A condition survey of glycerol treated freeze-dried leather in long-term storage

Abstract

A condition survey of leather from the Museum of London's archaeological archive was used to evaluate the success of treating waterlogged leather with glycerol (propane-l,2,3-triol) followed by freeze-drying. A standard collections management survey form was adapted with additional condition information specific to leather. A condition score was calculated for each artifact to enable the level of stability to be defined. The survey showed that the majority of the material has been stable over the 13-year period covered by the survey. There are, however, real differences in condition according to object period which are affected by the percentage of glycerol used in the treatment process. This is influenced by other factors such as object type and pre-burial and burial condition. The results demonstrate the usefulness of this survey technique in evaluating the long-term success of treatments.