S02E05: Modern Materials

Together with guest host Sophie Rowe we try to get to grips with modern materials: plastics of all sorts, technology, and sticky tape. Christina has a quick chat with conservator Abby Moore about plastics in particular, our agony aunt answers another listener question in Dear Jane, and Kloe reviews ‘PUR Facts: Conservation of Polyurethane Foam in Art and Design.’ 
 00:00:25 Our experiences of modern materials 00:03:53 The trouble of identification 00:05:26 Training courses and books about plastics 00:09:34 Destructive testing and setting stuff on fire 00:11:05 What can we learn from just looking at plastics? 00:13:56 Do we just need to do more testing and sharing?  00:15:53 The tricky question of tape - wanted or unwanted? 00:20:14 Fatbergs on display and the oddities of modern art 00:23:09 Let’s not forget about retro technology 00:25:46 Obsolete technology and do we need ’working’ tech objects? 00:27:41 Jenny’s nerdy interest in tech history and amateur restoration 00:30:33 Back to plastics: what about cleaning and treatment? 00:34:31 How does this impact how we collect modern materials long-term? 00:40:21 Kloe’s Correx horror story 00:46:13 Interview with Abby Moore 00:56:16 Dear Jane 01:00:34 Review: PUR Facts - Conservation of Polyurethane Foam in Art and Design 01:05:51 Patreon shout-out! 
 Show Notes:  - Come support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecword - Sophie’s blog entry about the UCM plastics project: https://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/blog/2016/12/20/fantastic-plastic/ - Google Patents: https://patents.google.com/ - Conservation of Plastics by Yvonne Shashoua: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0750664959/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0750664959&linkCode=as2&tag=thecwordpodca-21&linkId=64f6c28fe0e2478c8fcae67cb5a1723f - ‘Fatberg blocking London sewer could become museum exhibit’ via The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/sep/13/fatberg-blocking-london-sewer-could-become-museum-exhibit - POPART: http://popart-highlights.mnhn.fr/ - Centre for Computing History: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/ - PUR Facts by Thea van Oosten: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9089642102/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=9089642102&linkCode=as2&tag=thecwordpodca-21&linkId=01152fb58135f81ac9079b5b0e4df43c or http://en.aup.nl/books/9789048512072-pur-facts.html 
 Other Resources: - MoDiP Resource Kit for Curators and Collectors: http://www.modip.ac.uk/resources/curators-collectors - Things Change: Conservation and Display of Time-based Media Art: http://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/projects/pericles/things-change-conservation-and-display-time-based-media-art - Care of Plastics Webinar: https://www.connectingtocollections.org/online-event-recordings-care-of-plastics/ 
 Jenny’s favourite online tech historians: - TechMoan Retro Tech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdObeF9VHiA&list=PLN2yCnHTG_6qxmv_pdBxWxCPsbA1Cl2RI - LGR Tech Tales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB1vrRFJI1Q&list=PLbBZM9aUMsjEVZPCDMl-lXOx50rSBNFQC 
 For more on The C Word please follow us on Twitter @thecwordpodcast, email us on thecwordpodcast@gmail.com, or subscribe via our website, http://thecword.show  
 Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/thecword 
 Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and Christina Rozeik. Special guest host was Sophie Rowe. 
 Intro and outro music by DDmyzik used under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Additional sound effects and music by Calum Robertson. 
 Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. 
 A Wooden Dice production, 2017.

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We talk about all sorts of things from the perspective of conservation professionals, from museum trends and new technology to the big issues like pay and staying safe at work. In some museums conservation can be a bit of a naughty word but we think it ought to be celebrated!