ENGLISH

The Department of Leather and Paper is a unique University unit on a national scale, undertaking a wide range of research and conservation treatments of objects on paper and leather, along with other materials such as textiles, wax, metals, wood, animal bone, tortoiseshell, mica, etc.

As part of the conservation and restoration expertise, the subjects of our work are objects from almost all cultural fields, including:

historical items contaning text: handwritten and printed books in the form of codes and scrolls, handwritten and printed archival documents (including architectural technical drawings in various graphic techniques), manuscripts, musical scores, letters as well as historical securities, including banknotes, postage stamps, etc.);
Applied art and crafts objects: various leather based items and those made out of mixed techniques (paradel saddles, militaria – elements of armament and elements of cold steel weapons such as swords and daggers scabbards, cartridge pouches, archers’ quivers, pistol holsters, etc.; leather-upholstered furniture, cordovans, clothing elements, small applied haberdashery, hand fans, umbrellas, objects made in papier-mâché, theatre props – masks, shadow puppets, furniture and elements of scenography; wax objects – seals, candles, figurines, moulage, reliquaries, historical educational aids, e.g. typhlographic maps, also elements of machines and devices, e.g. elements of musical instruments, piano rolls, transmission belts, etc.);
cartographic objects: oversized wall maps, atlases and globes
works of art: paintings on paper and parchment in the following techniques- pastel, oil, watercolour, gouache, tempera, drawings in various media, graphics, paintings on various supports (Oriental art);
archeological artefacts (mainly made of leather, but also with other materials);
historical photographs and negatives on various supports, individual items and bound in albums;
historic objects from natural history collections (taxidermy, animal skins, etc.).

Each of the completed conservation projects is supplemented by a series of material examinations. Their aim is to identify the technique and technology of the object. The thorough knowledge of which often allows to identify features useful for setting the date of origin and valuable information on the history of artifacts,as well as indicate original materials and secondary historical layers. Moreover, material science tests are useful to assess the condition of the object's components, to analyze the causes and mechanisms of damage.

The conservation projects also create the opportunity to conduct: a number of studies on the innovative materials and technologies in the conservation methodology and preventive measures for the protection of artefacts, studies to assess changes in the properties of historical materials as a result of the conservation treatments carried out and to monitor their effects.

In the examination of the objects, primarily non-destructive methods are used, and the result of most of them are digital images allowing further analysis without the need to interfere with the structure of the object. Imaging techniques using a wide range of visible light, as well as near and far infrared and ultraviolet in many cases allow for reading faded texts, photographs, distinguishing added materials or forgeries of works of art.

The Department also has a research laboratory on biodeterioration of materials. The scope of its activities includes: research aimed at identifying microorganisms and insects, assessing the threats they pose, analyzing bioaerosols in archives, museums and libraries, testing and recommending methods for protecting artefacts against biodeterioration (selection of biocide, information on storage conditions).

The additional scope of our department's activities includes:

commercial workshops and courses for paper and leather conservators in the scope of selected methodological issues;
commercial workshops in the scope of traditional technologies such as: papermaking, ornamentation (marbling, pigmentation, embossing techniques, etc.);
making copies of historical objects for exhibition purposes; box making and other forms of securing historical objects;
conservation assessments of collections and individual objects together with analysis of their value

Dorota Jutrzenka-Supryn

tłum. ang. Marta NAlaskowksa