Emery Walker’s House, a Thames side terrace house in Hammersmith, West London, was the former home of the printer, antiquary and mentor to William Morris. The interiors are preserved as they were when the family lived there and showcases the most complete and authentic Arts & Crafts interior in the UK. It includes Morris & Co. textiles, wallpaper and furniture, along with many carpets, Middle Eastern and African works and 17th- and 18th-century furniture.
Dining room of Emery Walker's House © Emery Walker Trust
Emery Walker’s Bedroom © Emery Walker Trust
However vigilant custodians may be, moth can quickly take hold, and this was unfortunately the case at the house. The staff reacted quickly and contacted ANOXART for assistance. The team at Emery Walker’s House packed up the three affected carpets, isolating them from the rest of the collection. We co-ordinated collection of the objects and transported them to our fully equipped London based facility, where we were quickly able to execute treatment. One of our directors, Jessica Burgess, is an ICON accredited textile conservator, so she was able to advise on how best to handle the works, ensuring they were safe at all times.
Given the size of the carpets, the largest measuring 4m x 3,5 m, we created 3 bespoke chambers to encapsulate the works and ensure there was enough space for the gas to flow freely once the chamber was closed. Argon gas was passed through the ANOXBOX, which allows us to regulate the humidity of the argon that enters the chamber, before entering the chamber and displacing the oxygen.
We take the oxygen levels down to 0.2% and then seal off the valves to the bag and leave them for the appropriate amount of time to successfully eradicate all life cycles of a pest. In this instance we left them for 21 days due to the size of the works and complexity of the carpet’s texture; it was important that any eggs buried within the pile were also killed to avoid re-infestation.
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