Cassy Cutulle
Objects Conservation Portfolio
Research
THE EFFICIENCY OF DRY ICE CLEANING IN CONSERVATION
(Above) Image of the mild steel and brass coupons, the gilded brass furniture mounts and mild steel musket locks utilized for my dry ice cleaning experiments.
Through a practical study using metal coupons and objects, I have tested the efficiency of dry ice cleaning at The Wallace Collection in London. The project includes two experiments which together assess the applicability and efficiency of the method in a realistic museum context and the risk of damage to metallic objects. This research was conducted for my MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums dissertation, which will be presented at the American Institute for Conservation's (AIC) 43rd annual meeting in May 2015. There is much potential for the use of dry ice cleaning in conservation, and I hope to investigate this potential and develop this research further in the future.
(Above Left) Image of one of the brass coupons after dry ice cleaning. The Scanning Electron images to the left of the coupon display the coupon quadrant at low and high magnification, which helped to determine whether abrasion was occurring on the metal surface as a result of dry ice cleaning.
(Above Right) Image of one of the gilded brass furniture mounts that was successfully cleaned of Briwax® furniture wax using dry ice cleaning
Photographs by Cassy Cutulle
©University College London, The Wallace Collection. Images may not be reproduced.
THE UTILITY OF NON-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS IN DETERMINING THE ORIGINAL COLORING OF DETERIORATED ENAMEL
The Roman reign in Britain produced a high volume of enameled brooches, many of which have survived today allowing for the opportunity to investigate these pieces in greater detail. Identifying the original color of the deteriorated enamel cells is an important part of this investigation. Several variables affect both the look and composition of deteriorated enamel on brooches, making it difficult to distinguish between the corrosion products, the metal substrate and colorants utilized. Although destructive analysis would give definitive results, this is often not feasible, especially in conservation. Non-destructive methods are therefore favored.
During the first year of my MSc degree at University College London, I was able to conduct such analyses on two Romano-British brooches, kindly provided by the Portable Antiquities Scheme/Trustees of the British Museum. This study assessed the utility of Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) in determining the original colouring of deteriorated enamel using two Romano-British brooches.
(Above Left and Right) Images of the two Romano-British brooches used in this study.
(Above) Image of the light-green enamel on one of the brooches analzyed. The images next to the brooch are Scanning Electron images where analysis occurred.
Photographs by Cassy Cutulle
©The Portable Antiquities Scheme/Trustees of the British Museum, University College London. Images may not be reproduced.
THE CONSERVATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN OBJECTS
This research was undertaken for my Master of Arts in Principles of Conservation dissertation. It investigated the conservation and care of Native American objects in varying museum contexts. The aim of this examination was to understand how interactions such as consultation, collaboration, communication and partnerships between museum professionals and indigenous peoples affect conservation care decisions for Native American objects.
In the future, I hope to extend this research through outlining the major issues in collaboration in conservation, while offering practical solutions to such issues. Through in-depth reviews of recent literature on the topic, my own practical experiences, and interviews and surveys, I hope to emphasize the role and value of collaboration in conservation in an effort to encourage it and its benefits in the future.
(Above) Image of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Connecticut, where part of my research took place.
Photo courtesy of http://classracegender.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/seeing-race-at-the-mashnatucket-pequot-museum/
©University College London.