Caring for industrial collections, part 1: minding your Ps & Qs

Conservation is about managing change. Change in the condition of collections is inevitable, but the rate of change can be reduced with preventive conservation measures. Conservators at the Trust monitor and oversee preventive practices to reduce degradation to objects. Physical damage is also a constant risk across all collections. Many items in the Trust’s care are partly protected from damage by no longer being used – beds are no longer slept in, chairs no longer sat on, crockery and cutlery no longer eaten from – but they are still enjoyed in context as part of a decorative scheme. At Robert Smail’s Printing Works, this form of protection through limited handling is not possible: five mechanical printing presses, three manual presses and all their associated tools are still used for public tours and to create the products sold in the gift shop.

Robert Smail’s Printing Works is the oldest working letterpress printers in the UK. Opening its doors in 1866, it was in operation for 120 years, producing newspapers, stationery and many other commissions, before it came into the Trust’s care in 1986. Today, it remains a working letterpress printers, with a resident printer, compositor and printing apprentice. They produce commissions using the presses and type that are part of the collection, some of which date back to the 19th century. Visitors can also take away a printed souvenir that they have set themselves or can attend day-courses to create pieces using the heritage equipment.

There are many different aspects of conservation practice to consider. In my university training, my experience has been more lab-focused, and the elements of preventive conservation have been considered more individually. Outside of the university lab at Trust properties, and specifically at Robert Smail’s, these factors are more interconnected – they are also made more complex by the addition of working machines.

The usual dusting carried out at properties, as well as the more passive cleaning methods, have additional significance at industrial properties where the equipment is in regular use. At Smail’s, the inking-up of collection items like rollers and type with oil-based inks means that they need to be regularly cleaned with solvents. The levels of dust produced by additional actions, like the cutting of paper, also accumulates on objects at a higher rate here than in a static collection, where dust builds up through general movement through the room.

Many materials, both modern and historical, are sensitive to light exposure, which causes fading, discolouration and embrittlement over time. Heritage objects do suffer from light damage, but properties often control this as much as possible by maintaining lower light levels in rooms. At Smail’s, the staff need to work with bright task lighting when operating the machines and setting type. Although this may not affect the metal machines, the more sensitive paper items are at greater risk.

As with any modern machinery, the printing presses require regular maintenance. They are robust objects, but they have parts that will wear naturally with use. Eventually, some parts will need replacing, meaning that something will need to be sacrificed: either the original object in its physical entirety, or the experience of it working. This is why we monitor and record any changes we make to the machines. At Robert Smail’s we rely heavily on the knowledge and experience of the skilled printers, whose understanding of the sound and feel of the presses allows them to make adjustments and repairs.

Robert Smail’s Printing Works offers a unique glimpse into the practice of letterpress printing, largely by keeping the traditional skill alive in a way that would not be possible without the working machinery. While places like this offer challenges to conservators, they also offer a tantalising peek into a way of life that seems unfamiliar in our modern world. Keeping these practices going offers education and enjoyment to the visitors and staff who pass through Smail’s doors. The printing presses, as well as the skills and craftsmanship of the compositor and the printers, are important elements of Scotland’s industrial heritage. Together, they keep each other alive in this busy and unique place.