Detail of oleograph after treatment by Laura Daenke, Paper Conservator, Artlab Australia.

The South Australia and Northern Territory division of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) is presenting a series of Chinwag Webinars scheduled monthly. They are short informal sessions for conservators and conservation scientists to share their experiences, findings, questions and solutions encountered during their work and are open to all AICCM members and external attendees.

The fourth Chinwag in this series was presented on 30 March 2022:
The Oleograph Conundrum: A complex treatment through the hands of multiple conservators, presented by Laura Daenke from Artlab Australia.

The subject in Series 4 is a framed oleograph of a port scene in Lyme Regis, West Dorset, United Kingdom, bought to Artlab for assessment and conservation. Several conservators had worked on the oleograph and Laura completed the treatment in 2021.

Throughout the project she encountered many ethical considerations and treatment difficulties. Laura discusses the challenges she faced during the treatment, from both the ethical and practical points of view. Varnish: to remove or not to remove? Tylose: a substitute for varnishing? Backing removal and washing: advantages and disadvantages.

To view this webinar and Series 1 to 3