8 C O N T E X T 1 3 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 4 Periodically As mentioned in my last column, print versions of the Journal of Architectural Conservation continue to be appear later than usual as a consequence of the move to Routledge.The most recent issue (Vol 19, No 3, November 2013) contains a number of interesting papers on both policy and practice in the UK and overseas. The longest is by Cassandra Crawford, who has examined the 19 Romanesque narrative friezes at Lincoln Cathedral. These panels originally beautified the austere pre-existing 11th century façade. Their colouring had symbolic value and was essential to communicate the religious messages from the Gospels. Nine panels explain OldTestament parables, primarily relating to Noah, while 10 panels relate to the tormenting of souls consequent on the vices of lust, avarice and so on. The author considers that the relationship of colour to each frieze’s physical and spiritual relationship with the cathedral has been largely overlooked. Consequently she believes that the panels have been the subject of scholarly misinterpretation and are currently inappropriately displayed. Much of the article is devoted to the paint analysis and the colour relationship of the frieze to its location on the facade and to the cathedral as a whole. A paper by Mathew Lloyd and Mikael Schilling gives a fascinating account of recent works to improve environmental conditions in the Great Room at the Grade I listed Royal Society of Arts building in London.The RSA, designed by Robert Adam in 1774, is the earliest complete example in English architecture of a purpose-built headquarters for a learned society.The authors clearly and succinctly describe the historical development of the building before explaining the objectives of the RSA’s 2011-12 restoration; the challenges of inserting 21st-century technology into 18th- century spaces; and the approach to lighting, finishes and decoration. Use of the latest technology is often expensive. A useful paper by three authors at the University of Navarra, Spain, explains how novel low-cost photogrammetric methods have been used to obtain geometric data applied to 20 arches of 11 historic masonry bridges prior to undertaking structural analysis. The technology is considered to be an economic and effective alternative to the classical approach of using planimetric methods. The fourth paper looks at a typological analysis of Muslim tombs in the Crimean peninsula. As the structures are Ottoman, funding for the survey work was provided by the Turkish government. It is to be hoped that the Journal of Architectural Conservation paper does not prove to be a cultural epitaph to recent political and ethnic upheaval. One of the intentions of author Gulsen Disli, from the University of Minnesota, was to use these tombs to draw attention to the need for conservation and the promotion of cultural diversity. The final paper, by Enrico Fodde and Loise Cooke of the University of Bath, examines the question of consolidation of mud-brick masonry, with particular reference to the United Arab Emirates. Until recently, little attention has been given to issues of conservation there, leading in many cases to abandonment. The authors illustrate the types of vernacular historic earthen fabric, the types of damage that can occur and methods of structural consolidation. A late 19th-century mosque acts as an exemplar of the appropriate techniques of repair. The latest issue of the Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings on Engineering History and Heritage (Vol 167, issue EH1, February 2014) might be considered topical in the light of severe winter flooding. CL Greenwood discusses the preservation of canals through innovative spot-dredging, where a balance has to be struck between the maintenance of navigation; ecology; and improved water quality.The three types of dredging technique are defined, the methods of surveying canals described, and some case examples provided to demonstrate why spot-dredging, where the water depth is usually less than 800mm, is more cost effective and can better safeguard heritage assets. In a complementary article, Mike Clarke provides a well-illustrated history and methodology for the replacement of canal lock gates.Wooden gates require routine replacement after around 30 years. In the 1960s in England there was a move towards standardisation of gates to make construction or replacement simpler and easier.Today there is a greater emphasis on enhancing the special individual character of each
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