Volume 12, Number 3
Mar 1988

Conservation Research in Canberra

The September/December issue of the ICCM National Newsletter lists 26 current conservation research projects that are either planned or under way in Canberra alone, and asks to hear about projects in other parts of the country. Readers are asked to contact Colin Pearson, the Australian Coordinator for the ICCROM International Conservation Research Index.

The first edition of the ICCROM index has been published only recently. The information for this country was gathered by questionnaire. There is no coordinator for the U.S.

Some of the projects listed for Canberra are:

At the National Library of Australia:

• The optimum conditions for vacuum freeze drying
• The effects of vacuum packaging and encapsulation on paper

At Australian Archives:

• Initial quality testing of papers from Bemboka Mill
• Water solubility of 3M tape #415
• Development of a Conservation Data Base for photographic materials
• Backing methods for sized linen architectural drawings
• Removal of copper corrosion salts from paper

At Australian War Memorial:

• Investigation of alternatives to direct duplicating of film, particularly interpositive systems
• Proposed study into characterization of the common document photocopy techniques used to date (thermographic, wet and dry, electrographic, etc.) and strategies for their preservation

At Canberra College of Advanced Education:

• Video on Hinging and Mounting Techniques
• Marbled papers on various bases

For more information, 1) Order the index from ICCROM, 13, via di San Michele, 00153 Rome, Italy (price, if any, not known; it probably doesn't include most of the above projects, which are quite recent) or 2) write Dr. Colin Pearson, Cultural Heritage Science Division, Canberra College of Advanced Education, P0 Box 1, Belconnen, ACT 2616, Australia.