DK CONSERVATORS

Dear Clients, Associates and Collegues.

The sad news of Dieter succumbing to skin cancer on 29 April 2023 may not have reached you. Since its establishment in 2013 as a two-person operation, DK Conservators has developed into an accomplished team, all of whom have attained the high standard of competence and skills set by our studio. Specialisation in paper conservation has expanded into creation of customised casing for artwork in all paper mediums. We remain confident in our ability to meet your requirements of the services we provide. Dieter's legacy will continue. We would like to thank the numerous clients, colleagues and associates who have extended condolences. With sincere appreciation of your support, Keith and the DK Conservators Team (Anthony, Lara, Steph, Jamie, Jessye and James)

Artworks on Paper

We specialise in the conservation treatment of a wide range of art on paper: Watercolours, Pastels, Acrylics, Gouaches, Drawings, Documents, Manuscripts and all types of prints. We treat damage on paper such as stains, foxing and water tides, removal of harmful backings like wood and acidic boards, de-acidification, repairs to tears and the placement of inserts to fill losses, Japanese tissue lining, crease removal and flattening, and selective in-painting.

Books

Fine bookbinding , restoration and repair on First and other Editions, Family Bibles, Cookbooks, Modern and Antiquarian bindings . We work with all materials including Cloth, Paper, Leather and Velum. Treatments include hinge and spine repair, paper tear repair, replacement of end leaves and paste downs. We discuss the level of repair required and consider the clients need when assessing the damage on books. Some books can survive with minimal intervention but for some a complete restoration would be suggested, which may include total rebinding. Custom archival enclosures can be requested for the longevity of the books.

Photographs

We offer conservation treatment on a wide range of modern and historic photographic works. Common treatments include flattening of photographs, dry surface cleaning, removal of mold, removal of adhesive tapes and acidic mounts, aqueous treatment to reduce acidity, discoloration and stains; mending of tears filling in lost areas. We also offer digital restoration on all photographic works.

Enclosures

Protecting the restored works or books, we make archival customised enclosures for Artworks, Books and Objects.

Internships & Workshops

We offer internships and workshops for small institutional groups on request. Workshops are tailored for specific subjects and internships can be organised for short or long term periods.

Consultation

We offer consultation on the conservation of collections. We are always open to give talks at group meetings and welcome interested parties to our studio.