Caring for old artifacts and buildings is challenging. As preservationists, we are given the task to figure out exactly the right balance for buildings. This solution may work perfectly or end up making the problem worse, and then the cycle of figuring out a solution begins again. Such is preservation.
The Musee de Cluny is a 3rd-century Roman bath here in Paris that contains several parts that are still standing. After seeing the frigidarium, we were given a behind the scenes tour of the areas that general visitors do not get to see. We were taken into a room that had large remnants of red paint on the wall. The initial use of this room was thought to have been for a high ranking official within the bath, but more research proved this unlikely.
Our guide told us about the efflorescence that was happening to the brick, rock, and plaster in the room. Efflorescence is when salt within porous materials such as rock and brick migrates to the top layer and results in the crumbling of the rock, mortar, or plaster. In an effort to stop this, the museum put a roof covering over the room. The problem was, after doing this, the efflorescence became even more prominent. The balance that the rock had created with the open air environment had been disrupted with the addition of the roof. It is now only a matter of being able to determine whether the stone will balance itself out again to fix the problem.
A philosophy that preservationists live by when thinking of solutions to a problem is that it must be reversible. This is in case the solution perpetuates the problem. During my visit to Versailles, restoration work was occurring in the room outside the Hall of Mirrors. It appeared that one pair of workers on scaffolding was painting the windows panes that were gold, while someone at the next window was using B-72 to paint the marble next to the window with a thin layer. B-72 can be used as a glue or to protect artifacts from dulling based on the concentration of the mixture. B-72 is important in preservation because it can be taken off. Seeing a technique that I had used in previous internships at such a large scale like Versailles makes me feel as I am becoming a part of the professional world of preservation, and it was a really wonderful moment.
If there is one thing that I have learned, it’s that preservation isn’t easy. However, there always must be a way to reverse a solution in case better technology comes in the future or it ends up causing more damage to the area.