The Holburne Museum of Art’s collection was developed by Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874) and is displayed in an 18th Century house in Bath. It includes fine examples of decorative art, including 17th and 18th Century silver and ceramics.

In 2009 the Museum temporarily closed its doors to the public to renovate and extend the property. Extensive conservation work was required to prepare the collection for display and the 2011 opening. In collaboration with Plowden & Smith, curators from the Holburne Museum of Art developed a project to clean and prepare over 700 items of silverware, ceramics, jewellery and coins for display. Supervised by Plowden & Smith’s experienced conservators, a team of students and interns undertook conservation cleaning and photographed the objects. This prepared the objects for display and the photographs were used for the Museum’s on-line collection catalogue.

The Holburne Museum of Art does not have the luxury of a conservation and restoration department and so relies on independent conservators and restorers to care for their collection and offer advice. Previous condition surveys of the collection had identified a large number of objects requiring basic cleaning treatments and a great opportunity arose to create work experience placements to train students and recent graduates of conservation. Not only was this a cost effective method for the Museum but it also provided a portfolio project for students who gained a combined experience of a commercial conservation/restoration workshop with museum practice.

To find out more about Holburne Museum of Art and to see some of our interns’ photography skills please visit their website. Our HLF funded intern, Claire Solman, contributed to this project as part of her conservation of decorative surfaces learning programme. To find out more about the Institute of Conservation’s internship training programmes please visit their website.