Posted on behalf of Marei Hacke. Please remember to respond to her specifically not to the list!

Mary W. Ballard
Senior Textiles Conservator,
Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland MD 20746 U.S.A.
tel: 301-238-1210 fax: 301-238-3709 
email [log in to unmask]

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Dear TexConsList readers,

please take a look at the PhD studentship position below; the project is textile conservation related.

Thank you,
Marei


PhD Studentship in Conservation Science at the University of Leeds (School of Design) and the British Museum (Department of Conservation and Scientific Research)

Breaking the cycle of self-destruction: developing remedial conservation treatments for iron-tannate dyed museum objects

Applications are invited for an Arts and Humanities Research Council
(AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD studentship, to be undertaken at the University of Leeds (School of Design) and the British Museum (Department of Conservation and Scientific Research).
The project will be jointly supervised by Professor Chris Carr and Dr.
Richard Blackburn from the University of Leeds and Dr. Marei Hacke from the British Museum with advice and support from other British Museum scientists and conservators. The studentship is for a three-year (full-time) or five-year (part time) project entitled 'Breaking the cycle of self-destruction: developing remedial conservation treatments for iron-tannate dyed museum objects', to commence in October 2013, subject to final approval by the AHRC.

Summary of Project:
The combination of tannins (from galls, bark, leaves or fruits) with iron (from vitriol, mud or iron filings) yields rich black dyes that have been used worldwide possibly since prehistoric times, and are still used in parts of the world today. Unfortunately iron-tannate dyes are inherently self-destructive and can seriously damage the materials to which they are applied. Such materials are widespread in any museum containing ethnographic and/or textile collections, their preservation presents a major challenge and deterioration can lead to the total loss of affected areas. This project endeavours to develop and adapt chemical stabilisation methods into practical conservation treatments which could effectively halt the autocatalytic deterioration by arresting the metal ion redox cycle using antioxidants and deacidification agents. This project builds on existing research including a previous PhD project during which large numbers of model textiles were produced, characterised and investigated. The model textiles of silk, cotton and abaca are now available for treatment applications and accelerated ageing studies for the assessment of the effectiveness of selected protective chemicals. Several promising antioxidants and deacidifiers were identified in the first PhD project; these and additional approaches drawn from the textiles industry will be further researched and adapted into practical treatments working in close communication with experienced conservators. The usefulness of the treatments and application methods for a range of object types (drawn from the collections of the British Museum) will be assessed using established scientific tools. Particular attention will be paid to potential issues with treatments such as fibre swelling, dissolution and physical distortion. Changes in colour, morphology, acidity, fibre strength, brittleness, polymer mass and breakdown, iron content, oxidation state and presence of radicals will be assessed. If appropriate, as part of the project it is intended to apply and assess the newly developed method(s) on selected museum objects.

Funding:
This studentship covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate and provides a maintenance stipend of £14,276 for each of the three years of study or pro-rata equivalent if part-time. The British Museum will cover up to
£3,500 towards appropriate travel and research expenses over the studentship. Both partners will provide opportunities for training and career development, including a new joint training programme for all Collaborative Doctoral Award students supported by London-based National Museums, the British Library and the National Archives.

Eligibility:
Applicants must have a Master's level degree (MA, MSc, MChem, MEng, etc.), or other equivalent experience (e.g. year in industry, employment after first degree), in chemistry, materials science, conservation or a related discipline. Students must also meet residency eligibility requirements for the Arts and Humanities Research Council Postgraduate Studentships (see http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Documents/Guide%20to%20Student%20Eligibility.pdf).

Further Information and application:
For informal enquiries, please contact Chris Carr ([log in to unmask]), Richard Blackburn ([log in to unmask]) and Marei Hacke ([log in to unmask]). Application is by Curriculum Vitae and covering letter including a statement concerning the applicant's eligibility for this studentship and contact details for two referees. Applications should be submitted to [log in to unmask] by 30th June 2013; interviews will be held in July/August 2013.

Marei Hacke PhD
Scientist
Department of Conservation and Scientific Research The British Museum Great Russell Street London, WC1B 3DG, UK
Tel.: 00442073238953
[log in to unmask]