Shining a light on colloid science

Paper conservator Crystal Maitland peers over a watercolor depicting a man in a rowboat along a sandy shoreline, while a larger ship is visible farther out to sea. The work, which is under consideration as a project for next year's incoming cohort of paper conservation graduate students in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC), has unusual damage along the painting's perimeter and portions of its surface.

"It's animal glue, protein-based collagen that is only cleanable in water-based treatments," Maitland told scientists and engineers touring her Winterthur laboratory. The tour was part of a special workshop held during the 2026 American Chemical Society's 100th anniversary Colloid and Surface Science symposium, hosted by the University of Delaware.

Developing a treatment plan to preserve such an artifact can take hours, according to Maitland, senior conservator of paper at Winterthur and affiliated assistant professor at UD. Enzymes might digest the glue down, she said, but it will require controlling moisture to prevent damaging the work itself.

"This is where having the ability to cut and apply a gel where needed, without fear of residues left behind, is advantageous," she said.

One option - specialized colloidal systems with James Bond-level technology - can be quite effective.