SOUFFRAGETTE JENNY-IN-A-BOX
The object is a Jenny-In-A-Box from the collections of Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery and is a form of anti-suffragette propaganda. The materials include painted plaster, wood, paper and textile.
The head of the doll had broken off from the neck and the paint on it was flaking off. The paper flag had two tears on it, the metal spring on the inside of the box was rusty and the chimney and lid had become detached.
The object was going to be placed on display so the conservation treatment needed to stabilize the object so that it could be displayed safely. The detached elements needed to be retached to make the interpretation of the object easier and the object needed cleaning to improve it's aethetical appearance.
The head was reattached with paraloid B-72 and the paint on it consolidated with Klucel G. The object was cleaned anc old pieces of tape removed from it. Teras on the flag were repaired using Japanese tissue paper and Klucel G. The chimney was reattached and small holders made out of Perspex for the lid. A mount for the object was also made out of Perspex.
After conservation the object was stable and ready to be placed on display.
More information about the history and conservation can be found in the October 2015 Newsletter of the Federation of Museums & Art Galleries of Wales.
The head of the doll had broken off from the neck and the lid and chimney had become detached.
The object was cleaned, a piece of Plastazote placed inside the chimney and this attached to the box. The lid is held in place with Perspex clips.
The textile on the dolls dress was identified as cotton as was the torn "hinge" on the lid. This offered more information about the materials used in the construction of the object.
A mount was made for the object to support it while on display.