Pilar Hernandez-Ramero, a conservator at the Bytown Museum, peers at a 1860 photo of then Prince of Wales.
For decades, the Bytown Museum was unable to display a rare 19th-century photograph of King Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales.
The picture was torn in several places, the image was discoloured, the edges were peeling and the glass encasement was shattered.
But now, the photograph looks exactly as it did the day it was taken, circa 1860. All thanks to Preserving Our Past: A Conservation Project, an exhibit currently on display at the Bytown Museum. The exhibit opened in October and showcases the scientific techniques used to safeguard museum collections.
“It’s not part of your typical museum experience,” says Grant Vogl, the museum’s collections manager. “People don’t usually walk in and see explanations of work that’s been done, or watch a video of how meticulous the detailed behind-the-scenes process is.”
After deciding there was a need to preserve some of the collection deteriorating artifacts, the Ottawa Museum Network joined forces with seven of the city’s local museums to hire a freelance conservator to complete the conservation process.
Pilar Hernandez-Romero was the conservator who dedicated her time to the conservation of the historical artifacts from the various Ottawa museums. The Bytown Museum had several items from its collection restored, including maps a part of their permanent exhibit.
However, the most impressive example of her work is the photograph of the Prince of Wales.
“It was a dramatic transformation,” says Vogl. “The conservator repaired the glass, retouched the image and fixed the frame. She even made a storage box so that when it’s not on display, it will be secure and protected from future damage.”
According to Janet Mason, a conservator at the Canadian Conservation Institute, there are many complex elements behind the process of conserving such a photograph, including chemical analysis, stability of materials and environmental controls.
But the drastic physical transformation is not the only significant aspect of this photograph – the image is of historical relevance to the city of Ottawa.
Prince Albert Edward was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Coming to Ottawa in 1860 for a royal visit, the prince played a part in laying the foundation of the Canadian government – literally.
He had laid the first cornerstone of the Parliament Buildings.
Another historical city artifact that was recently conserved is the Ottawa mayor’s chair, which dates back to 1876. Mason, who was the conservator behind the restoration, spent the past two years restoring the chair.
Mason says it’s vital that such artifacts be better preserved because they allow people to become more connected with their history.
“What we do is so important because we work with tangible items that people can connect with,” she says. “There’s so much information you can learn from looking at an object.”
The Ottawa mayor’s chair has been on display since April 2010 and is now a part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Preserving our Past is scheduled to tour the local museums that contributed artifacts until 2012. It will be open at the Bytown Museum until Jan. 9.