Worlds of Discovery

From her studio in Vauxhall, south London, Sylvia Sumira expertly handles the daunting task of cleaning up mini Earths, caked with the grime of history.

- Dominique Corlett

Describing herself as a conservator rather than a restorer, Sylvia Sumira has dedicated 30 years to saving small versions of the world – printed globes from the past 300 years. It is a task that involves removing layers of dirt and sometimes performing major surgery to reveal their hidden beauty and their secrets. ‘My aim is to bring them back to a point where they have aged gracefully, rather than looking as they would when they were new,’ says Sylvia.

What’s your background?

After an art history degree, I did a two-year post-graduate course in conservation of works of art on paper. During my second year, I saw an advert for an apprenticeship in globe conservation at the National Maritime Museum.

I didn’t know anything about globes and it was difficult to find out about them, as there were very few books on the subject, but to my astonishment and delight they oï¿¿ered me the job. I worked there for four years. When the contract ended, people started asking me to work on their globes, so in 1987 I set up on my own.

What is your area of expertise?