The Leather Conservation Centre

Name: The Leather Conservation Centre
Address: The Leather Conservation Centre, Canopy, Northampton, LE16WB, GB
Telephone: 01604719766

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The Leather Conservation Centre

An internationally renowned organisation offering a comprehensive leather conservation service.

The Leather Conservation Centre was established in 1978 and is an internationally renowned organisation offering a comprehensive service in the conservation and restoration of objects (including books and other archival materials) of historic, cultural and artistic importance made wholly or partly of leather or its related materials. Clients include museums, libraries, historic houses and many mor

e. The Leather Conservation Centre also supplies a small range of materials for leather conservation and leather conservation publications.If you have any questions or would like a quotation for conservation work, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

02/09/2026

A Ceremonial Heirloom...

This ceremonial WW1 sword, scabbard, and riding crop were brought in by the dependents of the original owner. The leather on both the scabbard and the riding crop was clearly in poor condition. The surface was brittle and powdering showing signs of a form of acid deterioration known as red rot, which is one of the most challenging conditions we encounter in leather conservation.

Objects like these are irreplaceable, and without intervention, the deterioration can be rapid and devastating. Over the next few posts, we will share how we approached this treatment...

31/08/2026

Caring for Heirlooms Talk and Discussion

Join our conservation team to learn about passive ways in which you can preserve your family heirlooms or treasured objects. We’ll cover the core principles of safe handling, environmental conditions, storage, condition assessment and what to do (or not to!) when a material starts to show

This evening seminar will demystify the ethical and scientific principles of preventive conservation for the objects that you treasure. Our conservation team will guide you on safe handling protocols, optimal environmental conditions, and the primary agents of material deterioration. We will help you identify active degradation and determine when intervention by a professional conservator is necessary.

Available to book now via our link in bio
Course Leader: Rosie Bolton
Location: LCC Studio
Date: Friday 15th January 2027
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Cost: £15

28/08/2026

Meet The Team...

Beth is Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at the LCC. After graduating with a First in Fine Art from De Montfort University, she completed an MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies at the University of Leicester with Distinction, where her research explored access, inclusivity and representation in UK museums and galleries.

Alongside her role as a Visiting Art History Lecturer at De Montfort University, she has gained experience across collections, research and public engagement through roles at Kettle's Yard, New Walk Museum, Leicester, and as an Exhibition Ambassador for the British Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale (Venice Fellowship Programme).

Beth joined the Leather Conservation Centre in 2025, where she coordinates the events programme and develops partnerships with arts, heritage and cultural organisations to connect wider audiences with the Centre's work in conservation, heritage, research and craft.

27/08/2026

Leather and the Future

In 1963, this chair was advertised as ‘a chair you live in rather than sit in.’ The leather upholstery was designed to last, and with the right care, it can.

Leather is one of the oldest materials human beings have ever worked with, and when sourced and manufactured responsibly, it is also one of the most sustainable. When produced using traditional manufacturing methods way it is a natural, biodegradable material with an extraordinary lifespan, leather that is well cared for can last for generation s. However, many contemporary leathers have so many synthetic additives and fillers that we are only just starting to grapple with as conservators. These modern leathers, like many many modern materials that are constructed with the use of synthetic polymers, degrade very differently and often more rapidly.

The sustainability of an object is not only in how it is made, but in how long it lasts, and how well it is looked after along the way.

At the LCC, our approach is rooted in extending the life of what already exists. Conserving and caring for leather objects is one of the most sustainable choices you can make. The chair that came to us this year will now last for decades more, with its history and legacy intact and its story to be continued for future generations.

25/08/2026

Meet The Team...

Phoebe is an Objects and Textiles Conservator at the LCC. Phoebe has worked in both the UK and Australia. She joined the team at the LCC in 2025.

She has experience working with costume, accessories, historic textiles, contemporary social history and a particular interest in synthetic and polymer materials, including their integration in composite objects. This was the focus of her minor thesis research on plastics in textile collections.

She values collaboration, ethical practice, and sustainability in her work. Phoebe is also committed to sharing conservation knowledge through outreach, documentation, and partnering with stakeholders to ensure that treatments and care practices meet the ethical framework of the community of origin.

24/08/2026

Surface Finishing...

A circular area of fatty bloom on the seat cover was carefully softened using a heated spatula with a silicone paper barrier, reducing its visual impact without disturbing the surrounding leather.

Following cleaning, a light application of SC7400 surface finish with added black and brown pigment was applied across areas of loss and patching, providing protection and visual integration.

21/08/2026

Open Studios (Studio Tour)

Thursday 26th November | 14:00-15:00

Curious about what happens inside a conservation studio? Join us for our monthly Open Studios, held on the last Thursday of every month. These free guided tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Leather Conservation Centre's studio, handling collection, and some current projects.

Led by members of our specialist team, the tours explore the history behind traditional leathercraft techniques, and preventive conservation practice, situating historic craft knowledge within contemporary contexts.

These tours provide an opportunity to learn more about how leather and skin materials are conserved, understood, and interpreted, with time for questions and discussion throughout.

Limited to 8 places per session
What3words: ///dish.drama.mugs
Free to book now via our link in bio

20/08/2026

Meet The Team...

Arianne is Manager of Conservation and Research at the LCC. Arianne gained an MA in Principles of Conservation from University College London (UCL) and an MSc in Conservation Studies from UCL Qatar. She undertook internships at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver and the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin specialising in organic materials.

Following this, Arianne held several positions in the Gulf region including at the National Museum of Qatar. She has been a full-time member of the LCC since the beginning of 2020. Arianne is an accredited conservator/restorer, ACR, with the Institute for conservation ICON, and sits on the committee of the ALG (Archaeological Leather Group).

19/08/2026

Stabilising the Arm Rests...

The prominent cracking across the arts rests were very apparent and interfered with the aesthetic finish that was intended for this piece. Deposits of dirt were also becoming ingrained within the cracks (which was a particular concern for the future use of the chair) and the underlying corium was vulnerable to splitting.

Where the grain layer was lifting but intact, it was carefully repositioned and secured from beneath using BEVA 371 film with controlled heat activation. Toned Japanese tissue patches were then applied across areas of delamination and loss, protecting the friable areas and creating stability where the grain surface had been lost. The deep cracking across both arm rests was consolidated in the same way.

18/08/2026

Behind The Conservator's Bench

Join us in the studio for a look at the skills at the skills required to to preserve historic leather, from Tudor gilt leather to contemporary car interiors. You will get an insight into how conservators read an objects history and work with specialised tools and materials.

This studio experience gives visitors a rare look into the everyday work of a conservator. We will discuss object condition assessment, decision making, preventive methods and the reality of interventive treatment processes. You will learn about the tools and techniques that we use to care for objects like archaeological shoes, ceremonial sword scabbards, and mid-century furniture.

No background in conservation or collections care needed, just a curiosity about heritage and craft.

Course Facilitators: Rosie Bolton (Head of Centre) and Phoebe Ignatia (Objects and Textiles Conservator)
Location: LCC Studio
Date: Wednesday 4th Nov
Time: 10am - 4pm
Cost: £50

Limited to 6 places per session
What3words: ///dish.drama.mugs
Tickets available to book now via our link in bio

Address

The Leather Conservation Centre, Canopy
Northampton
LE16WB

Telephone

01604719766

Website

http://www.leatherconservation.org/

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