6 C O N T E X T 1 0 8 : M A R C H 2 0 0 9 Periodically… As is now customary, the longer than usual gap between November and March issues of Context results in more review material than normal and a greater selectivity of interesting items. As debate on the heritage reform has recently receded, so aspects of conservation principles and good practice have come to the fore. English Heritage has published its own Conservation Principles to a mixed reception. Readers wishing to gain a different perspective may find the Association of Preservation Technology’s (APT), Journal of Preservation Technology (Vol 39, Nos 2-3) particularly interesting. This issue sees an important gathering together of approaches from around the world, illustrating alternative applications of concepts of authenticity relating to the historic integrity of structures and places. Guest editor Pamela Jerome initiates the discussion with an overview of the history of the concept of authenticity. She questions its importance, definition and application. A variety of further views are presented, yet no definitive answers emerge. Nevertheless the debate is timely and informative. Nine articles examine the history of theWorld Heritage Operational Guidelines, the Venice Charter, and the Nara Document on Authenticity. Interpretations of how these documents apply to current conservation issues are suggested, including: their use in historic urban landscapes, discussed by Gustavo F Araoz, the origin and influence of Nara by Herb Stovel, and as a practical example, the use of a Nara Grid to evaluate authenticity as applied to the Grand ChâteauWatertower in Brussels, described by Koenraed Van Balen. This example demonstrates the application of Nara to a building type relatively familiar to UK practitioners. Questions about the authenticity of cultural landscapes also may have a resonance with those involved in UK landscape characterisation. The criteria used to evaluate the integrity and authenticity of cultural landscapes classified as world heritage sites, such as those at Tequila, Mexico and at Sukur, Nigeria, examined by Mechtild Rössler, will be of particular interest. Nora J Mitchell of the US National Parks Service relates the authenticity of cultural landscapes to the sustainability movement by looking at an examination of the 550-acre Mount Tom forest inWoodstock, Vermont. One of the earliest surviving examples of planned and managed reforestation in the USA. Again Context readers may find useful relationships to UK practice. In contrast, Thomas Andrews and Susan Buggey explore limitations of western concepts of authenticity when dealing with the values of aboriginal peoples. Substantial reconstruction is a concept not usually encountered or considered acceptable in the UK, so Christina Cameron’s article on the revision of guidelines for the reconstruction of the historic centre of Warsaw after its wartime destruction poses some interesting metaphysics. The APT’s occasional centre pullout Practice Points feature (No 6), examines the research and analysis of architectural finishes. Dorothy Krotzer’s six-page outline describes the necessary steps of finish analysis, such as historical research, in-situ investigation, and analysis of paint samples using fluorescence microscopy and micro-chemical tests. She calls for a standardised approach to architecturalpaint research. Overall this issue is highly recommended. The following issue of the APT Bulletin, (Vol 39, No 4) is more wideranging. Articles include the use of digital printing technology combined with hand finishing and screen printing to make affordable reproductions of 49 late-19th and early-20th century wall coverings, at the Opera House, Meridian, Mississippi. Dagmar Michoinová and Pavla Rovnaníková evaluate traditional techniques of scientific analysis for high-calcium lime-mortar preparation and treatment. By analysing shrinkage, carbonation, flexural strength, compression strength and pore structure of mortar specimens, effective methods to make repairs to historic structures have been determined. Using a case study of the archaeological site of Chiripa, Bolivia, to determine the effectiveness of this technique, Charu Chaudhry and Koenraad Van Balen explore injection grouting as a means to improve the strength of earthen structures that may be at risk of damage from earthquakes. As concerns about sustainable construction grow and summers become significantly warmer, there will be interest in Fatemeh Mehdizadeh Saradj’s examination of badgers, traditional wind catchers. She analyses Iranian examples and uses flow-modelling analysis to determine the effectiveness of these structures in hot, arid climates. In relation to 20th century buildings, David N Fixler reassesses conservation practices applied to those of the modern movement and what the philosophy behind them poses for the patina of age their materials might acquire. Finally, Stacey E Holden questions whose legacy is preserved in areas under foreign rule through an analysis of the impact of French colonialism in the Fez medina of Morocco. She argues that when the French colonised Morocco they created a ‘romanticized vision of Fez as a medieval relic’ through preservation policies that did not reflect the social history of Morocco and diminished pre-colonial modernisation. Both articles acknowledge the importance of understanding events and ideas in the past as the basis for making conservation management decisions. SPAB’s (Society for the Protection of Ancient Building) concerns about the
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