A Visit to the Special Collections Museum

Continuing our series of blogs about current project The Repair Centre, find out what our group discovered at the Special Collections Museum, MMU.

Participants from The Repair Centre, our current project exploring the parallels between ceramic repair and the recovery journey, were invited by our partners at Manchester Metropolitan University for an extra special visit to the Special Collections Museum. The Repair Centre explores the idea that something new, useful, and more interesting can come out of damage, loss and change.

The morning began with a tour of the Museum’s current exhibition, A Feast for the Eyes, with Engagement Officer Louise Clennell. Louise spoke about the kinds of material the Museum holds, including objects, books, archives, photographs, greetings cards, paintings and works on paper, and how these are used to support learning in the Museum.

The session then moved to the Conservation Lab where Conservation Officer, Alison Draper, talked about approaches to conservation and repair, leading a practical session where participants had the opportunity to try out different methods of fixing paper and ceramics using various adhesives.

The morning finished in the Museum’s teaching space, where participants handled and discussed a carefully selected group of contemporary and historic objects, all of which said something different about repair and conservation, including a Japanese bowl with an original Kintsugi repair.

Thank you to our partners at Manchester Metropolitan University for this session.