December 11, 2014, Filed Under: Conservation, Theatre + Performing ArtsRemarkable set of miniature Masonic theater scenery receives conservation treatment The performing arts collection at the Harry Ransom Center includes a remarkable set of theater backdrops, all in miniature. This collection of 112 backdrops, along with other free-standing scene elements, depicts grand symbolic imagery: Egyptian landscapes, biblical imagery, grand architecture, and even catacombs. These scenes were created to support the… read more
April 22, 2014, Filed Under: Conservation, Exhibitions + EventsBehind-the-scenes: Customizing a mannequin, from legs to limbs, to display a World War I uniform Presenting a costume or historical clothing on a mannequin may seem deceptively simple at first glance. Yet there is rarely an instance of a mannequin, standardized or made-to-measure, that is ready to use “out-of-the-box.” Each area of the body—shoulders, torso, arms, legs, and feet—must be customized and often requires several… read more
June 13, 2013, Filed Under: ConservationConservation team brings large map to larger audiences The Ransom Center’s archives are full of treasures waiting to be pulled off the shelves. But once paged from the stacks, some of those treasures prove difficult to handle. Such was the case with Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s enormous 1786 print “Pianta delle Fabriche Esistenti Nella villa Adriana.” The 10-foot wide map… read more
