The choice of sturgeon isinglass in conservation treatments may become more feasible if more economical and environmentally sustainable sources of the glue, of comparable quality to the traditional European sources, become available. This paper describes the processing of raw air bladders from New Brunswick wild Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus, into dried collagen, and the collagen into isinglass films, along with the resulting percentage yields at three extraction temperatures. Glue from this source has been used by the author since 2010 in a limited number of conservation treatments, including unstable paint consolidation and, in combination with wheat starch paste, for Heiber’s thread-by-thread tear repair method. If ongoing and future investigations continue to show that the isinglass from this and other species of sturgeon, obtained from more local, regulated fisheries, is of comparable quality to that from traditional sources, they may become the preferred sources for this valuable conservation material.

In 2019, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum undertook a storage reorganization project using the RE-ORG Method for its Indigenous Studies Collection. This collection was suboptimally housed in a storage room outfitted with inadequate and overcrowded storage furniture. Access was impeded by the physical storage configuration, object storage methods and gaps in collections management. A RE-ORG evaluation of the space, its storage furniture and small equipment, and the collection, its documentation system and administrative framework informed the planning and implementation of a storage reorganization, a comprehensive collection inventory and condition assessment, and overall resource management. Improvements were made to the physical storage configuration by replacing a large portion of the static open shelving with mobile shelving and by installing gridwalls and new cabinets, in addition to reusing some existing furniture. Storage mounts were designed and fabricated to improve collection preservation and ease of access, and in some cases, to aid in the temporary relocation process. This paper discusses the planning and implementation of this storage reorganization project, and details how collection preservation issues were addressed to facilitate both immediate and long-term access and use.

Results of a technical study of six oil-on-canvas religious paintings by Louis Dulongpré are presented, supplementing previously published research on Dulongpré’s portraits. The earliest painting in the study is a signed and dated work from 1805, while the latest paintings studied are from c. 1823. Visual examination was followed by sampling and analysis using a multi-instrumental approach. Primary methods were scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and polarized light microscopy (PLM). In some cases, X-ray diffraction (XRD), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and/or pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were also undertaken. The technical data from these religious paintings, together with those from the previous study of Dulongpré’s portraits, can contribute to attribution research and inform future conservation treatments.

Results of a technical study of twelve oil-on-canvas portraits by Louis Dulongpré are presented. Close visual examination was followed by technical photography and X-radiography. The composition and stratigraphy of the paint and ground layers were determined through the analysis of microscopic samples. Sample analysis was undertaken using a multi-instrumental approach. Primary methods were scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, and polarized light microscopy (PLM). In some cases, X-ray diffraction (XRD), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and/or pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were also undertaken. The earliest work in the study is a signed and dated portrait of Isaac Todd from 1800, while the latest paintings studied are portraits of Joseph Papineau, Jean Dessaulles and Antoine Girouard, dating from circa 1825–1826. Overall trends in painting materials and techniques are discussed as well as some notable changes in materials over the chronological period covered by the study group. Connections among some of the paintings in the study group were made by combining information from visual examination with results from scientific analysis.

The biodeterioration of photographic collections by mould is a recurring problem. In 2017, Lucas et al. demonstrated that exposing photographs to 70:30 (v/v) ethanol-water vapours for two hours kills five of the most common fungal species found in photographic collections. The goal of this project was to evaluate any side effects of this treatment on chromogenic prints. Sixty non-mouldy historic photographs, grouped by decade from the 1940s through to the 2000s, were exposed in small chambers to the ethanol-water vapour treatment. Treatment effects were evaluated by a combination of spectrophotometric measurements and visual observations of colour, surface sheen and planarity. The measurements indicated colour change on a majority of the treated samples. The magnitude of colour change varied with sample date of production. Samples from the 1980s and 2000s exhibited the highest percentage of significant alteration by treatment (89%), with significant colorimetric change and, in most cases, colour changes visible to the eye (67%). Samples from earlier decades were less affected by the treatment both in the percentage of affected samples and in the magnitude of the colour change.

Previous research at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) has demonstrated that Tom Thomson and artists from the Group of Seven made extensive use of a white pigment that consists of a mixture of lead sulfate (PbSO4) and zinc white (ZnO) combined in specific proportions: Cambridge Colours’ New Flake White or Cambridge white. Evidence of the use of Cambridge white by Canadian artist Kathleen Munn and archival research raised the question of its possible use by other Canadian artists. Therefore, a survey of the use of the pigment was undertaken on site at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) that focussed on paintings executed during the period from 1894, when Madderton & Co. first produced the paint, to 1943, the year the company was dissolved. The paintings surveyed were analyzed using two non-destructive techniques, namely, hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in external reflection mode with a portable instrument. This article presents the results of the survey as well as a compilation of results obtained for other Canadian paintings dated to the period of interest which had been analyzed previously at the CCI. Through the evaluation of results obtained for 88 paintings by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven and 128 painting by other Canadian artists, it is clear that Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven remain the main users of Cambridge white identified so far. Although a relatively small number of other Canadian artists were surveyed in this study, results indicate that Cambridge white was used mainly in the Toronto area, where the paint was sold, and that most artists who used it were close to the Group of Seven.

This research assesses whether exposing birch bark to methanol or ethanol vapours as used in treatments to reshape distortions in bark artifacts causes colour changes. Analysis of water, methanol and ethanol extracts of bark by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) confirmed that methanol and ethanol solvents extract similar compounds in similar relative abundances from birch bark, while water presents a different extraction profile. Three barks of different colours on their cambium sides were exposed to methanol or ethanol vapours for two different exposure periods, and were monitored visually as well as through colour measurements and weight gain for up to 35 weeks after treatment. The short (2.3-day) methanol vapour exposure gave the best results: low colour change combined with fast absorption rate and sufficient peak weight gain to improve bark flexibility. Analysis was carried out on samples of a white crystalline deposit that occurred on one of the barks exposed to ethanol vapour: it was identified as betulin and lupeol in approximately a 2:1 ratio. Cleaning the vapour-exposed barks with swabs moistened with water was successful in removing the white residue and did not in itself cause colour change.

Recent comprehensive risk assessment projects conducted by the Canadian Conservation Institute have shown that, under certain conditions, risks associated with hazards such as fire, earthquake and tornado rank as priority risks relative to all other risks facing heritage collections. Risk analysis using the ABC Method based on incidence and severity data, or on an expert model that relates specific features and behaviours (control levels) with the degree of damage to the collections, can help identify factors that generate Magnitude of Risk scores categorized as High to Extreme for such events. Flood risk scores at least in the High category if collections are stored below or on grade in locations at risk of overland flooding, storm surge or tsunami. Fire risk falls in the Extreme category for collections in combustible or fire-resistive buildings that lack automatic fire detection or suppression and exhibit poor compartmentation, and in many buildings at the wildland-urban interface. Earthquake is categorized as an Extreme risk in non-seismically stable buildings in regions prone to violent or extreme shaking, or as a High risk when the building is stable but storage and display fittings lack seismic protection in regions at risk of at least very strong shaking. Physical damage due to severe winds would score as a High risk in many building types in regions at risk of Category 3–5 hurricanes or EF3–5 tornadoes even when the chance of a direct hit is small. When such disaster risks are categorized as High to Extreme, mitigation is highly recommended and may be cost-effective. Reducing the likelihood of the hazard may be difficult or impossible; therefore, facility improvements that reduce negative consequences on collections during an event are recommended, in addition to preparations for effective response and recovery.

Outdoor murals are sometimes defaced by graffiti that introduces unwanted painting, tagging or “bombing” on the surface. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance and handling characteristics of ten anti-graffiti coatings and five acrylic varnishes that could potentially serve as anti-graffiti barriers on outdoor murals in the Canadian climate. A selection of both permanent and temporary coatings was made after carrying out a literature search for products available in Canada. Painted test panels were prepared with acrylic latex exterior house paint, following the procedure of a muralist. Protective coatings were applied to each panel based on manufacturers’ recommendations. The panels were aged outdoors for two years, then marked with graffiti materials. Solvents and other methods were used to reduce or remove graffiti marks to determine which coatings provided good protection to the underlying paint. The overall performance of the coatings was assessed on the following criteria: initial and aged appearance (gloss, dirt pickup, colour change), ease of coating application and handling, effectiveness as a graffiti barrier, and ease of local reapplication after graffiti removal. Observations were documented by photographs, videos and notes using customized forms and a standardized rating system. Quantitative gloss and colour measurements were made during the first three years of outdoor exposure to chart the rate and amount of visual change. Of the fifteen coatings studied, many performed adequately as graffiti barriers, but three products were deemed best overall because they performed well across the entire range of the assessment criteria. These included a double-component acrylic varnish system and two aqueous, wax-based anti-graffiti coatings. Overall, increasing the number of applied layers did not adversely affect the appearance of the coatings, and additional layers gave some coatings better resistance to graffiti, as well as protecting the paint layer from solvents and other cleaning methods required for graffiti removal.