Conservation

Conservation is critical for the recovery of Special Collections. The triage infrastructure implemented during the salvage offered an immediate response for the separation of wet and dry materials, and appropriate interventions to stabilize the items as recommended by conservators on site.

About

The success of this endeavour, and the sheer volume of salvaged materials awaiting restoration, have inspired the development of an in-house conservation unit to serve the needs of Special Collections and provide a means for capacity building in the field of conservation in South Africa.

Phase 1

Cold storage containers

The first phase of operations was salvage, namely retrieving waterlogged materials and stabilizing these materials. A cold storage container was brought on-site on 23 April for this purpose.

Triage tent

It must be noted that while the triage unit is not a conservation unit, skilled paper conservators started working immediately on retrieved wet drawings and maps and in parallel with the finalisation of the tent workflow and logistics. Depending on the degree of wetness, items were placed in a plastic crate as they were found e.g. stuck items are placed as a single item, or an individual wet item is placed individually. Items were removed according to the shelf/call number order and the crate was recorded to maintain the integrity of the collection. Libraries staff, with knowledge of the Special Collections and their schematics, worked at this juncture.

A chain of volunteers then moved the crates either to triage or for relocation.  Salvaged material was directed to the triage area, where various methods were used depending on the material type and degree of wetness or dampness.

Triage for wet and damp materials

For example, wet materials were sprayed with a fit for purpose anti-fungal spray, wrapped in cling-film (to preserve the moisture and prevent the material from drying and/or sticking together) and stored accordingly up to -10°C for later treatment. Damp materials were air-dried with interleaving using paper towels, unprinted newsprint, or blotting paper and kept in a drying chamber. Fans (to circulate the air) and dehumidifiers (to prevent condensation and mould) were used in the triage tent and at different venues where the materials have been stored.  

Phase 2

Long term recovery

The second phase of operations involves the long term recovery of Special Collections. This has involved the ongoing development of a conservation unit within the Libraries, and in the first year of recovery much was achieved to develop a foundation for a newly established conservation unit at UCT Libraries.

Conservation Support

Through financial support, we have been acquiring specialized items to equip the unit, including two freeze dryers. We also hosted a German-based conservator and two interns from the University of Pretoria’s Tangible Heritage Conservation between January and February 2022.

UCT Libraries has also engaged with local conservation company, DK Conservators, for the restoration of rare and antiquarian books. VRTV has been contracted to repair, rewind and ingest all audiovisual materials (mainly with fragile magnetic tape), that were severely compromised by flooding and damp conditions.

Conservators

Dieter Wickert-Ludemann

Paper and photographic conservator
DK Conservators
 

Isabelle McGinn

Museum and Ceramics conservator
University of Pretoria - Tangible Heritage Conservation

Tina Löhr

Paper conservator
Germany

Mary Minicka

Paper conservator
Western Cape Archives and Records Service

Nancy Child

Museum conservator
Iziko Museums