Friends of the Falconer Museum claim collection is at risk of deterioration in mothballed building Moray Council will not allow them access to

A GROUP dedicated to a former five star tourist attraction in Forres claims the collection mothballed inside is deteriorating.

Friends of the Falconer Museum (FFM) chairman, John Barrett, confirmed custodians Moray Council advised that a sculpture by Aberdeenshire artist Dom Buxton representing Victorian natural historian Hugh Falconer’s time in India is damaged - Dr Barrett is worried that more of the 50,000 piece historic collection could be under threat in the building that was closed by the local authority in October 2019 due to budget cuts.

Dr Barrett said: “The council’s professional advisors report that they think Tortiphant is suffering from rodent and/or insect attack. We are hoping that the sculptor will be permitted access to assess the condition of the sculpture and effect repairs.We are still assessing the situation, which is not easy without access to the museum.We are somewhat dismayed that the Friends are not allowed to see records of temperature and humidity which should be continuously recorded inside. We have learned from a source who cannot be named that the museum is shiveringly cold.”

Condition reports by High Life Highland Conservation Service for the collection flag up “signs of major new damage” to the Tortiphant.

In a letter to the local authority’s Economic Growth and Development Department, Dr Barrett highlighted his fears that rodents appear to be gnawing on electric cables, and that water fittings are placing the building at risk of fire and flood.

He told the Gazette: “We also learned that some exhibits may be showing signs of deterioration. One of the star exhibits - a bronze sword, found locally, dating from the time of the Biblical Exodus and the Trojan Wars - may be showing first symptoms of corrosion. After having survived three-and-a-half millennia it would be a pity if this priceless artefact were finally to vanish because of neglect. The sword was ritually broken in antiquity and so perhaps appears to the untutored eye to be just three chunks of broken bronze. But it as a priceless cultural artefact.”

Head of Economic Growth and Development Jim Grant assured Dr Barrett that the Tortiphant damage has been investigated.

He said: “As soon as the damage was reported by the professional conservator contracted to monitor and care for the collection in the absence of professional staff, Environmental Health officers visited. They looked for droppings etc. and set vermin and insect traps but found no evidence on either of their visits. However, it was noted that damage was symmetrical on either side of the Tortiphant’s head on raised scaling detail. Also debris was made up of small sections of material which suggests that both a different type of glue, or method of preparing the paper was used to apply the scaling to the head and legs, and this is the reason the sculpture has only deteriorated in these areas.

“The conservator is continuing to monitor for any further signs of damage and will report on any change in condition.”

In 2004, Moray Council, with the help of Heritage Lottery Funding, spent more than £353,000 upgrading the museum building and store, so collection items could be stored in environmentally controlled conditions and exhibited in quality display cabinets.

Local councillors state that the local authority will re-open the Falconer Museum once an alternative delivery model with a sustainable income stream has been agreed upon.