Talk:Conservation and restoration of clocks

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Final Project Outline Review Hi Emily, Your outline is great and very thorough. I honestly cannot think of anything you have missed regarding the care, conservation, and restoration of clocks. You have taken in account the typical media used in the creation of clocks and systematically address the risks for the media individually, as well as the risks inherent in the clock as an object with a specific and repetitive function. The layout is very clear, flows well, and subdivides in a logical and easily navigable manner, starting with a broad definition of the subject then tapering down to the details of conservation and restorations treatments. This is a great base for your article and I look forward to seeing it filled out. Jboigen1 (talk) 16:16, 16 November 2015 (UTC)

Final Project Outline Review Hi Emily, your outline looks very comprehensive! The outline sounds great, and the organized sections make sense and adhere to Wikipedia outline guides. I noticed your references are primarily from one website, which might make the article not appear as well rounded (though the ICON source is great too!). You’re probably already aware, but the Smithsonian has a resource page for clock care/bibliography/museums as well: https://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/clocks.html Patrice Pat Connelly (talk) 00:30, 17 November 2015 (UTC)Pat Connelly

Hi! Your work definitely exhibits professional standards of writing. I liked the layout of your article as I found it easy to navigate and thought it flowed very well. Your article was comprehensive and covered all of the duties of the position nicely. I liked that you mentioned the importance of the safety for both objects and people. The only suggestion I have is to mention in the introduction the other titles the position may be referred to as, such as facilities, building operations manager, etc. Great work and I highly enjoyed your article! Pocahontess (talk) 06:03, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Great article! You did a good job of organizing the info into concise subheadings that are easily to navigate to from the contents menu. I found your cause and effect organization for each subheading to be effective. And, after looking at some of our classmates pages I think many of these subheadings could expanded from what they have written. Your article is also well-researched and it includes citations with linked ISBNs. SwJHUConserv (talk) 16:03, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

Structure
In reviewing the current contents of this article, I propose including the following areas to better support the field of study, care, and maintenance of clock conservation. I included the sections of the already published article where they may best fit for relevancy.

I propose adding the history of Horology. Adding a section to discuss a brief overview of the history conserving time pieces & adding references about Horology. I thought perhaps a quick overview of the history and prepared this for consideration: The history of clock conservation dates back to ancient times. Horology, the study of the measurement of time, dates back to 1450 BC, “when the Ancient Egyptians first observed the earth's natural circadian rhythms.” (Meadows, C., (n.d.)” Some examples of instruments used to measure time include: clocks, watches, sundials, hourglasses, time recorders, and atomic clocks. https://www.artsandcollections.com/article/horology-a-brief-history

Adding a section on the details of wall mounting and think it would best fit in the Storage of Clock Cases section. Proper care and storage are critical to the preservation of antique clocks and prepared this for consideration to include: “For safety and mechanical reasons, longcase clocks and wall clocks must be securely fixed to a wall if accidents are to be avoided and clocks are to run properly. Clock cases, which come in many different materials, require special consideration and treatment in their own right. It is inadvisable to expose a clock to a heat source of any kind, including strong sunlight or a mantel over a working fire, as this can cause damage to cases and movements (ICON, (2006). [pdf].” https://icon.org.uk/system/files/documents/care_and_conservation_of_clocks.pdf

Adding a section of Mechanical Service Recommendation for clocks reference and think that would best fit in the Maintenance section of the article. Consistent maintenance is critical to the preservation and operation of the clock itself and this would enhance these details for reference. I prepared this for consideration to include: “Like all machines, clocks need to be serviced regularly. Even in perfect conditions lubricants deteriorate, particularly after three years. For this reason alone, clocks should be examined and re-lubricated every three years. After five years, and certainly no longer than eight years, the whole movement should be dismantled and ‘cleaned’ if excessive wear and expensive attention is to be avoided (ICON, (2006). [pdf]).” https://icon.org.uk/system/files/documents/care_and_conservation_of_clocks.pdf Aparmel2JHU (talk) 20:33, 14 April 2020 (UTC)

Structure continued
I agree, a section on the history of Horology would be good addition to this article, as would a section on Mechanical Service Recommendations. I suggest the following changes to the structure of this article:

This article would benefit from the addition of a section on the plethora of materials involved in clocks. This article touches on metal and wood, but there are potentially many other materials present in a single clock. The Wikipedia Article Conservation and restoration of paintings references how certain combinations of materials can be part of the inherent vice of the object and react negatively to each other.

I think the existing sub heading “Condition Checks” under the “Maintenance” heading is unnecessary. The two could be combined. The article mentions handling of clocks under three headings: “preventative conservation”, “maintenance” and “typical types of damage”, perhaps there is a way to restructure this so the three are more closely associated?

“Preventative Conservation” could also be expanded to include integrated pest management and environmental controls to limit dust and other contaminants since they are mentioned under “Typical Types of Damage.” I also think that section heading should be changed to “Causes of Deterioration” as it is more correct.

Adding a section under “Storage and Display” that discusses the pros and cons of having a running clock versus those that are for display only would also help flesh out the article.

A few resources I think would benefit this article are:

The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM). (2016, May 13). Machinery, clocks and scientific equipment. Retrieved from https://aiccm.org.au/things-we-conserve/machinery-clocks-scientific

Staatsburgh State Historic Site. (2017, October 8). Preventative Conservation Workshop 2017 Part III: Clocks of Staatsburgh. Retrieved from http://staatsburghstatehistoricsite.blogspot.com/2017/10/preventative-conservation-workshop-2017.html

Victoria and Albert Museum. (2013, January 31). Conservation or Restoration? The Treatment of an 18th Century Clock. Retrieved from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-39/conservation-or-restoration-the-treatment-of-an-18th-century-clock/ LEHarrison (talk) 21:02, 16 April 2020 (UTC)LEHarrison

Hi Lauren, I like your ideas of the "section heading should be changed to “Causes of Deterioration” as it is more correct" and "a section which discusses the pros and cons of having a running clock versus those that are for display." I agree both areas would contribute to the article and allow for more conservation details for the difference between an operating clock and a non-operating display clock. Aparmel2JHU (talk) 03:07, 17 April 2020 (UTC)

More Structure Changes
This article already has some decent bones, but I believe that it would benefit from clarifying and expanding on the types of clocks and techniques of conservation and restoration discussed. The details of the article outline the fundamental concerns and methods to protect and renew clocks with dial faces, wooden or metal cases, and metal gears and mechanisms, but what about the preservation, conservation, and restoration of clocks with more modern construction materials such as plastics?

Other possible edits and additions could be to address the ethics associated with the conservation and restoration of clocks. Since clock repair is considered both a hobby and a facet of the conservation-restoration field (specifically horological conservation), there are different standards, training, and desired outcomes for the work done depending on who is completing the work. There is an opportunity to interject different approaches and reasons for the levels to which a conservator restores a clock. The article currently focuses on keeping clocks running, but it seems fair to mention the fact that it is sometimes safer and preferable to render the clock inert. Rmclucas (talk) 19:24, 17 April 2020 (UTC)

Possible References for Article
Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material Inc. (2016, May 13). Plastics. Retrieved	April 17, 2020, from https://aiccm.org.au/things-we-conserve/machinery-clocks-scientific Information about the deterioration and treatment of clocks

Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material Inc. (2016, May 13). Plastics. Retrieved	April 17, 2020, from https://aiccm.org.au/things-we-conserve/plastics Information about the deterioration and treatment of plastics

Caple, Chris. (2000). Conservation Skills: judgement, method and decision making. Routledge. NY Interventive conservation as opposed to preventative conservation

Learner, Tom, & Madden, Odile (2014). PRESERVING PLASTICS An Evolving Material, a Maturing Profession. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications	_resources/newsletters/29_1/preserving.html Discusses the movement towards conservation of plastics and the challenges presented by the material

Ward, Phillip. (1986). The Nature of Conservation, A Race Against Time. Santa Monica, CA, Getty	Conservation Institute. Discusses ethics of Conservation and measuring the need for aesthetic repairs

Wills, P. B. (1995). Conservation of clocks and watches. Upton: British Horological Institute. Offers insight into ethics and standards for the level of conservation completed by horological conservators, documentation and record keeping practices, and techniques and materials used for restorations Rmclucas (talk) 20:17, 17 April 2020 (UTC)