BRONZE CONSERVATIONCONSULTANCY WITH LUCY BRANCH MA(RCA/V&A) ACR
IMPARTIAL CONSERVATION ADVICE FOR COMPLEX AND HIGH VALUE PROJECTS
Expert advice on bronze can be particularly valuable when you are responsible for running an important project. Bronze can be a difficult material and knowing the best way to treat a historic object, or art work, isn’t necessarily something that has been part of your career training.
This is where, Lucy Branch, MA ACR who trained at University College London, The Royal College of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A/RCA) can help. She brings over thirty years of practical experience to your project and is accredited by The Institute of Conservation, she has had a rigorous academic and practical background to draw upon and share with you.
Her strength lies at the intersection of art and science, with an undergraduate degree in Art History and Material Studies and a Master’s in post-nineteenth-century bronze conservation, both of which require strong art-historical and scientific knowledge.
Lucy is available to provide expert advice on bronze conservation if you need a guiding hand. Contractors can suggest different approaches to bronze conservation and you may want someone impartial to explain the pros and cons of each suggestion and support you when you are making complex decisions. As active members of the conservation community, our bronze conservation consultancy service can help you make good decisions and be confident that the advice and approach is ethical and in line with good conservation practise.
You may need to arrange care for a collection, or predict how a bronze object might change over the long term. Conservation professionals from all over the world have benefitted from her knowledge.
Contact us with your enquiry at info@antiquebronze.co.uk
WHO USES OUR BRONZE CONSERVATION CONSULTANCY? Architects, lawyers, local councils, museums
- Local Councils: we advise on how to handle their collections as well as running conservation projects for them if they do not have the time or expertise within their teams.
- Architects: we help with providing a realistic idea of how the materials they choose are likely to change over time and what the best conservation routines are for their features going forward.
- Facilities Managers and Building Managers: they seek our help to understand the current condition of their building’s features and what options they have to improve them.
- Conservation Bodies and Institutions : They use our expertise in dealing with condition assessing and reporting.
- Main Contractors: Turn to us to help them take on conservation tasks within a larger package of works.
- Lawyers: request our assistance with cases as an expert witness.
- Custodians of War Memorials: regard us as a great resource in helping them to be more informed and with applying for grants.
- Fabricators: use our expertise to ensure they are giving their clients the best advice about how their features will age over time.
- Galleries: seek our advice on preventive conservation and commission condition reports which support the sales of high-value bronzes.
- Civic Societies: need guidance on how to care for the features of relevance in their town or city.
- Foundries: use us as a resource when they want to give realistic expectations about finishes their clients have chosen.
- Sculptors: often find us useful when they are submitting bids for public commissions. The advice we can provide reassures their patrons and they know ahead of time what costs will be involved with their ongoing maintenance.
CASE STUDY: CONSULTANCY ADVICE FOR THE MARY SEACOLE MONUMENT AT GUYS AND ST THOMAS HOSPITAL, LONDON
Lucy Branch provided specialist conservation consultancy advice for the Mary Seacole Monument at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. The bronze statue, created by sculptor Martin Jennings, stands in a busy urban area near the River Thames and a major road.
As a public-facing bronze monument in central London, the sculpture is exposed to a combination of environmental risks. These include atmospheric pollution, moisture from the riverside setting, touching by its adoring public, regular pigeon activity and occasionally graffiti. Over time, these factors can affect the appearance, protective surface coatings and long-term condition of outdoor bronze sculpture.
The conservation challenge
The custodians of the Mary Seacole Monument required professional advice on the condition of the bronze statue and the most appropriate options for future care. They needed to understand the current conservation issues, the likely consequences of delaying remedial works, and the best-practice approach to maintaining the monument over time.
How we approached the Mary Seacole Conservation Brief
Following an in-person meeting and assessment, Antique Bronze provided a written conservation report setting out the available treatment options. This included advice on the advantages, disadvantages and timescales of different remedial approaches, as well as the potential implications of leaving specific issues unresolved.
Our recommendations considered both the immediate condition of the sculpture and its long-term conservation needs within a challenging public and urban environment.
Long-term care of bronze public sculpture
Outdoor bronze sculpture requires informed maintenance to preserve both its appearance and its protective surface. Public monuments in busy city locations are particularly vulnerable to pollutants, bird fouling, weathering and repeated public interaction.
For custodians of public art, early conservation advice can help identify practical treatment options, prioritise works and avoid more expensive intervention in the future.
Monument To Mary Seacole at Guys and St Thomas Hopsital, London
We helped the Tate Conservation Team with expert advice and training on Barbara Hepworth’s Bronze Sculptures in St Ives.
Later, it had some VERY special visitors
