Identification of Plastic Materials - Workshop at West Dean College

Plastics are found in so many different types of collections from ethnographic, fashion, archival, design, art, toy, military....In fact it is hard to find a collection that does not contain some plastic components. Unfortunately some plastics degrade and in doing so may cause damage to both themselves and other objects in their vicinity.

West Dean College is hosting this 2-day course (May 13/14) to help you identify plastics in your collection and make you aware of the "dangerous" ones. The course is suitable for anyone working with collections, especially those working in smaller museums who may not have access to specific expertise or analytical equipment. There is plenty of time for attendees to ask for advice, ask questions about particular objects or problems they have come across.
By the end of the 2 days you should be able to identify the five most unstable plastics and thus protect your collection.
The course covers:
1. What is a plastic?
2. History & Development of plastics
3. Degradation of plastics
4. Basic care & preventive conservation of plastic materials
5. Different approaches to identification of plastics - historical research / analytical techniques
6. Practical identification of plastic objects in your collection.

Practical sessions and plenty of time for questions.

Tutors- Brenda Keneghan, David Howell, Hugh Morrison
Early Booking advised

Identification of Plastic Materials | West Dean