
Restoration of educational models and posters from the IES Cervantes collection
Three posters and an anatomical classical model
The Instituto Cervantes has an interesting collection of historical objects used in teaching subjects such as Biology, Geography, Physics and Chemistry. These include the restored posters and anatomical model. In order to protect, conserve and enhance their value, the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and the Office of Spanish began a line of work in 2019 with restoration interventions on assets from these collections, which continues to this day and which also addresses their preventive conservation needs.
Restored works
- Poster Madrid today: (110x80 cm). Printed in 1931 by Froilán Holguín Balcázar y Compañía, commissioned by Madrid City Council. All the streets and blocks of buildings in central Madrid are represented, with each business identified in an alphabetical guide on each side. A rotating ribbon in the centre, located at Puerta del Sol, allowed distances to be calculated.
- Poster Monumental Spain: (173x160 cm). It represents the main monuments of Spain. Printed in 1932 from a pen drawing by Crescencio Villanueva Ortega. The poster is supported by continuous wood pulp paper, adhered to a second textile support with natural adhesive and mounted on two decorative chestnut-coloured wooden frames.
- Iberian Peninsula. Oro-hydrographic wall map for schools: (175x133 cm). Made in the XNUMXs.
- Classic anatomical model: (1,35 x 35 cm). Made of papier-mâché on a metal frame, polychrome and covered with a protective layer of varnish. Made by Dr. Auzous. It was incorporated into the institute in 1935. Louis Thomas Jerome Auzoux (1797-1880) was a famous French physician who devoted himself from 1820 to the production of anatomical and botanical models in series. These models were disassembled into several pieces that could be manipulated, thus facilitating the teaching work of teachers. The anatomical model was accompanied by an explanatory catalogue.
restoration project
The state of conservation of the maps The condition of the posters was quite poor, both due to alterations in the materials and environmental and conservation factors. They were deformed due to the rolled storage of the posters and the overlapping. As they were objects used for teaching, they were very exposed to frequent handling. The pieces also had a large accumulation of dust and surface dirt. In addition, the posters had physical damage, mainly on the sides, with cracks, tears and loss of structural resistance. The varnish was oxidised and darkened, which disturbed the correct appreciation of the work. The canvas had significant losses of resistance due to ageing and oxidation.
The anatomical clastic model The body had numerous cracks, damage to the paint film and deformations due to impacts received when handling the pieces. The big toe of the right foot was torn and separated from the rest of the foot. Other fractures were also observed in the extremities. The metal elements used to assemble and hold the pieces together were deformed.
Restoration of maps
After checking the initial state of each sheet and carrying out a historical study of the works, the following actions have been carried out:
- Removing the wooden slats and cleaning of adhesive residue.
- Mechanical cleaning by micro-suction and with smoke rubbers, so as not to damage the paper and the lithographic inks. The embedded dirt was cleaned mechanically with scalpels.
- Manual removal of varnish with different solvents.
- Aqueous cleaning of works by immersion. Once the excess moisture was removed, the cracks, cuts and weak areas on the front were reinforced with strips of 12 gr Japanese paper.
- Consolidation of the support by lamination.
- Chromatic reintegration with watercolour pencils to match the colour of the grafts to that of the original support.
- Relining the maps using a semi-synthetic cotton and polyester fabric to avoid tension.
- Applying a protective layer with an acrylic fixative.
For the correct conservation of the works, the work has been mounted in a cardboard mat folder, with a window and cover suitable for correct storage, allowing the work to be consulted without handling it directly.
Dr. Auzoux's Classic Man Restoration:
The interventions in the anatomical model have been the following:
- Micro-suction cleaning with minimum power and with a filter in the nozzle to prevent loss of the paint film. Cleaning of embedded dirt using distilled water mixtures.
- The metal components were cleaned with mild abrasives and the base was cleaned dry with a brush and with controlled humidity using cotton swabs in the most encrusted areas.
- Sitting in the pictorial film and consolidation of the protective film by removing and softening the original adhesive, applying a thin layer of final protection
- Correction of deformed areas by impact through adhesion of separate fragments with a mixture of vinyl adhesive.
- Crack bonding using Japanese paper grafts and toe placement
- Correction of deformed areas due to impact by adhering separate fragments.
- Volumetric and chromatic reintegration with brushes and acrylic colors in water and application of final protective layer.