Now that former conservator Ada Hopkins has retired, I am tasked with trying to fill the role that she defined during her time at the Bata Show Museum. For my first Conservation Blog I thought I would update everyone on the Storage Room Project that she wrote about in April 2022. The new storage room […]
Conservation of a Pair of 18th Century Shoes
I am retiring this summer and thought my last conservation treatment should connect to the first one. Thirty-four years ago I was hired to work on the women’s 18th century collection. It was a unique moment, as there was a BSM collection but no exhibition space. Myself and another conservator conserved the footwear that was […]
Writing a Condition Report
It’s important to have written and visual documentation on the condition of an artefact. This allows one to keep track of any changes to the materials, particularly for footwear composed of modern materials. Condition reports are written for incoming loans when other institutions and private collectors lend to upcoming exhibitions at the BSM. We also […]
Travels with the BSM: Taiwan
I have had the good fortune to be able to travel as a representative of the BSM to install artefacts or exhibitions in museums around the world. The first trip was to Taipei, Taiwan in June 2001. The Canadian Trade Office (CTO), based in Taipei, contacted Mrs. Bata to see if it would be possible […]
Storage Room Project: Phase 1
Right off the bat, I want to apologize for the quality of the photographs. The room in which we are working has extremely limited lighting, which results in murky images! In February, we removed all the tables that had been used for temporary storage in the future permanent storage room. The first step in retrofitting […]
Storing a Collection of Skates
In 1995, just before the BSM opened to the public, the entire artefact collection was moved from its temporary location to its new permanent home. Previously, space was limited and the entire skate collection was stored in boxes. Now with new shelving and more space, the dilemma was how to safely store these artefacts so […]
Conservation for a Virtual Exhibition
Last year the BSM received funding to support an online exhibition about the history of figure skating. This project was managed by the BSM’s Collections Manager Suzanne Petersen. In the late spring of 2021 she went through all the skates in the BSM collection to determine which ones would best tell the story. Once her […]
Update from the Conservation Lab
The artefact collection of the BSM continues to grow through donations and purchases. For the past ten years we having been struggling with diminishing storage space along with the need to store items made of modern materials in an appropriate environment. The original architectural plan for the museum included the design of a potential third […]
Student Projects: Part III of III
This is the last blog in the series which reflects on the amazing skills of interns who chose the BSM lab for their placements. This particular intern was enrolled in the Master of Textile Conservation program at the University of Southampton, located in a port city on the south coast of England. They had worked […]
Student Projects: Part II of III
This blog continues to explore projects undertaken by interns at the BSM conservation lab. In 1982, the museum acquired one of several outfits, with matching shoes, made for Lana Turner when she starred in the 1955 MGM movie The Prodigal. The costume was composed of a heavily beaded silk bodice with silk pant-skirt attached. The […]