UKRG Event: Hands on Registration - Hanging 101

Hanging 101. Tim Crowley, Collections and Exhibition Technician, Ashmolean Museum

Tim Crowley started to work at the Ashmolean in 2009, when the museum was refurbished and opened a new extension. Tim has worked on numerous projects, including permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions such as Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon/Henry Moore.

Tim’s talk focused on the preparation of 2D works before they can go on display or on loan, and covered: the choice of glazing and backing, the best (or worse) display location within an exhibition space and the choice of hanging fittings.

Glazing and backing

Ideally, a work is glazed and backed, especially before going on display. The glazing acts as a physical barrier between a painting and the external environment and protects it against many threats such as dust or visitors’ fingers. It also offers climate regulation and in some cases, UV filtration.

Glazing can be acrylic (Perspex) or glass (often laminated low reflective glass).

It is important to identify the type of glass used on an artwork before packing it for a loan as some types of glazing will require taping while tape will damage others (LLRG for example).

The best way to tell the difference between Perspex and glass is the weight of the glazing. Glass will also be cooler to the touch. Laminated glass generally makes a dull sound when taped.

Perspex is generally used for larger works as it is much lighter. However, low reflective acrylic is generally more expensive than laminated low reflective glass.

Materials for backing can also vary: from soft fabric film, hardboard, twin wall polycarbonate, etc. A rigid baking is recommended as it will protect the work during the handling and reduce the risks of puncture. However, the backing can also add to the weight of the painting. Twin wall polycarbonate is a good option as it is light, transparent, rigid and includes a UV filter, but it is expensive (whereas hardboard is cheap).

Hanging fittings

Ideally, the fittings will be attached to the work before the works goes on loan and the work will be hung to the wall with at least 3 point of contact.

Many different types of fittings are used in museums and galleries to hang 2D works. All of them have their pros and cons and every institution or technician have their preferences.

During his talk, Tim detailed some of the hanging fittings used at the Ashmolean:

Tim insisted that, if the preparation of the artwork itself is key, it is also important to prepare the area where the artwork will be displayed.

Where NOT to hang an artwork.

Artworks should not be hung on external walls, above heat sources, in high traffic areas (risks of degradation), in direct sunlight or under picture lamps, in areas where food is prepared or consumed, on plasterboards thinner than 12mm, near heavy fire doors, lifts or IT services (vibrations) or near non-secured doors or windows for small works (theft).

When installing an artwork, we should also always be attentive to the environmental conditions (stable temperature and relative humidity within an appropriate range is required).

Wall structures

There is often a level of uncertainty in museums and galleries about the appropriate type of wall structures necessary to support an artwork.

The main materials used are plywood, plasterboard and MDF.

If you are not sure about the type of walls you have, a simple test is possible: put masking tape on a drill, drill into the wall up to the masking tape and the residue on the tape should indicate the type of structure: dust/powder = plasterboard; small hardwood fragments = plywood; softwood spirals = MDF; red/orange dust = brick; grey dust = concrete (avoid drilling in concrete walls if possible as it is very hard, dusty and messy and creates vibrations).

A screw should never continue to spin when installed. If this is the case, it shouldn’t be used to hang an artwork.

Screws are generally very strong and the weight capacity/strength should be detailed on the packaging. However, the solidity of the wall should be more of a concern than the solidity of the screws. A wall structure without wood won’t be as solid and it may need to be reinforced (by adding plywood for example) or more hanging fittings may be necessary to secure the work on the wall.

There is not ideal way to securely hang an artwork on a wall: the different options won’t be efficient, secure, aesthetic, easy to use and cheap at the same time. This is why it is important that the different options are discussed collectively with technicians, curators, conservators, registrars and lenders as early as possible in order to assess the risks and the resources and decide on the most appropriate solution.

Delphine Charpentier, Assistant Registrar (Loans), National Galleries of Scotland

UKRG event: hands on registration - Mounting & Display of 3D objects

Mounting & Display of 3D Objects.

Richard Rogers ACR, Founder and Managing Director of Richard Rogers Conservation Ltd

Richard Rogers started out as a silversmith, and since then has carved out a 40-year career in the design and implementation of 3D object mounts. He has worked on some amazing exhibitions over the years, early examples being English Romanesque Art at the Hayward Gallery and Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England at the Royal Academy in the 1980s. He also worked on the redevelopment of the Imperial War Museum; the first-time round, and again 26 years later when the WWI Gallery was revamped in 2015! More recent exciting projects have included a display of ship figureheads at the Cutty Sark and the Ice Age exhibition at the British Museum.

Key to deciding on a mount is the condition of the object and the fragility of its surfaces. Safety and preservation of an object must come before any aesthetic choices. Weight, strength and the suitability of showcases are important to discuss early. Have all materials been subject to the Oddy Test? Design is also important, and so early conversations between the designer and conservators should be had for a coordinated approach. A coherent display will generally have consistency in its materials, so the presentation of 3D objects should be considered early. Seek advice from a mount maker, who can offer sympathetic recommendations while also prioritizing conservation.

Richard talked us through the basic materials of mounts and brought in some sample materials to look at. He described brass armatures, security mounts with concealed fixings, and the fabrication of metal mounts at the workshop. We looked at ZFMDF, which is not particularly liked by mount makers as it is messy to cut. Forex cuts cleanly, can be used as a showcase inner and can be sprayed to different finishes. Acrylic is a good option for book cradles as it can be contoured to support the spine of a book. It has a range of thicknesses, finishes and comes in a UV grade. Hexlite is light and strong and can be wrapped in fabric and Dibond is a thin, shiny material, which can’t take much weight. Protective materials often used in conjunction with mounts include polyester felt, clear Melinex sheets and clear tape (for securing book pages), aluminium tape, and Dacrylate lacquer.

Richard described how on a project there will often be multiple visits required, first to see the objects and measure up to make a template, then for any tweaking. The take-home message from Richard’s presentation was just how wide a range of practical methods there are for displaying 3D objects creatively. Speaking early on with a mount maker during the design process of an exhibition or display allows time for creative flare and clever solutions.

Written by Lucy Davis, Assistant Exhibitions Manager, Royal Academy of Arts

UKRG Event: hands on registration - Display Cases

Display Cases: Getting into the Subject

Lewis Brooks, Exhibition Technician at the Imperial War Museum gave an introduction to working with display cases. There are a large range of different display cases, but for the purposes of this overview Lewis broke them down into two different types, looking at the advantages and potential limitations of both.

Evolution showcase by Tess Demountable http://www.tessdemountable.co.uk/showcases/evolution/

Purpose built showcases

Fully enclosed units.

Often used for permanent displays.

Can be very expensive so not always a good option for temporary exhibitions.

‘Set work’ display cases

Set work cases are bespoke and can be built into other structures.

They can be fabricated by in house technicians, or by external companies such as Qwerk or Glashause.

They are often cheaper than purpose built cases, but can be problematic if the design or construction is not thought through.

Opening cases

Talk to your technicians! They will have the knowledge and understand any quirks of specific cases. Many purpose built cases will use Abloy keys, which are difficult to copy or replace if lost. They have a code that must be sent to the manufacturer to order replacement keys, which can be costly.

Locking systems can vary and might be concealed from view, so if you can’t see where the case opens look out for keyholes and hinges to give you a clue. Locks might be barrel locks, t bar, pop up locks or cylinder locks. Sometimes the lock pops out a little bit when you unlock the case, and sometimes the entire locking mechanism will come out completely.

Sometimes case doors and lids are hinged so that they simply open outwards or tilt back. In other case types the door may slide across: often these cases have clever mechanisms to stop you sliding the door too far, but not always! Use caution and don’t push the door too far open.

Problems with access

If you are struggling to open a case, start by checking the following:

·         Is the key far enough into the lock?

·         Sometimes the cylinder of the lock can become misaligned. Try turning the key slightly as you push it in.

·         Sometimes case doors can drop over time and put pressure on the lock. Use glass suckers (and an extra pair of hands) to help lift the door while you unlock it.

More about set works

It can be more tricky to get into set works cases, since the fixings will often be hidden in exhibition design or architecture. For example, the case might be a box with a glass or acrylic panel held in with security screws. It is a good idea to cover the screw heads whilst on display.

Acrylic hoods on table tops or vitrines can be heavy and require a lot of hands to open up safely. There will be lots of small and fragile objects underneath and the hood will need to be lifted off and over the table.

Access points could also be through parts of the building you wouldn’t normally need to know about, such as crawl spaces. Bring a head torch and ask for help!

Case opening procedures

Before opening a case, ask:

·         Does it contain hazardous materials?

·         Is the case conditioned? Is the whole gallery conditioned?

·         If you are unsure, take advice from a conservator

Check your organisation’s policies on accessing objects inside display cases.

Case seals

Seals are essential for maintaining the environment in a case. Purpose built museum cases will have good, airtight seals but they can deteriorate through time, come loose or be tampered with by visitors. Check case seals are not misaligned and that there are no visible bumps. Take care opening and closing cases to prolong the life of the seals.

Case materials

Set works can be constructed from a range of different materials. Note that many institutions have stopped using MDF as it is porous and must be sealed. Forex is a better material for cases.

Samples of common case materials

Common pitfalls

Cases are sometimes so effective at their job that they can cause other problems. For example, some are so airtight that the suction created in opening and closing the case can cause lightweight objects to move.

Static is a common problem, which can be minimised by using an anti-static spray.

When planning displays remember to think about the opening/closing mechanism of your case. Check the angle of opening to make sure your objects will fit and avoid any last minute panic when you have couriers and lenders present.

Think about the type of objects and handling requirements when planning case layouts. If the handling instructions for an object state that it needs 3 people to install it, check that you can fit that many people around the case door. Likewise, consider the architecture and wider design of the space.

Written by Rachel Graves, Collection & Exhibitions Manager, The Hepworth Wakefield

UKRG Event: Magical Mystery Store - The Protest Lab

The Protest Lab wants your objects – how to manage an experimental loan agreement

Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest is an exhibition that aims to highlight the relevance of the Peterloo Massacre (1819) to current campaigns for democracy. The People’s History Museum (PHM) is asking members of the public to bring in their own objects to be put on open display alongside original Peterloo artefacts. Sam Jenkins, Collections Officer, told the audience how PHM approached loans management in such an experimental exhibition format.

In recent years, the model for co-curation has been applied by museums working with different communities. By pulling out recent stories of protest PHM is encouraging its audience to consider what everyday acts of protest they engage with. Objects from a march, like placards or badges, will be shown alongside objects like disposable coffee cups or a lipstick. Drop-in days have been organised from March – September 2019 where individuals can bring in their items of protest and discuss their story with a member of staff. This cultural exchange of insight and expertise between museum staff and members of the public contributes to the sector’s move towards better representation of previously unheard narratives.

However, the challenge faced by PHM was how to manage all of these personal items moving in and out of their care. As Lyn Stevens Tweeted during the event, complex situations call for simple loan agreements!

One form was drafted to capture all of the information PHM needed about the object, including a signature agreeing to the clauses listed in the image above. Individuals confirm that they are the legal owner and that they are lending their object at their own risk – a smart decision made by PHM as the items are on open display. Object descriptions and their connected stories of protest are also captured on this loan agreement. Whilst people love the idea of writing the label for their object they aren’t necessarily prepared to write it at the time of depositing the item which can cause a delay in proceedings. To make the loans process clearer, handling tables were introduced at the drop off-events to provide a platform for discussion between potential lenders and PHM staff.

An exciting element of this project is that the exhibition will grow and change as new objects come in throughout the year. PHM will be able to engage with stories of protest that are happening now as, in theory; individuals bring in an object connected to a march that happened last week! The collection is a showcase of democracy so it reflects a variety of stories but it also highlights some gaps. Whilst the collection is largely left-leaning this project has found that the people it is trying to engage with most are probably out protesting when the drop-off days are scheduled. Social media is used to encourage people to bring in their items of protest and as many groups organise protests on spaces like Twitter, this feels like an appropriate platform to advertise PHM’s experimental project.

The Protest Lab project is in the same vein of a paper from earlier in the day entitled ‘But what if we tried?’ at Touchstones, Rochdale Art Gallery. Projects like these are exactly what the sector needs to further encourage a wider range of institutions to be brave enough to take on challenging subjects. PHM provides opportunities for people to be inspired by ‘ideas worth fighting for’ and I think most would agree that broader community engagement and representation in collections is an idea worth fighting for.

Written by Louise Hanwright, Project Reveal Loans Officer, National Trust Scotland

UKRG Event: Magical Mystery Store - How do you document a Victorian anti-garroting collar?

How do you document a Victorian anti-garroting collar? Introducing museum collection management practices to the Metropolitan Police Service Heritage Centre.
The Metropolitan Police Service was founded in 1829 and has two museum collections. The Crime Museum, formerly the Black Museum, was established in 1874 as the repository for criminal evidence. It is housed at New Scotland Yard and is not officially open to the public, although in the 19th century celebrities were able to visit, and it provided the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels. The Metropolitan Police Heritage Centre opened more recently, in 2009. As a museum of the police service, it collects and displays items related to the day-to-day business of the police, such as uniforms and equipment. 

Dr. Clare Smith took up the post of Centre Manager in 2018 and was faced with the immediate and huge challenge of cataloguing and classifying thousands of items. Existing documentation was sparse, slightly erratic and below museum standard; often objects had been classified by name of owner rather than type, demonstrating the ingrained police practice of recording everything as evidence with a story to be told. Being forced to re-catalogue the collection has resulted in some nice surprises – for example, the service’s medal collection previously thought to be 300 in size is in fact three times as large.

Knowing that 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of women in the Met police, Clare decided to concentrate on material that could be used in a forthcoming exhibition on female police officers. Thus, giving herself a focus and a deadline to see tangible results.

Clare’s simplified themed displays and policewomen exhibition have proved a great success with the Centre tripling its visitor figures. 

Another major challenge for Clare has been to learn the police language of her superiors (note to reader: SPOC means single point of contact, not the Star Trek character!), to educate them on the importance of museum practices and to generally raise the Heritage Centre’s profile within the Met’s strategic priorities.

Clare’s next cataloguing project will be to tackle the uniform collection. She is also aiming to tell the story of the police without bias or backing away from difficult stories and to give a voice to religions, races and groups who have not previously been represented in the displays. Alongside this, Clare is busy writing policies on loans and acquisitions, establishing networks with other police museums and volunteers, preparing for a move from West London to Woolwich and is already starting to think about how to mark the bicentenary of the Met in 2029. Good luck Clare! You have a big job on your hands and I, for one, can’t wait to see the results.

Written by Hannah Kauffman, Deputy Registrar, V&A Museum

UKRG Event: Magical Mystery Store - Punk 1976-78

Punk 1976-78, a national touring exhibition collaboration between the British Library, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Central Library

The first talk of the day was by Professor Colin Fallows from John Moores University and Polly Mills, Touring Exhibitions Co-ordinator at the British Library on their collaborative Punk exhibition at Liverpool Central Library, November 2018 – January 2019.

This was the third iteration of the Punk exhibition since it opened at the British Library in London in 2016 and toured to Sunderland’s Museum and Winter Gardens in 2017. Each venue re-interpreted the exhibition differently to embed the topic within their local punk culture. 

Over the past 20 years the John Moores University has established a large punk collection and world-class archive of counter culture. Professor Moores is an expert on the subject having curated punk exhibitions in nine different countries over the past 12 years. The exhibition was the result of a long-standing relationship with the British Library who had themselves been actively collecting punk material for a while. The content of the exhibition was a mixture of loans from both institutions alongside some private collections.

The setting of a library – a quiet space for study or contemplation – appears an unusual choice for an exhibition on punk – the anarchic, loud and demonstrative music genre. The curators played on this unusual juxtaposition by displaying large photos in the reading room areas of Liverpool Central Library.

The exhibition covered 1976 – 1978 and focused around five main themes: Before the Storm; Be responsible, demand the impossible; Punk goes overground; Punk rock explosion and; Now form a band. Objects and artefacts were distributed across several spaces in the library including parts of the original historic buildings. Special permission was granted to remove Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ from the Oak Room and display singles covers and a leather jacket in its place. The beautiful Hornby library was also taken over by the exhibition where material was carefully placed, not scattered, and individually presented in reference to the Edwardian setting. 

Polly Mills spoke about the aims of the British Library’s touring programme, the library network which sparked the collaboration with Liverpool Central Library, and the challenges of staging an exhibition in this environment, such as security not meeting GIS standards, working with AV material and the tight budget meaning some copyright costs were prohibitive.

The benefits clearly outweighed any challenges though; a main one being the opportunity to reach a non-museum audience. Having visited Liverpool Central Library, I have seen first-hand what a well-used and loved resource it is. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, it was filled with people of all ages studying for exams, accessing the internet, reading newspapers, or simply having a cup of tea at the café. Despite experiencing threats to their survival in recent years, libraries still represent the heart of communities.

A legacy of the exhibition is a small permanent display in the main reading room on Eric’s, the Liverpool nightclub which hosted a Sex Pistols gig in 1976, which showcases ephemera - posters, flyers, contracts and tickets – reminding locals and visitors of Liverpool’s musical and cultural heritage beyond the Beatles!

Written by Hannah Kauffman, Deputy Registrar, V&A 

UKRG Event: Magical Mystery Store "But what if we Tried"

But what if we tried? Bryan Beresford (Curatorial & Community Engagement Coordinator, Rochdale Arts and Heritage Service) and Harry Meadley, Artist

Touchstones Rochdale Art Gallery is part of a larger facility managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust (Link4Life). At the UKRG Magical Mystery Store event at Tate Liverpool, artist Harry Meadley talked about the challenge he set the gallery. Namely, to display as much of the collection as possible in a single exhibition. The collection contains 1600 objects and the exhibition space consisted of 3 galleries. The team at Touchstones knew it was an impossible task, but zealously endeavoured to present both normally unseen pieces and processes to the public. A key element of this involved turning the institution inside out. For instance, staff held meetings in the gallery space, T-frames and opened crates were exhibited and conservators and technicians were filmed explaining their roles. The gallery presented the films shot by Harry in the gallery store, a space that isn’t normally open to the public. The films captured staff members discussing the challenges of producing contemporary exhibitions. They also captured frank discussions about the obstacles the gallery has faced during its transition from a regional museum to charitable status.

The exhibition ultimately contained 360 works and purposely failed to present themes and narratives. Pieces were presented according to selections of accession numbers and resulted in a varied and colourful show. The installation shots captured how the eclectic hang afforded visitors the opportunity to appreciate the diversity of works in their civic collection.

Bryan Beresford (Curatorial & Community Engagement Coordinator at Touchstones) explained that the exhibition engaged visitors and their feedback highlighted that they valued the gallery’s effort to not only hang as much as possible but also to make them privy to the process. Harry and Bryan explained that like other councils under austerity measures, Rochdale Council had questioned selling parts of their collection. I don’t think I was alone in thinking how brave it was of Touchstones to embark on a project like this. It was clear from the presentation and video clips that Touchstones and Rochdale Council were under immense financial pressure. It was encouraging to hear that visitors enjoyed the exhibition and that their feedback along with good press (including coverage in national papers) helped the Council keep sight of the fact that the collection is a cultural asset worth conserving and celebrating rather than flogging.

My take away from Harry and Bryan’s talk was that asking unconventional questions of ourselves like, in this case, ‘But what if we tried?’ can lead to innovative displays, enhanced visitor experience and strengthened institutional relationships.

Written by Rebecca Bailey, Assistant Exhibitions Manager, Royal Academy of Arts