The Allport Collection: A Conservator’s Secrets

The Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts is probably the best-kept secret in Hobart.

It contains a collection of Australian national significance and requires constant maintenance so it can be enjoyed into the future.

The Allport houses Tasmanian colonial paintings, photographs, rare books and manuscripts, as well as English and European decorative arts and furniture.

A portion of the collection is always on display in period rooms and galleries in the museum.

Louise Bradley is a conservation framer. She worked on paintings in the collection, framing them with a special type of glass to [NM1] . The glass will ensure the paintings can be enjoyed by the public for years to come.

The product Louise used for the paintings is contentious in the museum industry. Louise will explain why she chose this for the Allport collection, as well as how the frames were modified. She will also discuss some of the artistswhose work is held in the collection.

Louise Bradley is a conservation framer in private practice. She specialises in mounting and framing of work on paper. She is a past convener of the AICCM Conservation Framers Special Interest Group. She helped to establish the frame symposium, AICCM – FRAME: Concept, History and Conservation.

[NM1]Protect what? Glazing rare books sounds a bit alarming! Do you mean glazing as in ‘She has worked on paintings in the collections, framing them with a special type of glass for protection.’ ??

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