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The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Photograph looking up a staircase at the Victoria & Albert Museum. It shows ornate ceramic decoration to the walls.
View of the outside of the Victoria and Albert museum building, as seen from the inner courtyard.

THE CERAMIC STAIRCASE CEILING

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This project, undertaken on behalf of Crick Smith UoL, involved undertaking 'Phase 1' of the treatment plan to the painted ceiling of the ceramic staircase. In preparation for upcoming building works, the friable and detaching paintwork required consolidation to prevent further loss.

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Consolidation and re-attachment were carried out using a solvent-carried epoxy resin injected behind flaking areas of the painted surface, individual sections were then laid flat and re-adhered to the substrate with the aid of a heated spatula. Areas of loss were 'toned in' with surrounding original paintwork using an acrylic wash in preparation for the next phase of the project. Phase 2, which will include the full-scale cleaning, filling and retouching of the ceiling, will hopefully be carried out in the next few years.

Photograph of a historic decorative ceiling before conservation treatment showing dirty residues and areas of flaking and lost paint.
View of a historic decorative ceiling after conservation, the surface is clean and areas of faking and loss have been repaired.

Ceiling before and after cleaning, consolidation and toning of loss areas

A conservator, Jade Maloney, is restoring the ceiling at the Victoria and Albert museum. She is standing and holding a palette and paintbrush.
Close up photograph showing a flaking and dirty section of paint before conservation.
A close up of a flaking section of paint showing it has now been cleaned and stuck back to the substrate.

Area of friable paint before and after consolidation

 

THE LEIGHTON CORRIDOR ARCH

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The textured arch required treatment to stabilise deterioration and restore to a unified appearance. Treatment included the consolidation and re-attachment of flaking and friable paint, gap filling to the areas of loss and retouching. The retouching stage involved replicating the effect of the decorative 'ragged' paintwork.

A close up of an area of historic decorative paintwork that is cupping and flaking away from the plaster substrate.

Area of severe cupping and loss before treatment

View of an interior section of decorative plasterwork arch. The decorative paintwork is flaking and there are large areas which have been lost, exposing the plaster substrate underneath.
Image of an arch detail on an internal wall. It is shown after conservation treatment, all the areas of damage and loss and been repaired.

Before and after consolidation, filling and retouching of the arch

© 2025 by Jade Maloney. All rights reserved.

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