dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark

During its time in storage at the NSM and after the
seepage was discovered, the inductor coil received a
lot of attention. This included staff who came to call
it simply the ‘oozing object’. People were interested
in the coil because it was so unusual and visually
spectacular. A visiting author who came upon the coil
during a tour of the museum’s stores was even inspired
to write a short story about it. In Hill’s story ‘Impossible
Things’ he gives a mystical depiction, explaining that
the leaking resin is a living being and bestowing upon
it magical healing powers (figure 6 and 7).
When deciding on how to precede the conservators
would have to take into consideration the newly
found fame and appreciation the inductor coil had
acquired.
Figure 5. Excerpt taken from Hill’s story ’Impossible Things’.
Stage 4: Conservation Treatment
When it came time for the conservators to decide on
a course of action as to the object’s treatment three
options were explored.
a) Attempt to remove the resin and place it back
inside the box then repair the damage to the base
b) Remove the resin entirely so a more thorough
examination of the interior could be made and
repairing the base or
c) To maintain the coil in its current condition.
The head of the department in conjunction with
the director of the museum decided to leave the
object in its current condition.
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The reasoning was that there were other inductor coils
in the collection which represented the same period
and which were not affected by any alterations. It
was felt the historic integrity of the object was
retained. The coil’s value as an example of early
electrical engineering and scientific history and its
significance as part of the life and achievements
of Eugene Ducretet was saved through the act of
investigation and the production of more in-depth
documentation about the object. In fact many of the
sources consulted are now out of print and difficult to
access, had the object not come to our attention until
a later date then the information may have been lost
altogether and with it the better understanding gained
about the other coils within the collection.
In this altered state the inductor coil provides an
‘experience’ and might even be appreciated as an
aesthetic object. The other inductor coils within the
collection are large wood and metal boxes which offer
little visual stimulus or insight. The inability of these
objects, and so many industrial objects like them,
Figure 6. Image of the inductor coil from Hill’s story ’Impossible
Things’.