Saunders, Jill; (2024) Complexities of Cleaning Copper and Silver Alloys. Material impacts, public object interpretations, and professional practice and perceptions. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Reaching an understanding of ethical stewardship of objects and manifesting this in practice are key pursuits of the conservation profession. Removing tarnish and corrosion from metallic heritage is a critical process in this regard causing permanent material losses and changes which impact object values. This thesis explores implications of cleaning copper alloy and silver alloy surfaces and attempts to synthesise these outcomes with the actions and ideas of conservators. Objects-based surveys of Museum of London (MoL) visitors assessed aesthetic preference and advocacy impact concerning tarnish levels on historic silverware and corrosion levels on copper alloy archaeological coins. Conservators were surveyed on cleaning practices, motivations, outcome assessment, and other key topics. In both cases international demographic data recorded the impact of contextual factors. Copper, bronze, and brass coupons were artificially degraded in different ways and cleaned (brush, polish, scalpel, citric acid, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt dihydrate (Na2-EDTA), formic acid) and impacts were observed. Experiments revealed factors which caused potentially problematic surface outcomes e.g. compositional heterogeneity, original surface information loss, pollutant/cleaning residue retention. Professional working contexts, object types, resources, and education etc. were shown to not only affect professional cleaning actions, but also conservators’ ideas about public perceptions and profession-wide activity. Many (40%) thought cleaning was currently conducted unnecessarily. The strength of the domestic paradigm in response to tarnish and corrosion was evident, yet for museum objects the public favoured preservation of degradation. Results suggested geographical-specific tendencies in aesthetic preference as well as patterns approaching universal trends. Overall, the unpredictability and unknowability of surface condition and related implications after cleaning emerged as a key challenge facing conservators, posing the question of what extent of professional knowledge is required for ethical stewardship. This research supports a reduction of cleaning in museum settings and suggests that public perceptions may represent the most pertinent avenue for future research.

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