londero
Associate Conservation Scientist
Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Yale University


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:31
                Distributed: Thursday, December 24, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-29-31-001
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