The Settlers Park Monument is in fragments, the Horse Memorial is missing its Soldier, and Queen Victoria has a green dress. All across the nation, monuments are covered in graffiti and paint. The bronzes are corroding, the marbles are stained, and the iron is disappearing everywhere, but this is all in a day’s work in the life of an art conservationist.
“Hi!” My name is Josh, and I am a conservation technician. This is simply a fancy way to describe a person that cleans and repairs valuable historic objects. To do this, I need to be able to follow instructions closely, and have a steady hand – like when I was pinning back the fingers of a marble statue.
Skilful hands are essential in this job, because on a regular basis I have the privilege of physically cleaning or repairing valuable and vulnerable heritage objects and monuments. At times this work can be nerve racking, painstakingly repetitive, or dare I say, “tedious.”
To be good at this work one has to have the right temperament. The “patience of Job” will go a long way with the delicate work required while fine motor skills and a good working knowledge of material science should keep you out of trouble.
I remember how I once spent weeks cleaning the corrosion from the intricate engravings on the blade of a Cape Military cavalry sword with an engravers pencil under a microscope. A stiff back, a kink in my neck, and a very satisfied client...
