Winter Clean in the Ballroom

Completing the first room of the winter clean is always a good feeling.  It took 8 days and there were a couple of extra challenges this year.  In preparation for the next phase of external building works the window in the Ballroom is to be boarded up to prevent dust ingress from the work to the window and stone work.

In order for this to be built we have had to take down the pelmet and curtains and the big red blind, as well as move some items of furniture up to the other end of the room and take four paintings down off the wall.  This was definitely a job for the scaffold tower, which was already in use in the room for high level ceiling and picture frame cleaning.

A view of the Ballroom ‘put to bed’ for the winter from the scaffold tower.

Until we got up to the top of the scaffold tower we were not exactly sure how the pelmet was secured in place.  We soon discovered it was simply nailed to a bit of wood!  We used the end of a flat head screw driver and pliers to release the nails.  We also discovered that what from the ground looks like a pelmet that is all of one piece, it is actually in four separate sections.  Which was good news as it made it easier to handle and not as heavy as it would have been in one piece.

The pelmet was nailed in to a wooden shelf attached to the wall with brackets.

The first section of the pelmet down and ready for a surface clean.

The pelmet and curtains are scheduled for cleaning every five years.  They were last done (in-situ) in 2009.  So although they were not due a for full clean just yet we took advantage of the fact that they were coming down to remove any surface dust and debris.

Lucy passes the second section of the pelmet down the scaffold tower to Sarah.

Sarah and Lucy laying out a section of pelmet on Tyvek. Each section has been interleaved with Tyvek to keep dust off them while they are down from the window.

Some of the interesting creatures in the frieze around the top of the panelling.

Lucy uses a soft pony hair brush to surface clean a section of the pelmet, by teasing cobwebs, clumps of dust and debris in to the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.

The bay window after we had finished preparing the area for the dust protection to be installed.

Paintings from the South wall either side the bay window have been taken down and stored at the other end of the Ballroom while the building work takes place.

You can watch our winter clean work in the Ballroom on our timelapse film.

Emily, Sarah, Lucy and Melinda

Focus on the Ballroom – Part Two

Our last Ballroom blog featured the challenges faced in looking after the fixtures and fittings in the room, this post will feature some the fantastic objects housed in the Ballroom.

The Cassone

The cassone, or marriage chest, is one of the most striking pieces of furniture in the room. These chests formed part of a bride’s dowry and were often used to store linens. Although the chest itself dates from around the mid 19^th century, the painted panels are much older, dating back to around 1460.

The gilded surface of the chest is dusted into a conservation vacuum cleaner using a soft, pony hair brush. The painted panels are much more fragile so these are cared for by specialist painting conservators when necessary. The team regularly need to inspect the inside of the chest check for mould or pest activity which can be a problem in confined areas which have very little air flow. Hidden away from the light, the silk lining is still a deep, rich red.

The beautiful silk lining has retained its rich red colour as it has not been exposed to light.

Silver

The silver candelabra’s and ice buckets are cleaned during the winter using silver cloths and are covered with Tyvek ‘hats’ to protect them from dust. During the open season, the team dusts the silver using a soft pony hair brush.

One of three very heavy candelabra’s on display in the Ballroom

The huge candelabra’s are extremely heavy and awkward to move so are lifted down onto a work table by two team members. To make them easier to clean, they can be taken apart. Each separate piece is engraved with a number so each piece can be returned to its correct position.

The different parts are all numbered, when the candelabra’s are taken apart for cleaning we know which bits to put back where.

We always where vinyl gloves when handling silver so we do not cause damage to the surface, caused by natural oils on our skin.

The Boulle Clock

A key feature of the Ballroom is the sound of chiming clocks, three of our five clocks are displayed in here. The largest of the Ballroom clocks is the Boulle clock, which stands over 2.5m tall when sat on its pedestal.

The clock is wound every Wednesday by the same person, so they get to know how the clock runs and can notice any subtle changes. Despite the mechanisms keeping good time, the case is very vulnerable. With no environmental control possible in the room, relative humidity fluctuates which can cause damage to the furniture, particularly those like the clock made from a mixture of materials.

Damage to the surface of the tortoiseshell and brass inlay caused by the physical stress of fluctuating relative humidity levels

Organic materials are particularly sensitive to changes in moisture levels in the air, swelling and contracting at different rates. This movement, over time, has caused the brass inlay on the Boulle work clock to lift and the tortoiseshell to split, exposing the wooden base. To clean the case, we use soft brushes so the loose brass doesn’t snag and get pulled away.

You can search our blog archive to read more about the Ballroom and items from the collection in it.

Lucy, Sarah, Melinda and Emily

New lamps for an old lantern

Two weeks ago metal conservator, Sally Bowling, returned to Knole to re-wire to the Great Stairs lantern that she came to look at a while ago.  Our records show that the lantern did have the five arms of the candle holder electrified to light five candle lights.  At some point this was changed and the lantern had one modern lamp fitted, with real candles placed in the holders for effect.

The lantern before, with real candles and one single lamp.

The lantern did not look particularly attractive with the single lamp and did not give out much light.  As we have evidence of how it once looked Helen (House and Collections Manager) decided it would look much nicer if we changed it back.

Sally lifted out the candle holder from the lantern, so she could put in the new pretend candles that the ‘flame’ lamps would screw into. Sally secures the additional wiring so it is as invisible as possible.

The wiring is painted in to match the colour of the metal work.

Sally discusses with our electrician about how the new lamps are to be connected up to the existing power supply.

How the lantern looks now…

 

The appearance of the lantern has been greatly improved by removing the one single lamp and installing the five candle lamps.  It also gives off much more light now, as has become a focal point of the staircase.  Thanks Sally!

Lucy, Sarah, Melinda and Emily

This week…

..wasn’t as exciting as last week, but we still had lots of work to do.  We were grateful not to have to do any press interviews this week!

As Monday was Bank Holiday and we were open, all the show rooms had to have their deep clean completed on the one closed day this week (Tuesday).  We managed to fit in some much-needed floor waxing too, in the Leicester Gallery, Venetian Ambassadors Bedroom, Billiard Room and Museum Room.  The wet weather has led to much more time spent on the care of floor than dusting objects.

Melinda vacuuming the Reynolds Room eyemat

When vacuuming the floor on Friday we discovered some new scratches to some of the floor boards.  We couldn’t figure out what ad caused them, particularly as one seems to have been created by a sharp object!

New scratches on the Ballroom floor

Sarah inspected the furniture in the Spangled Dressing Room this week, which at the moment has been turned in to a temporary store during the building work.  We’ll be carrying out weekly checks in here as the environment in this room could change as the room is sealed off (for dust protection) when normally there is much more air movement as there are no doors between neighbouring rooms and the windows are very drafty.  The potential micro climate in the space could encourage mould growth and pest insect activity.  In fact during the inspection Sarah did find a live ‘woolly bear’ no top of the dust sheet of one of the stools.  However there were no signs of any recent pest insect damage, or mould growth.

Adult Varied Carpet Beetle on the left, and its larva the ‘woolly bear’ on the right. The larvae causes damage by eating natural textiles.

Woolly bear now in our pest pot so we can show our visitors.

On Wednesday Sally Bowling visited from Rupert Harris Conservation* to look at the lantern on the Great Stairs.

The lantern is currently displayed with real candles in the holders, but lit with a modern lightbulb

We would like to dispose of the modern central lightbulb and put electric candles in the candle holders instead.  Sally explained how the lantern could be adjusted and the different options we had for lightbulbs and candle look finishes.

Sally checking the height of one of the potential new candle fittings

More, vacuuming, dusting and floor waxing next week!

Emily, Sarah, Melinda and Lucy

*You find out more about Rupert Harris Conservation via their website:

http://www.rupertharris.com/index.php

Tyntesfield Week!

Last week saw two new temporary additions to the conservation team at Knole. Abi and Chezzie, Conservation Assistants from Tyntesfield in Somerset joined us to find out more about the project and experience the day-to-day workings of a different property.

Tyntesfield has recently undergone major building works, spending around 2 years under an enormous scaffolding structure. Last season, we took a short trip to the Victorian mansion with the aim of meeting staff and finding out a little more about what we could expect as a team during a major conservation project and pick up any useful tips.

The West Front of Tyntesfield, Wraxall, North Somerset

Abi and Chezzie got in contact and asked if they could spend some time with us to gain some first hand experience of life at another property. The collections at Knole are vastly different to what they are used to working with and therefore present a different set of challenges and care requirements.

The week was planned to make sure the girls got to experience and take part in a variety of tasks on both open and closed days. This included winding the clocks, cleaning textiles, waxing statues in Green Court, helping with the daily clean and opening the house to visitors. They also spent time with Helen and Siobhan, finding out more about Knole, its problems and how these will be dealt with during the project.

Here is a brief look at just a few of the things we got up to during the busy week.

Sarah demonstrates the weekly winding of Knole’s clocks.  This is carried out every week by the same person, in our case, Sarah. By limiting the number of people winding the clocks, Sarah is able to notice any changes and gets to know the feel and idiosyncrasies of the clock mechanisms. This reduces the risk of accidental damage.

Weekly clock winding

Later, we took advantage of the good weather and spent some time working on outdoor pieces from the collection. We cleaned the lead water cistern in Stone Court and the statues in Green Court.

Washing and waxing exterior lead work.

The aim of cleaning the metal is not to remove layers of existing corrosion but to create a suitable surface on which to apply a protective wax.  After removing any loose dirt and debris with a hogs hair brush, we gently washed the cistern with water and conservation grade detergent. As water is corrosive to metals, it is important to let the water dry thoroughly so as not to trap it below the wax layer.

The microcrystalline wax was then applied using a hogs hair brush. This ensures a thin, even layer which dries to provide the protective surface.

Abi and Chezzie give one of the Green Court statues their Spring clean

As well as working hard as part of the team, Abi and Chezzie spent time exploring the property, experiencing Knole from the point of view of a visitor in the showrooms and the Visitor Centre, as well as catching a glimpse of ‘hidden Knole’ in areas not usually open to the public. This included a behind the scenes look at the East Attics and the Retainers Gallery and taking in the fantastic views from the top of the tower.

Views across the park from the top of the tower. From this height it’s easy to appreciate the huge scale of the building and the expanse of the surrounding parkland.

Abi and Chezzie find their bearings using the 3D model of Knole in the Visitor Centre…

…and see the garden design exhibition in the Orangery.

The conservation team had a great time with our friends from Tyntesfield and hope they enjoyed their experiences at Knole. Thanks Abi and Chezzie!

Lucy, Sarah, Emily and Melinda