Conservators Use New Technology to Mount an Old Marionette
Professional conservators are responsible for mounting Special Collections items displayed in the TD Gallery. The gallery is on your right as you enter the Toronto Reference Library at 789 Yonge Street. Our current show, Once Upon A Time, features fairy tales from the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.
Conservators take many things into consideration when they prepare items for display, including the matting, framing and mounting of objects. For the current exhibit, one item in particular posed a unique challenge. The conservators needed to mount a marionette of Puss-in-Boots in a seated position.
To prevent damage, they had to make sure the item was well-supported inside the display case. They also needed to use chemically-stable materials, and had to be sure the mount did not off-gas, which could harm the item's vulnerable materials.
Fortunately, Toronto Reference Library houses one of the library's Digital Innovation Hubs.
Hub staff helped design and build a custom mount using one of their 3D printers, using the item itself as a guide. Reference photos of custom mounts for similar items displayed at other galleries were also consulted.
The design was created using 123D Design, free software provided by AutoDesk. Next, the mount was printed, using a LulzBot TAZ 5 3D printer. To see the whole process, click on the Youtube video below:
It took approximately two hours to print the mount. The printer used polylactic acid polyester, a biodegradable thermoplastic. Except at very high relative humidity, this material remains stable for years. The mount was finished using small hand tools and stable polyethylene foam.
Having a 3D printer available gives conservation staff many more options when they prepare items for exhibition. We look forward to experimenting more with this technology in the future!
Have you used 3D printed objects in an exhibit? Or maybe you 3D printed something else you use in your daily life? Let us know in the comments below!
Once Upon A Time runs until January 15th, 2017.
One thought on “Conservators Use New Technology to Mount an Old Marionette”
Old meets new. How wonderful! Great blog Eric!