Orbis are absolutely thrilled to have won at the Museums + Heritage Awards in the Restoration/Conservation Project of the Year category together with The Box Plymouth, for our work on the Figureheads.
As most of our readers will be aware, this project consumed us for over two years, and brought with it huge challenges, innovative problem solving and ultimately a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and pride. Thanks to the wide ranging scope of the project, we were given the opportunity to trial a new form of structural analysis of timber in conservation (sonic tomography), carry out copious amounts of research into the construction and decoration of ship’s figureheads, design and fabricate structural mounts, and ultimately carry out full conservation treatments.
We were also presented with the opportunity to work with several other specialists and fellow conservators, many of whom we continue to work with and have developed friendships over the project which we are sure will continue long into the future.
The Restoration/Conservation Project of the Year award was presented in a special online ceremony last month by Diane Lees CBE, Director General, Imperial War Museums, who said:
'We chose this project for its bold ambition, for the incredible technical complexity of bringing this collection back into the public eye and enabling it to be seen for generations to come. It’s an incredibly important project.'
You can see the other winners at this year's Museums + Heritage Awards here.
You can now visit the Figureheads in Plymouth at the newly opened The Box, which are suspended from the ceiling in a striking aerial display.
