Equipping the Vision of Kelvin Hall

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Arts

Abstract

The project integrates and enhances provision in Conservation/Cultural Heritage Science research at the University of Glasgow, specifically within The Hunterian, Archives & Special Collections (ASC) and the College of Arts (Technical Art History, Conservation & Archaeology). It leverages the unique co-location of collections, skills, and resources in the University's Kelvin Hall Study Centre to achieve fully its conception as a world-class object-based research and research-led teaching facility.
Enhanced digital object information (imaging, technical examination and analysis across the electromagnetic spectrum) and improved data sharing and interpretation are essential outcomes for researchers at Glasgow and beyond. The equipment requested will match UK institutions engaged in imaging and technical examination within heritage science, delivering applied research and developing and disseminating best practice in collections conservation and preservation. We seek to upgrade/refurbish five specialised microscopes with digital cameras as an essential provision, together with systems for Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging, Raman Spectroscopy, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and a Micro-Fading. Combined, they are unique resources among UK University museum conservation/science departments, such enhancements will allow further development of expertise in the application, interpretation and contextualisation of the data produced. Similarly, co-location of the equipment, alongside cultural heritage collections and diverse specialist academic expertise, creates a unique facility for the development of heritage science. For example; identification of Pacific barkcloth for The Hunterian and Kew Garden collections; identification of polychromies on the Distance Stones on the Antonine Wall; comparative analysis of Spanish painters including El Greco and Murillo; re-interpreting Dr Hunter's Gravid Uteri casts; the historical technology of insect collecting and its conservation; developing an access policy for light sensitive objects including contemporary prints and illuminated manuscripts in ASC; advising on the rehanging and care of C17th panel paintings in National Trust collections; developing new adhesives for displaying vulnerable objects; improving non-destructive non-invasive examination and analysis.
The University holds one of the most significant research collections in Scotland, encompassing The Hunterian, one of the world's leading university museums, and the Archives & Special Collections holdings of the university library. At their core is Dr William Hunter's bequest (1718-1783) that created the museum. The original museum collection has grown substantially with around 1.5 million items. Hunter's library, now housed in ASC, is acknowledged to be one of the finest 18th-century book collections to remain intact. With a state-of-the-art collections store, object study rooms, teaching labs, conservation and digitisation studios, Kelvin Hall, the first purpose-designed facility in the Higher Education sector offering innovative object-based research, teaching and training, represents a transformational partnership between the University, City of Glasgow and the National Library of Scotland.
Provision for upgrade or refurbishment of existing equipment was not funded within the original Kelvin Hall initiative and this must currently be accessed on loan or in multiple locations on campus. Most of the requested equipment will be housed within the Study Centre where research is conducted by the PI, Co-I and colleagues from the University including Hunterian curators, and in ASC. The planned relocation and integration of the Centre for Conservation and Technical Art History into Kelvin Hall in 2021/22 will provide additional space, and alongside the equipment requested, will consolidate research capability and act as a catalyst for further interdisciplinary research on University and other collections.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description This award for equipment upgrade to support heritage science and conservation has enabled objects from the Hunterian and Archives and Special Collections to be investigated more comprehensively. This has led to data and new knowledge that has enabled be interpretation for pubic exhibitions, conservation treatments and scholarly publications ( four of which have been excepted for publication). The equipment upgrade has also supported technical art history post-graduate and doctoral-research.
Exploitation Route The outcomes provides a resource for: other researchers working with the collections e.g. provenance research; conservators, curators and students from other institutions wishing to gain knowledge about a particular artist or object.
Methodologies have been developed in using the equipment with the collections. These outputs have been shared with other institutions to enable there own research.
Sectors Creative Economy

Education

Leisure Activities

including Sports

Recreation and Tourism

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

URL https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/cca/research/arthistoryresearch/kelvincentre/news/headline_817455_en.html
 
Description The finding of our research have been used for preservation, interpretation and conservation of the collections. Additionally the data and outputs have been used for public engagement with our collections. The infrastructure that has been set up has enable use to engage with more complex research and support small projects with regional collections and organisations.
Sector Energy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description Cultural Heritage Protection in the Ukraine
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Walking into Walls
Amount £42,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2022 
End 02/2023
 
Title PISTACHIO (Photonic Imaging Strategies For Technical Art History And Conservation) 
Description IR spectral database of artists' pigments to be used as spectral library for compound identification purposes. Spectra were acquired using a benchtop FTIR microscope in ATR and external reflection, and the novel hyperspectral Fourier-transform spectrometer built within the PISTACHIO project, a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Used a reference for hyperspectral instrument development 
URL http://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1403
 
Description Authenticating Coins 
Organisation University College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Experimental characterisation and interpretation of wear on Roman Coins and experimental identification of their constituent materials. Early development of an experimental methodology for identify authenticity of coins based on wear marks.
Collaborator Contribution Contextual knowledge on the history and provenance of Roman Coins in the Hunterian collections.
Impact PLOS ONE 17(11): e0274285. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274285 https://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/about/news/headline_899186_en.html
Start Year 2022
 
Description MS Hunter 242 (Tlaxcala manuscript) Glasgow Archives & Special Collections 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Using scientific equipment (microscopes, Raman spectrometer, RTI and Micro-fadeTester) funded under the present grant we were able to support the conservation and provenance research of this important sixteenth century Mexican manuscript.
Collaborator Contribution The curators and conservators were able to provide context and conservation expertise which assisted in our examination of the manuscript.
Impact Conservation of sixteenth century manuscript.
Start Year 2021
 
Description PISTACHIO Photonic Imaging Strategies For Technical Art History And Conservation 
Organisation Heriot-Watt University
Department Physics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution With the upgraded FTIR funded under this award we were able to produce more ground truthing data to compare with the data acquired with a prototype instrument developed by Heriot Watt. This also supported the research environment of a PhD student based at Heriot Watt who has been working in our laboratories.
Collaborator Contribution Heriot provided computation expertise.
Impact This collaboration started under an EPSRC grant (EP/R0330113/1). The funding of upgraded equipment under the present grant being reported has enabed the research to be continued beyond the EPSRC grant ending. In doing so it has enable the submission of an invited paper (after preliminary results were presented at InArt, Paris in June 2022) in the last week to The European Physical Journal Plus entitled Reflecting the past, imag(in)ing the past: macro reflection imaging of painting materials by fast MIR-hyperspectral analysis.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Rock Art 
Organisation Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Country Israel 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our team provided the support by making replicas and conducting experimental verification using equipment funded under the present grant.
Collaborator Contribution The collaboration with archeologists provided the main context and archaeological data for the research.
Impact A paper is in the review process with the Journal of Archaeological Science. "Colour of the Past in South Caucasus: first archaeometric investigation of rock art and pigment residues from Georgia"
Start Year 2021
 
Description The Hunterian 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Department Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our research is providing further knowledge about the collections and preventive conservation issues associated with them. We are developing further technical analysis projects for the Hunterian collections. With the CapCo grant we have been able to provide analysis on coins, miniatures, paintings and manuscripts. I am helping to writing proposals for further funding for technical facilities and external funding to support a new research centre. The equipment funded under the present grant has further enhanced the facilities and support for the collections.
Collaborator Contribution The Hunterian have provided space for the research to take place so that we are now integrated with the collections. The curators have shared their knowledge of the collections. The collections management team have provided access and support with art handling, access and collections data management.
Impact The collaboration is building a strong multi-disciplinary working relationship between engineering, art history and professional museum practice. My RA has given a public engagement talk in the Hunterian Museum relating our research to objects in the museum. We have secured another grant (with a third collaborator Heriot Watt University) which being interdisciplinary in nature relies on the combination of access to the collections and appropriate scientific facilities in-situ. We have held combined seminars which engage the academic community with Glasgow University and the professional community of the Hunterian, external professionals working in the field of the conservation of paintings and visiting researchers from Yale University. In 2022 "Roman usurper or a hoax? Shedding light on Sponsian via non-destructive analysis of gold coins in the Hunterian Collection" accepted for ICOM-CC 2023 Whistler Pastels Project in collaboration with The Hunterian, Colby and the Launder Foundation. Technical Analysis in support of the conservation of Gavin Hamilton Hectors Farewell to Andromache as part of the Getty Conserving Canvas Training Initiative. Preventive Conservation advice for loan, storage and display of the Hunterian collections
Start Year 2017
 
Description The Significance of the Citizens Theatre Paint Frame 
Organisation Citizens Theatre
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Characterisation of the layers of paint on the paint frame. Developing an understanding of the social and professional history of the Citizens combining this data with oral histories (part of a completed Leverhulme Fellowship).
Collaborator Contribution Providing knowledge of architectural history, working practice and access to archives.
Impact Paper ready for submission to Studies in Conservation. The data obtained would not have been possible without Equipment provide by this grant.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Theatrical Cloths 
Organisation Royal Opera House
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Research led advice and knowledge exchange of the materials, conservation issues and mitigation of those issues which allow the cloths to be used in a forthcoming production at the ROH. This saves time, resources and is a more sustainable outcome than remaking the cloths. Technical characterisation of materials for the ROH using our CapCo funded mapping FTIR and fluorescene microscope.
Collaborator Contribution Skills and experience knowledge exchange in the production of theatrical cloths and history of certain productions. Sharing knowledge of other theatres and productions that are relevant to my research into the history of scenic art in Britain.
Impact Multi-disciplinary- outcomes in the 24/25
Start Year 2023
 
Description Whistler pastels 
Organisation Colby College
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Technical examination of Whistler Pastels in their collection
Collaborator Contribution Sharing of collection for comparative study
Impact Poster accepted for conference.
Start Year 2022
 
Description BBC Fake or Fortune 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Provided technical examination of a painting from a Roman Catholic Church in Port Glasgow in support of the BBC programme Fake or Fortune.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001c26z
 
Description Hoyland and Hamilton 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Showcasing conservation and research work on two of the most significant paintings in The Hunterian art collection: Hector's Farewell to Andromache painted between 1774 and 1786 by Gavin Hamilton and 18-6-69 painted by John Hoyland in 1969. This exhibition contains the paintings, students replicas, original painting materials, conservation science research through a video, insight talks and a zoom event. Through the display, The Hunterian and the Kelvin Centre invite our visitors to be part of this process, witnessing the transformation of the paintings live in the gallery, seeing the technical examination, art historical research, reconstruction and conservation first hand. This is engaging the general public through the exhibition and discussing with the staff involved in the project. It is also being used as a research led teaching environment for students of the Kelvin Centre and History of Art at Glasgow University.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/visit/exhibitions/changingdisplays/hoylandandhamilton/