The following blog post is by Isla Haddow who is studying a BA in Fine Art at De Montfort University, Leicester, and has completed a work placement with Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

I am currently partaking in a two week placement at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, gaining experience over many areas of work. This Wednesday I was lucky enough to spend my day in the Fine Art Painting and Print Store and the Decorative Arts store.

My morning was spent, in awe of the amount of paintings and objects which the store rooms are home to. Simultaneously, I was helping Marie-Thérèse Mayne (Assistant Keeper of Fine & Decorative Art) and Dawn Bradshaw (Conservation officer), with the re-hanging and updating records of the locations of art works.

We were un-wrapping a collection of works which had been returned to the Laing stores from an exhibition at the Hatton Gallery. The works in which we un-wrapped and re-hung onto their racks included Layla Curtis’ Newcastle Gateshead, 2005:

My afternoon was spent in the Decorative Arts store, with Dawn Bradshaw. This gave me the opportunity to take part in a small amount of conservation work. I was privileged with the task of cleaning up some beautiful, and intricate Japanese amour pieces, which were from 1600-1799.

What an exciting day!