Images of CCI at work

Four conservators work together to remove varnish and old adhesive from a terrestrial globe made in 1835 by John and William Cary and purchased by the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe in 1837.

These images depict some of CCI's work – the conservation treatment of a heritage object, the preservation of heritage interior elements, and conservation science to support preventive conservation efforts to protect heritage objects.

Chandelier – This is one of six "Regency tent-style" chandeliers, dating from 1840, that hung in the Confederation Room of the West Block. The history of these stunning fixtures is revealed in "A Tale of Six Chandeliers". As part of its work in caring for heritage interiors on Parliament Hill, CCI was recently involved with the cleaning and packing of these stunning fixtures. Learn more about them in "A Tale of Six Chandeliers".

Ottawa Mayor's Chair undergoing conservation treatment – This chair was used by all mayor's of Ottawa from 1867 to 1903. It is now in the collection of The Bytown Museum. Old tears and losses on the leather had been repaired sometime in the past using hide glue and leather. Where tears revealed horsehair stuffing beneath the leather, CCI conservators inserted Hollytex (a polyester non-woven material), as shown in this photo. To repair actual tears, a coarser grade of Hollytex was used, with a layer of Beva film. This was activated with heat to adhere the backing in place. A leather skiver was then applied over the backing.

Micro-fade tester – The micro-fade tester allows CCI to undertake accelerated fading tests – quickly, and almost completely non-destructively. When used with CCI's light damage calculator, it is possible to estimate the future colour loss or colour change in objects in virtually any imaginable lighting scenario. This information can then be used by institutions and collections managers to help them in determining whether to exhibit light-sensitive objects, and under what type of lighting conditions.