Four books from the Francis Bacon Studio Archive were recently treated for mould damage by paper conservator, Heidi Forsyth. The paper’s structural integrity was severely compromised, likely due to aqueous damage, leading to mould growth. The books have been stored in dry, stable conditions since they were acquired by the Hugh Lane Gallery in the 1990s. The environmental conditions under which cultural institutions store their objects are not conducive to mould growth, and the mould present was deemed inactive and likely non-viable, given the objects’ storage history and powdery, dry characteristics. Despite being inactive, the mould can still pose a health risk; therefore, the use of appropriate studio and personal protective equipment is required when treating mould and should be carried out by a professional.
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Objects
Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, Dover, (Philadelphia 1887, London,1901, later reprint, publishing details not visible).
Inscribed notes in blue ink by Francis Bacon on verso of front cover and recto of first blank leaf.
RM98F198:2
Brian Bracegirdle, The Archaeology of the Industrial Revolution, London, Heinemann, 1973
RM98NF31
Marlene Dietrich, Marlène D., Paris, Bernard Grasset, 1984
RM98NF103
Peter James, Lifesaver, Sydney, Lansdowne, 1983
Text and colour photographic illustrations of life guards on beach. pp. 127. Contains a number of hand-written inscriptions by Australian artist, Brett Whitley. Hand-written inscription in purple felt-tip pen on inner title page.
RM98F110:12
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Aqueous and Mould Damage
Bacon’s book of Muybridge’s photography has sustained the most damage of the four books treated. The book appears to have been well used by Bacon in his studio as it is covered in various artist materials. There has been aqueous damage to the book that has resulted in tidelines, planar distortions, losses, staining, and mould damage which caused weakened structural integrity. When paper is damp for a long time, it provides an environment for mould to thrive, which can lead to cellulolytic digestion: the fungi break down the cellulose in the paper using water, a process known as hydrolysis. Mould is unfortunately everywhere and has the potential to thrive in any place there is enough moisture, thus environmental controls are the most effective way to prevent mould growth and damage.
It appears that some adhered pages were forced open after the aqueous damage, resulting in significant losses, tears, and image defacement. Bacon may have continued to use this book despite its poor condition, and caused this damage himself. Thus, it was decided not to separate the laminated pages, as this would disrupt the book’s artistic history.
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Treatment
To remove the mould residue from the book, each page was vacuumed by brushing the spores towards a MuseumVac equipped with a HEPA filter. All work was conducted under a fume extractor in an isolated area for the safety of the conservator and to prevent contaminating other areas and objects. Staining is a common effect of mould and discolouration remains after mechanically removing the mould reside. Therefore, an object may not appear drastically different before and after this type of treatment.
In some cases, a conservator may opt to use an alcohol solution to treat mould; however, this was not deemed appropriate for objects in which pages were adhered together, as proper solubility testing could not be conducted without separating the laminated pages. If there was any media between the pages that could not be seen, an introduction of moisture could potentially cause the media to run and create further damage.
Left: Before cleaning. Right: After cleaning.
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UV Fluorescence (UVf)
Conservators may utilize technical photography to uncover damage that may not be visible to the human eye. The human eye is generally only sensitive to light radiation between 400-700 nanometres (nm), however, technical photography allows conservators to view an object under a far wider range of the light spectrum.
Ultraviolet light can be used as a tool by conservators to detect mould damage as mould may fluoresce under UV light and different species will fluoresce differently. During UV fluorescence investigation, mould may not fluoresce but that does not necessarily indicate that there is no mould present as the lack of fluorescence may be due to the age, inactivity, species of mould, or a combination of the above.
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front pastedown/Verso of front cover, Reflected light
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front pastedown/Verso of front cover, 450nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion,(from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front pastedown/Verso of front cover, 550nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front pastedown/Verso of front cover, 650nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion,(from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front pastedown/Verso of front cover, 850nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front flyleaf, Reflected light
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front flyleaf, 450nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front flyleaf, 550nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion,(from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front flyleaf, 650nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion,(from the Francis Bacon Archive). Front flyleaf, 950nm
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Recto, Xpecam ‘Cluster map’ showing areas of similar surface and reflectance characteristics.
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion, (from the Francis Bacon Archive). Recto, Xpecam ‘Cluster map’ showing areas of similar surface and reflectance characteristics.
RM98F198:2 – Eadweard Muybridge, The Human Figure in Motion,(from the Francis Bacon Archive). Recto, Xpecam ‘Cluster map’ showing areas of similar surface and reflectance characteristics.
