Restoring the glory

Dust, dirt and damage

The ceiling and walls of both the Exchange and Grand Staircase were dark and stained with decades of dust and dirt. Our conservators carried out several trials before tackling this problem. This made sure the materials used to clean the stonework, wouldn’t cause any further damage.

They removed the dirt from the stonework by using a latex cleaning poultice. A thin film of this latex paste was brushed onto the area being treated. It was left for 24 hours to absorb dirt, staining and pollution from the stone surface. The film and the residues were then peeled away leaving a cleaned surface. The latex leaves no salts or residue and does not damage the stonework.

Bright again

Volunteers helped to clean the marble sculpture of John Bright. This was made in 1890 by sculptor Albert Bruce Joy. The bust was commissioned and paid for by the workers in Bright’s cotton mill.

Mr Bright was treated to an in-depth clean by the volunteers. Loose dust was removed using a soft brush and a museum vacuum cleaner. A specialist steam cleaner was then set to work. After that, the marble surface was protected with a coat of Renaissance Microcrystalline Wax. A final polish finished off the job and left him looking much better than Mr Cobden beside him!