Picture varnish, testing

In the past, much conservation research has been carried out on model objects. These sample objects have the advantage of being (reasonably) well characterized, uniform and available in quantity. However, they have the disadvantage of representing only one small set of object properties. The results will therefore have limited, or no, relevance to the wide variety of real objects to be preserved. For years, this approach has held up advances in stone conservation research (Price, 1995). A symptom of the limited input (intellectually and in resources) into development of treatments is the uncritical use of a tried and tested method in one area applied to anotha. An example is the extensive evaluation of Paraloid B-72 as a picture varnish, which was tested for exposure on a painted surface to limited (visible) tight exposure in a room with good climatic conditions. Its application... 

Considerable research over centuries has been devoted to improving picture varnishes. However, some of these materials tested for use in indoor galleries are being applied in far more extreme environmental conditions without the same rigour in testing for the new conditions. 

Role of polymer Adhesive/coating/consoli-dant/moulding material A brief description of the tested conservation application is valuable Cellulose acetate was rejected as a picture varnish... 

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