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Highlights in this issue

The conservation of Roger Fenton's album of Crimean photographs

Helen Shenton, Senior Conservator, Books Section, Conservation Department

Given the display requirements and the handling demands on the fragile support paper of the Fenton Album, one possibility was to use a series of 'fascicules' which allows the images and original support paper to be handled safely.

A survey of plastic objects at The Victoria & Albert Museum

Edward Then, Plastics Conservator, Ceramics Section Victoria Oakley, Head of Ceramics Conservation, Conservation Department

As the number of plastic objects in the collections has continued to rise, conservators have been confronted with a range of problems associated with their care and treatment.

Preventive conservation in practice

Graham Martin, Head of Science Section Boris Pretzel, Higher Scientific Officer Nick Umney, 20th Century Gallery Conservation Liaison Officer and Senior Conservator,

One problem of this display was the many square metres of glazing, subjecting the gallery to high solar illumination, high uv levels and considerable solar heat gain.

Textile conservation in Russia

Lynda Hillyer, Head of Textiles Section, Conservation Department

Despite extraordinarily rich textile collections there are no specialist training programmes for textile conservators. Only 2100 of the 5000 conservators in Russia are trained.