![\"T-W](\"http:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/conservation\/files\/2015\/01\/T-W-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Print from the Thomson-Walker Collection<\/p><\/div>\n
The Thomson-Walker collection includes some 2,500 prints, which were bestowed to the University of Edinburgh in 1939 by Sir John William Thomson-Walker (1871-1937), a surgeon and committed print collector. The collected prints are mostly in good condition and convey portraits of influential medical men from the UK and Europe ranging from the 16th<\/sup>-20th<\/sup> centuries. The main conservation issue for this collection are the backing boards that the prints have been adhered to; the board is of low grade quality, which is not only destructive to the primary support but also prohibits the prints from being exhibited, digitised, or used as a resource for teaching. The unattractive and damaging boards and the tape used to adhere them to the primary support will have to be removed; I shall be experimenting with various treatment methods in the coming weeks in order to create a fast and effective programme of conservation which can be carried out by myself and the interns that follow after me. Additionally, the print collection varies tremendously in size and so I will also be investigating various storage solutions to rehouse this large group of artworks in a way that is not only cost effective but also accommodates how they shall be used now and in the future. Wish me luck, let\u2019s hope my efforts aren\u2019t in vein\u2026.<\/p>\n Close-up of a print hinged onto a poor quality backing board<\/p><\/div>\n Post by Samantha Cawson, Conservation Intern <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you didn\u2019t guess from the anatomical pun title, this blog post details the beginnings of my 10-week internship conserving the Thomson-Walker collection at The Centre for Research Collections conservation studio. As a recent MA graduate of art on paper … Continue reading <\/a>