A smoke sponge is used to clean a parchment membrane, while acid-free tissue protects the illumination.
Treatment roundtables are a collaborative approach to problem solving challenging conservation treatments and research questions. They offer a forum to discuss, analyse, challenge and debate conservation treatments, treatment approaches and ethics with diverse communities of peers, both internal and external to The National Archives. We organise treatment roundtables at departmental, national and international levels, and often work in collaboration with other organisations. Past treatment roundtables have included topics on: wallpaper; measuring impact in conservation practice; film negatives; mould; surveys; and gels and enzymes.
This approach enables us to discuss innovative new treatments and test their applicability from theory to practice, encapsulating our researcher practitioner approach to conservation treatment.
Through this collaborative approach to problem solving, we aim to provide transparency around our decision-making processes and foster dialogue between conservation practice and heritage science research.
Aims of the treatment roundtable:
- Identify innovation, experimentation and research opportunities to advance treatment practice.
- Embrace a collaborative approach to problem solving.
- Foster an open mind attitude to treatment decision-making.
- Promote an inquisitive, risk-informed and contextualised working ethos.
- Identify opportunities for partnerships with external participants.
Find out more about our past treatment roundtable on film negatives in our blog: