Miss Olive’s office at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter was the control centre for the work that went on in the factory. This was the space from where Olive Smith and her team of ladies ordered materials, processed orders from customers and packed finished items to send them out. It’s a space full of the tools needed for these jobs – boxes, folders of orders, blocks to create catalogues and, most importantly, the tea making area.

A leaking roof put these objects at risk, so the office was packed up to protect the contents from damage.

Now that the roof is repaired, the objects can be returned to their former locations, but before that happens, the conservation team took the opportunity to carry out some conservation.

We gave the paint work a thorough clean and waxed the bench while it was empty. The Venetian blinds were cleaned and some have had new cord fitted so that they can control the light falling on the books and ledgers on the bench. Building dust has been removed from all the nooks and crannies and the rise and fall lamp that wouldn't rise has received attention to enable it to hang rather than rest on the bench. 

See the conservation team at work in these behind the scenes photos and find out more in the videos below:

In this video we explain what conservation work has been done and watch us reinstate the desk area where invoices and orders would have been prepared. 

In this video Derek looks at some finds the conservation team has found including the dumb waiter, first aid kit with cyanide antidote, light fittings, and door release cable. 

Now the room is back to Miss Olive’s standards of cleanliness, all the contents have been put back, based on the photographs that we took before everything was packed. This meant moving and emptying 30 large boxes. Now that has been completed, the office is now ready to receive visitors and should look just as it did when Miss Olive and the team left it. If you can’t tell that we have done anything, then we have done our job properly!

by Jane Thompson Webb,
Conservation Manager