Conservation and analysis of deteriorating nineteenth and twentieth-century British glass in the National Museums of Scotland

Abstract

The National Museums of Scotland collections includes about 2000 19th and 20th-century British glass artefacts. An initial conservation survey in 1996 identified 153 artefacts as actively deteriorating (Cobo del Arco 1999). Examinations of additional artefacts is ongoing and 212, c.20% of those surveyed to date, are deteriorating. The visible signs of deterioration were alkaline deposits or weeping (170 artefacts), crizzling (32 artefacts) and flaking (10 artefacts). An analytical investigation of the glass composition, corrosion products and environment was undertaken to ascertain the causes of corrosion and prevent further deterioration.