Conservation Begins at Bow Street Museum

Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice have appointed Plowden & Smith to conserve the original courtroom dock from No.2 Court at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court. The historic courtroom dock is where Oscar Wilde stood following his arrest in April 1895 on charges of “Gross Indecency”. The conservation of the dock part of a national lottery heritage funded project Echoes from the Dock. Echoes from the Dock is a major new project from the museum exploring the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship with criminal justice.

Bow Street Museum of Crime & Justice have appointed Plowden & Smith to conserve the original courtroom dock where Oscar Wilde was read his charges in 1895.

Our work will include:

• Stabilising the wooden base of the dock
• Removing historic layers of carpet adhesive to reveal its original wooden floor
• Removing the plastic handrail covering to expose the original metal handrail. Sections of the plastic handrail covering will be conserved as evidence of the modification of the dock in the 1960s and 70s
• Preserving paint layers on the metalwork in situ
• Reproducing missing benches, steps and ventilation grilles at the Plowden & Smith workshops

See conservation in action at Bow Street Museum

The public will have several opportunities to see “conservation in action” throughout the project. The bulk of the conservation work will take place on site at the Museum. On Friday 22^nd May the public can watch, and chat with our lead conservator Pavol Hudacek. Pavol is happy to explain the work he is doing.

The Plowden & Smith team will also be present at an upcoming museum late to engage with more visitors about the conservation process.

 

Museum Director, Simon Tansley said:

“We are delighted to make this announcement today as it marks a milestone in our Echoes from the Dock project. Plowden & Smith brings the expertise and experience needed to ensure that this hugely important piece of our shared history is conserved sensitively and preserved for future generations. When the work is complete, visitors will once again be able to stand in the dock, in the very footsteps of Oscar Wilde and countless others who passed through Bow Street in the 125 years the Magistrates’ Court was in operation.”

Lead conservator Pavol Hudacek added:

“This is an exciting project with its link to Oscar Wilde. Sometimes it is easier to talk about the history than the object itself and because of this I am looking forward to talking to visitors about my work and giving them an insight into the material history of the dock. I hope to make it fun and memorable on the “Conservation in Action” days to help visitors understand more about the conservation process and our methods.”

Find our more about our furniture conservation and restoration and our conservation work with historic properties.

Visit the Bow Street Museum’s project page for Echoes from the Dock