The UK has a rich history with comics, having been a popular form of media in Britain since the late 19th century. These publications are typically considered a form of ephemera. To meet demand, the paper was made with low quality mechanical wood pulp, leaving them prone to acidification. Furthermore, some publishers had the practice of binding collections together into larger volumes, grouping them into more complex structures, and thereby making them susceptible to other forms of deterioration.
This ongoing dissertation research aims to respond to the conservation challenges these bound volumes pose, by further examining the kinds of binding styles used and evaluating how these can impact the deterioration of their text blocks. Furthermore, it will explore and experiment with alternative way that groups of comics can be bound together, informed by conservation principles, to make recommendation on how this practice can develop to better support the longevity of comic book collections.
This presentation will highlight the findings from my ongoing research. Firstly, it will outline the outcomes of a survey carried out on a bound collection of 2000 AD comics, held at the Rebellion Group Archives. Subsequently, it will cover how these findings have influenced the progress of the experimental research into developing conservation-friendly adaptations/alternative binding structures. Lastly, the presentation will end with an overview of my initial conclusions.
This presentation is intended to be part of a series of presentations of West Dean College students discussing the progress of their dissertation research.

This paper will outline research currently being undertaken into a collection of puppets and related material created by the artist and writer Norman Ault, currently in the care of his decedents. The research investigates the tangible elements of the collection and considers whether a campaign of conservation can restore meanings and values, in order to describe, define and realise the intangible characteristics of the collection that are currently believed to be dormant. It considers replication and the recreation of “lost” elements as a possible conservation action, undertaken to realise a new use value, so the central question of the research can be investigated, namely where concepts of value, significance and authenticity exist in such collections, and whether these concepts, once identified, can be highlighted and preserved for the future.

Using examples of Ault’s work as well as replicas and simulacra used in the experimental phase, this proposed short presentation will illuminate Ault’s work and will question what happens to the intangible values of such creations when their material remains enter a museum or conservation setting.

Plasma technology is a developing field that uses ionized gases for cleaning and decontamination, ablation of the surface, application of thin films on the surface, and more. Studies using plasma technology have demonstrated that on flat paper and cellulose materials, low thermal plasma treatments performed under 20° C can deter fungal growth in only 15 minutes, with miniscule surface ablation to the material at the time of treatment. Other studies show that low pressure plasma systems are well used for antifungal properties on a variety of large objects and materials.

Wherein lies the gap in the research is if the treatment is plausible for an openable object, such as a book, for antifungal treatment. Because of mold’s ability to travel and spread into the book, treatment using plasma technology must be able to interact with all of the infected pages of the book and into the deepest parts of the book, such as the gutter. This research will look at the viability of the use of the low-thermal, low-pressure plasma technology on fungi infested books and the outcome of the fungus. The terminology varies in each article to describe the action of plasma on fungi, including inactivate and devitalize. Given the difference in post-treatment handling with inactivated and dead mold, this research will also look at how the treatment affects mold.