~Visiting the Acropolis and its sculptures ~ survey

If you are  interested in the Acropolis perhaps you would like to respond to this survey.

"Visiting the Acropolis and its sculptures" survey, please click on this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5T5XQJG

Tanbouli's murals in Kingsland Estate

Last few days to see Nazir Tanbouli's work on the walls of The Kingsland estate in Haggerston. The estate is about to be demolished, so hurry up!
Look out for Tanbouli's special 'anti-vandalism' technique - he makes paper templates of his figures and then sticks them on the walls.

Besides showing the amazing Tanbouli monsters, this video also shows the reactions of some of the local residents. But if you still want to know more look at his website and blog. Or go to the Art Party on 30 June!



 

Vandalism of a Picasso painting (on video)

You tube has a disturbing video of a man spraying a Picasso at a museum in Houston, Texas. The video is entitled 'Conquista la bestia', but I wonder who 'la bestia' truly is! The painting was rushed to the museum's conservation lab - conservation is still ongoing. 

There are suspicions on whether the vandal and video-maker have worked together. 

See more at  Art Daily

Within minutes of a vandal spray painting a Pablo Picasso painting, Houston museum officials had rushed the valuable artwork into their onsite conservation lab as if it was an injured patient in need of emergency surgery. "I think that's a dramatic analogy, but I think that's apt," said Vance Muse, a spokesman for the Menil Collection, which owns the more than 80-year-old painting. The fast action increased the odds of saving the painting, Muse said. The museum's chief conservator has been working on it tirelessly since it was damaged June 13, and the restoration is going very well, he added.

More Information: http://artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=56050[/url]
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Conservation workshop: UCL conservation and Hackney Museum

Renata Peters and UCL Institute of Archaeology students Nicola Harrison, Davina Jacobi, Laura Sapsford and Kelly Schulze will give a conservation workshop at Hackney Museum on 16^th June. 

The workshop will introduce material heritage conservation to Hackney residents and focus on skills that can be useful at home. Activities will include hands-on experiments. 

Wildlife in your wardrobe, by LS

Topics include:   

• A short lecture followed by a hands-on activity focussing on how to differentiate ivory from bone and/or plastics.  
• Wildlife in your wardrobe: controlling moth infestations at home.Terrific tips to keep your wool whole! 
• How to repair broken pots/china.  
• Introduction to cleaning of silver.

See more information here

A charming red leather briefcase becomes a museum piece

The original Gladstone budget box, made in 1860

Every year the British Chancellor of the Exchequer announces  his annual budget plans in a speech in parliament. For some years I followed the moment when the chancellor would stand outside No11 Downing St and show the red box containing 'The Budget'.  In this post I want to discuss the red box itself, rather than the fearsome documents  it usually carries.

Apparently the original budget box was made for William Gladstone in 1860. You can see various chancellors carrying it here . 

According to Wikipedia, the first chancellor to break with this tradition was James Callaghan, in 1965. The following chancellors went back to using the 1860 briefcase though. 

The tradition was broken again in 1997, when Gordon Brown became the chancellor and commissioned a different briefcase. But his follower, Alistair Darling, went back to the old battered briefcase, as did George Osborne in 2010. 

Alistair Darling (Chancellor 2007-10) holding the good old red box

George Osborne, current chancellor, outside #11 in 2011

Despite obvious signs of wear and tear, the briefcase still seemed to be holding itself together. A quite charming briefcase, if you ask me. And, oh, I so wish it could talk!

A couple of months ago I was disappointed to see Osborne carrying Budget 2012 in a brand new briefcase. The old one was retired due to its 'fragile condition'. He was allowed to use it only once. It did cross my mind that his terrible budget was too much for this old briefcase to cope with! 

Osborne and a new red box in 2012

I think I am not the only one who prefers the older version. If like me, you prefer the older version and you have an ipad (which I don't),  you can even get yourself a 'chancellor of exchequer' ipad cover case.  But if you want to take a look at the one and only one you can always go to the Cabinet War Rooms, where it currently lives.  The briefcase is now 'protected', but I can't help feeling that both the box and the budget protocol have lost a lot with this measure.