At the beginning of the year, we launched our new annual photography competition to gather images to use in our communications materials and showcase the magic of conservation to non-specialist audiences.
The brief: We are looking for images that document the beauty of personal encounters with material culture, and show off our profession and its everyday magic. The pictures don't need to tell the whole story - or any story at all - but they must have the capacity to enthuse and intrigue the audience, and entice them to find out more about conservation.
You can see all the entries here.
Icon Chief Executive Sara Crofts and Icon member Ylva Dahnsjö ACR have judged the competition according to the brief above.
And the winner is...
Gordon Maiwald, Maiwald & Mosse Ltd
Railings of Dowderswell church after flame cleaning, prior to straightening after a car had crashed through them
Judge Ylva Dahnsjö ACR commented:
The judges chose this image for its beauty, impact and mystery. It would hold its own in any context, drawing the eye of the spectator into the picture and enticing them to learn more, revelling in its texture and near monochrome no-colour. Without the text, the railings could easily be mistaken for the interior of a musical instrument and the material as wood or bone rather than iron. After reading the text, one immediately starts looking for signs of manufacture and different ways of reading the surface.
We also asked the public to vote for their favourite entry for the People's Choice Award.
And the winner of the People's Choice Award is...
Sejal Goel, cleaning a rubber suit at Missouri Historical Society
Sejal required some adaption to lab facilities in order to access the entirety of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 rubber airaft suit during a routine clean
The two winners will win a free Icon membership.
Icon would like to thank anyone who has submitted an entry and contributed to our image collection. We can't wait to use these images online and in official documents to illustrate our profession and its everyday magic.
