GOLF BAG (c.1920)
The object is a leather golf bag from the collections of the Cynon Valley Museum and Gallery. The leather is suffering from red rot and subsequent mechanical damage. The mouth of the bag had been nearly torn off and most of the pocket was missing.
The aim of the conservation treatment was to stabilize the object so that it could be handled without further loss of material. After the treatment the bag was going back to the museum's storage but might be placed on display some time in the future.
The flaking and grumbling leather was consolidated with Butwar B-98. Random weave polyester fabrick painted with acrylic paints was used to repair and support the torn areas around the mouth of the bag. The fabrick was addhered with Primal WS-24. Same fabrick was used dyed, together with polyester wadding, to support the remaining parts of the pocket.
The conservation treatment made the handling of the object possible without further pieces of leather flaking off the surface or furter damage to the torn areas. The aesthetic appearence of the object was also improved and displaying the object in the future will be possible. A support was also placed inside the bag and this will prevent the leather from sagging during both storage and display but does not prevent the object from being displayed with the accompanying clubs inside it.
The bag and accompanying clubs before conservation.
The bag and accompanying clubs after conservation.
The bag was x-rayed to determine the its construction. Fortunately the construction was sound and the object did not require any structural repairs.
The organic deposits on the base showed up under ultraviolet light. The base was later cleaned during conservation.
There were deposits on the leather that fluoresced yellow under the ultraviolet light. It was thought that these were residues of a wax or a similar material used to treat the leather while the object was still in use and no attempt was made to remove the material.
Some of the flakes from the leather were examined under a microscope. The samples showed a presence of a surface treatment on the leather, possibly a water proofing.
The leather suffered from red-rot and the effects of this were clear under the microscope. There were collagen fiber bundles separating from the samples and the leather had changed colour.
XRF analysis was carried out in order to identify the materials used in the construction of the object. The spectra from the base showed strong peaks for iron and zinc which would indicate the base having been galvanized.
The bag before conservation
The bag after conservation