Lai Wing Fai (a graduate of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) began working as a conservator in Hong Kong in 1995. He came to CCI in January 2001 to further his training in conservation science.

Lai spent his first few months at CCI in the Objects Laboratory, working with the team treating miniature canoes from The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia (see Treatment of the Adney Model Canoe Collection). He found this project particularly fascinating because canoes and objects made of birchbark are seldom seen in Hong Kong.

Since spring Lai has been working on two different projects in the Preventive Conservation Services Division with Jean Tétreault.

The first study deals with air exchange in display cases. Carbon dioxide is generated within a display case and then measurements are taken of how quickly the air is exchanged. The ultimate goal of this work is to create a portable and user-friendly device to measure leaks and leakage rates. This type of equipment will assist in controlling relative humidity in display cases and providing better protection against outside pollutants.

Lai's other project is a study of the fading of colorants used by artists. Some research on colour fading has already been done at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, California, where it was noticed that there is a possible correlation between the level of oxidants and the changes in watercolour paper. Lai is measuring the effect of different levels of acetic acid and sulphur dioxide on colour fading over an extended period of time. The colour change is recorded periodically, and so far two or three different kinetic patterns have emerged. This research is aimed at reaching a better understanding of the kinetics of colorant fading in an oxidant environment.

While involved with these research projects, Lai has also continued doing conservation work. In recent months he has been involved with a laser cleaning project in the Objects Laboratory. This project stems from research on laser cleaning sponsored by the U.S. National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is centred on a comparison of different approaches to cleaning soot-covered feathers (two pelicans damaged in a fire at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum were donated to CCI for this work). Feathers present special treatment challenges because of their delicacy and inter-locking structure. The test feathers are being subjected to a variety of cleaning methods (including laser irradiation, solvents, detergents, vacuuming, and brushing), and then analysed microscopically and through colorimetric measurements. Work on this project is being carried out both at CCI and in Los Angeles, and the results of the various cleaning methods should be ready for comparison within the next few months.

Some other interns who have been at CCI in the past months include:

Sarah Brett, a graduate of the Collections Conservation and Management program at Sir Sandford Fleming College, in Learning and Development (under the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program).

Monica Boota in the Business Planning and Administration Directorate (under the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program).

Jaejin Choi, a graduate of Sir Sandford Fleming College and a student of the Master of Art Conservation program at Queen's University, in the Treatment and Development Division - Furniture and Decorative Arts.

Hildegard Heine, a graduate of the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany, in the Treatment and Development Division - Objects (a professional development internship).

Suzanne Lewis, Lead Curator in the Department of Entomology at the Natural History Museum in London, UK, in the Conservation Processes and Materials Research Division and the Preventive Conservation Services Division (a professional development internship).

Agata Sochon, a graduate of the Master of Art Conservation program at Queen's University, in the Treatment and Development Division - Fine Arts (under the Federal Public Service Youth Internship Program).