Alex Wade - Collections Care

My new article is here! I'm so delighted with the way this piece from the turned out. It discusses the conservation of the Commissioner's House wallpaper that we discovered at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, alongside the historical context of the home itself.

Mila Newbold, a student of the City&GuildsofLondonArtSchool conservation programme co authored, specifically discussing the remedial conservation work.

I'm so proud of this article and the immense amount of work that went into the whole Commissioner's House project.

To get a copy of the review you will need to take out a membership with the Wallpaper History Society and it is so worth it. The articles are fascinating, the wallpaper incredible and the events look so interesting.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham

I'm always so proud and impressed by what our The Historic Dockyard Chatham colleagues can do. From students, to volunteers to staff everyone is so talented. This month we're celebrating Perry and the work he's completed on one of our models of HMS Victory.

Read the full story here: thedockyard.co.uk

Is your gallery hot enough to cook an egg in a display case? Have you considered some of these tips for keeping your space cool(er)?

Climate change is creating unprecedented weather conditions at the moment. It is so critical to take care of yourself whilst you're working hard to keep your objevts cool. Take regular breaks, drink water, find cool spaces.

Many museums are closing in the wake of this heat and it is important that we as conservators do not feel personally responsible for climbing gallery temperatures. You're doing all you can in the face of extremely difficult circumstances.

This Saturday I visited the University of Lincoln Department of Conservation degree show, . It was a truly lovely exhibition, made with love and care and attention to detail. Hosting it in the lab where the work took place really added to the atmosphere of the display.

Each object had clearly been worked on with love, patience and dedication. The quality of each piece and the research that accompanied was really impressive; I learnt so much.

The student invigilators were so great to talk to and the faulty I met were so warm and welcoming. If you're interested in visiting please click on the Cabinet of Conservation tag above and head to the link in their bio for more information.

Last week I had the opportunity to host a stall for the Newington History Group in this utterly fantastic church. It was a really 10/10 local history event! Keep your eyes peeled on social media for the next one, the incredible tours alone make it worth the visit.

Newington History Group

Are you in Newington this weekend? If so pop in and say hi! I'll be there chatting about conservation and giving advice on caring for your items at home. See you there!

The Battle of Trafalgar aquatints, part 2!

Have you seen Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn yet at ? I've been wanting to go since I first heard about it on the grapevine and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed it so much I already had plans to come back before I'd left! It's a must see for 2026, running from now until 2nd January 2027.