I
n 2003, several members of the Wooden
Artifacts Group temporarily changed the
way they perform their jobs and acted as
curators for noteworthy exhibitions of furni-
ture and related material. Brian Considine
created a fabulous installation at the Getty,
The Making of Furniture, with accompanying
website (www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/
making_furniture),
and Robert Mussey
brought 10 years of research to fruition at the
Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachu-
setts, with an exhibition (and massive catalog)
of the furniture of John and Thomas Sey-
mour. Is this a growing trend? Does taking on
the full responsibility for an exhibition
change the way a conservator works within
an institution? Does it change the way an
exhibition is created and carried to the
public? Is this a new medium for conservators
in their quest to educate the public about the
things that interest us most?
My two years as curator of The Incredible
Elastic Chairs of Samuel Gragg were preceded
by 15 years of longing for some way to high-
light these fancy, bentwood chairs, arguably
the most innovative furniture in American
history. My first intimate exposure to them
was in 1986 when I was working at the
Williamstown Art Conservation Center. A set
of six side chairs on their way to auction
came to us for cleaning and minor treatment.
I was greatly impressed by the design, con-
struction, and painted decoration, and thus
began my long-term love affair with the elas-
tic chair.
I have been a practicing furniture conser-
vator for 20 years, comfortably established at
Winterthur Museum for most of my career.
Three years ago I was given the chance to
curate an exhibition of furniture. My experi-
ence as a first-time curator was similar to that
of an astronaut. Regardless of their skills as
pilots, scientists, navigators, or doctors, once
the astronaut-to-be is chosen for an actual
launch, everything changes. The space flier
surrenders himself to an army of swarming
specialists who poke, prod, instruct, com-
mand, and do everything else he is used to
doing for himself. He is virtually hung on an
assembly line, propelled forward by every-
one's schedule and agenda but his own. Yet,
January 2004
Vol. 29, No. 1
AIC/FAIC Board
Meeting
7
Annual Meeting
News
10
"Conservation of
Leather" Workshop
11
Board Elections
2004
12
FAIC News
13
FAIC Award
Application
Deadlines
14
In Memoriam
15
2004 Dues Renewal
17
2004 AIC Directory
Corrections
18
Grant Deadlines
20
AIC News Index
25
Inside
M
ICHAEL
P
ODMANICZKY
American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works
Conservator as Curator
continued on page 3
Samuel Gragg (17721855) was born in Peterborough, New Hampshire, but found his way
to Boston in 1801 at the relatively advanced age of 29. He established himself as a "common chair
maker," which implies Windsor, "ladder-back," and other related "stick-constructed" and decora-
tively painted seating furniture. Very little is known of his early years in Boston beyond his self-
promotional newspaper ads, a couple of address changes, and a few barely relevant scattered tax
and judicial records. But 1808 brought a flurry of activity and permanent notoriety to Samuel
Gragg. He dissolved a chairmaking partnership with his brother-in-law and moved his workshop
to the "warehouse," i.e., tradesmen's co-operative, of Thomas Seymour, the most fashionable cab-
inetmaker in Boston at that time. There he designed, patented, and manufactured what he
referred to as an "elastic chair." This was a sleek, bentwood version of the currently stylish "klis-
mos" chair, recently revived from classical Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sources and ordinarily
constructed of sawn and traditionally joined mahogany. Gragg's design was so forward-looking
that his chairs today clearly anticipate late 19th-century aesthetic movement furniture, something
Christian Herter might have designed; that is, if Gragg had not already done so three quarters of
a century before.
2 AIC N
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Table of Contents
AIC Board Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
AIC News Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Allied Organization News . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Annual Meeting News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Conference Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Courses, Conferences, and Seminars . . . . . .33
FAIC News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
From the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Grants, Awards, and Fellowships . . . . . . . . .20
Health & Safety News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
JAIC News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Positions, Internships, and Fellowships . . . . .36
Recent Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Specialty Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Worth Noting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
AIC NEWS
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the American Institute for Conservation of Historic &
Artistic Works, 1717 K Street, NW, Ste. 200,Washington,
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while he receives the glory when he returns from a suc-
cessful space flight, he is indebted to those who shepherded
him through the process and ensured the success of the
overall project.
During my years at Winterthur I would, from time to
time, suggest to the curatorial department that Gragg was
an ideal subject for an exhibition, but for any number of
understandable reasons, the time was never quite right. The
break came in 2000 when I tried a different tack and
offered to curate the exhibition myself. Fortunately, at Win-
terthur, conservators have a long history of involvement in
the exhibition planning and design. There have also been
occasions when conservators have served as curatorial assis-
tants. Drawing on my background as a furniture maker, I
proposed an exhibition of technical rather than art histori-
cal interpretation, which strengthened its acceptance by
other museum personnel.
Once accepted, colleagues from various departments of
the museum were assigned and officially convened as a
committee for the exhibition, chaired by the exhibitions
director. These were friends with whom I worked regularly
but tangentially. Now they--as editors,
critics, and mentors--were to focus on
me and what I was producing.
The first task was to formulate a
"prospectus." This is similar to a busi-
ness plan, in that it spells out the con-
cept, describes the target audience, jus-
tifies the subject in the context of the
host museum, and provides a tentative
list of objects, both in-house and in
need of loan. Working with a complete
collection of objects held by an indi-
vidual or institution makes the object
list easy to assemble. For this exhibition, Winterthur only
owned three elastic chairs and an attributed Windsor chair,
so the bulk of the exhibition had to be assembled from
other collections. This is where it began to get sticky,
because a "tentative object list" of hoped-for loans can
become firmly entrenched if the curator is not careful to
insist that it is indeed only tentative.
A full-time curator, whose job description includes reg-
ular research, generates firm exhibition concepts and
loaned object lists well before any proposal is made. But
exhibition research prior to a proposal would be a luxury
for a conservator whose regular responsibilities lie else-
where; much of my research (and requisite travel) had to
wait until after the exhibition was approved. I had to take
some leaps of faith regarding objects that I had not seen in
person and whose owners had not even been asked about
lending to an exhibition. Objects that look great in publi-
cations may turn out to have unforeseen problems upon
examination in person. For example, I discovered a number
of previously unacknowledged restorations affecting both
the structure and the painted decoration on several chairs.
And it can be tricky approaching a potential lender, pri-
vate collector, or public institution, prior to an exhibition
being approved and the dates of the loan firmly set. My
experience is that one can get only vague, tentative
approval of a loan for what is admittedly a tentative exhi-
bition. So, some of the objects originally listed in order to
gain internal approval of the exhibition concept may end
up excluded when dates and circumstances are eventually
firmed up.
This practice is a little like kiting checks and nearly as
dangerous. I included a number of chairs in my prospectus
in hopes that they were as represented or pictured and that
they would be available for the dates of the exhibition. I was
concurrently communicating with potential lenders, trying
to be as firm and specific as possible about the chances for
the exhibition and its dates, with an awareness that at any
moment things could change on our end and I would have
to start over again. Seasoned curators appreciate that there
is no way to avoid such uncertainties in communication
between the institution and the lenders during this process.
For the novice curator, reality can be frustrating.
Once the prospectus was approved and the dates
chosen, we began to focus on the budget. I will not go into
all the details of how institutions fund
exhibitions, but in the simplest form, an
exhibition budget is approved, that
figure is put into the institution's over-
all budget, and then the money is
expected to be subsequently raised.
This means the curator begins a rela-
tionship with the development staff in
all its permutations: grant writers, direct
solicitors, fundraisers, and so on.
At this inchoate point, however, the
exhibition budget has been developed
with many assumptions. For example, I
had hoped to borrow a chair from institution "X" which
would cost an estimated amount in transportation and insur-
ance costs (again, a bit of an estimate itself since the final
costs would not be fully known until formal loan agree-
ments were negotiated). In a few cases I had to abandon an
object and seek a replacement elsewhere. In one case this
saved money, in another it cost more. The apparent firmness
of figures on an exhibition budget spreadsheet belies their
actual fluidity. Although these individual costs are subject to
(grudging) changes, the bottom line is quickly written in
stone. After all, so many staff members in so many depart-
ments are involved that it is simply not possible to change
the total figure every time there is a change to a subordinate
line in the budget. This of course means that it is necessary
to account for increased costs in one line of the budget by
drawing from another line. The resultant, cascading difficul-
ties are hard to overstate!
For the institution, a conservator acting as curator
brings to the process mechanical, scientific, and technical
skills that can have a great impact not only on the story
being told, but also on the budget. In order to bring over-
AIC N
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2004 3
Conservator as Curator
continued from page 1
"A full-time curator,
whose job description
includes regular research,
generates firm exhibition
concepts and loaned
object lists well before
any proposal is made."
all costs down I took responsibility for making specialty
gallery mounts, creating didactic teaching tools and models,
building crates for the objects to travel in, and even driving
the van on many of the loan pickups. This lowered the
budget to an acceptable level while greatly enhancing the
exhibition experience for me.
An exhibition requires active time, talent, and energy
from many parts of the institution, and Incredible Chairs was
no exception. An education curator provided inspiration
and experience in writing labels and text panels that would
be intelligible and interesting for the public and our publi-
cations editor went over everything with a fine tooth comb.
In-house exhibition designers took my vision of how the
story should be told and made it real and workable. A reg-
istrar shouldered the exhausting task of arranging for all
loans, and the complex logistics of transportation and insur-
ance. Photographic services arranged for rights and repro-
ductions permission and carried out all photography. Our
exhibitions design team, working with my storyline, pro-
vided the gallery layout, built, and installed everything that
I did not. And the exhibitions director provided oversight
for the entire project from start to finish, encouraging, cor-
recting, reminding, and remembering a host of minor and
major details, any of which could derail the process.
Only after everything was in place was I able to use
some of the time and travel funding to visually inspect
objects that had previously been known to me only through
publications or word of mouth. One object, a settee, best
illustrates the sensation of a heaving deck under one's feet
that an exhibition can induce. The only example of this
form that I was aware of was pictured in Winterthur's Dec-
orative Arts Photographic Collection. It had been deacce-
sioned from a major institution in the 1970s with only the
name of the purchaser left behind. Months of on and off
again searching proved futile, and I was at the point of
giving up on including it in the exhibition. In stepped a
friend and colleague who thought he "had seen something
like this" in the private conservation studio of a mutual
friend. One thing led to another and I eventually found my
way to the only other example of a settee, privately owned
and previously unrecognized and unpublished. It turned out
to be part of the suite of chairs that started me on this quest
in the first place and was to be reunited with them in the
exhibition!
This experience was repeated in less dramatic instances
throughout the year leading up to the opening. Word was
out that I was mounting the exhibition, so that whenever
anything related to Samuel Gragg or elastic chairs turned
up, I received a call, e-mail, or letter with photos. As won-
derful and exciting as these revelations were, they posed a
problem. Adding a new object to an exhibition already well
underway can have an impact on everything, from budget
to label copy and even the thrust of the storyline. With so
many people working on so many interrelated parts of the
whole, changes caused ripples to grow into tidal waves, and
it soon became simply impossible to make use of novel or
brilliant discoveries. Seasoned curators know of this phe-
nomenon and have developed an ability to take the disap-
pointment in stride. For the conservator who is struggling
through the process for the first time, frustration can be
great. However, the degree to which the curator has built
close working relationships with the support team will be
reflected in the degree of flexibility he or she finds when
an exception is necessary. By the end of the process, I felt
that no new discoveries or insights had been kept out of the
exhibition because of inflexibility in the system, and in a
few cases it was only my relative inexperience that caused
a disruption. Fortunately, members of the support team
were very kind and understanding as we worked through
the surprises.
As the opening (launch) approached, my working day
was completely taken over by the exhibition. My immedi-
ate colleagues in conservation added my usual responsibil-
ities to their own so that the furniture conservation depart-
ment continued to function normally, and I thank them for
that wholeheartedly. There are only so many hours in the
day, and any conservator who takes on curatorial responsi-
bilities must make provisions for those things that time does
not allow.
I eventually took to the road with a museum art han-
dler and traveled up and down the East Coast in our art
handling truck picking up loan objects and other support
material and worked with the exhibitions department to
install everything in the gallery. Objects were placed on
platforms in the newly painted space; graphic support
material, text panels and labels were hung according to
design, and finally, everything was brought into visual har-
mony by the lighting specialists. Although the physical
demands of this period were frenetic, they made the proj-
ect worthwhile. The time arrived to savor the pleasures of
being associated with a successful exhibition: opportunities
for publications, lectures and outside speaking engage-
ments, and the association with a particular niche in deco-
rative arts history.
Although acting as a curator was initially beyond my
conservation experience, it enriched my understanding of
various facets of the exhibition process and produced
stronger bonds with other professionals in my particular
workplace. A feeling of deep indebtedness to the entire sup-
port network continues, along with sincere thankfulness for
each member of the team. And for me, the most indispen-
sable person over the course of the entire process was my
colleague, Wendy Cooper, curator, historian, author, and
educator, and someone with enormous experience in
mounting exhibitions.
Probably the most commonly asked question I have
received is, Would I do it again, with another subject?
Memory tends to focus on the good parts and filters out
the difficulties. I'd love to do it again.
--Michael Podmaniczky, Senior Furniture Conservatory,Winterthur
Museum, (302) 888-4847, mpodmaniczky@winterthur.org
4 AIC N
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From the President
A lot has happened since my last letter to you. We have
chosen a new executive director, consulted with our
lawyers twice, held our November AIC and FAIC Board
meetings, begun planning for the IAG Meeting in March,
and given two joint AIC Heritage Preservation Awards.
Choice of New Executive Director
We received more than 90 applications for the post of
executive director of the AIC and FAIC. Many were strong
contenders. A steering committee winnowed the 90 down
to a short list of eight, and a search committee and the AIC
staff interviewed five. We chose Eryl P. Wentworth, who
began her duties by attending the November Board meet-
ings. Her official start date is January 1, but she spent
December consulting with Penny Jones. We all look for-
ward to great things from Eryl. Please see her article on
page 7.
I also want to thank Penny Jones for all her hard work
over the past six years. I don't think anyone could have dealt
with 3,000 cantankerous conservators more gracefully. Her
participation in and coordination of the search for the new
executive director were exemplary. We're sorry to see her
leave, but we all wish her well in her future endeavors.
Joint AIC-HP Awards
Each year the AIC, along with Heritage Preservation,
presents an Award for Outstanding Commitment to the
Preservation and Care of Collections. This year, two recipi-
ents were selected. On October 8, I had the pleasure to
present the Award to Winterthur, an American Country
Estate. The presentation was made jointly by Debbie Hess
Norris, Larry Rieger, Penny Jones, and myself. It took place
at the evening lecture by Anne Verplanck before the annual
Winterthur Board of Trustees meeting. The award was
accepted by Bruce Perkins, chairman of the Board of
Trustees, and Leslie Bowman, director of Winterthur. After
the lecture, a reception was held in the museum at the
opening of the exhibition, "American Accents, 16701945:
Masterworks from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco,
Featuring the Rockefeller Collection."
On November 13 I presented the second award to the
LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical
Garden. It was a dark and stormy night; there were amazing
winds, gusts of more than 50 miles per hour, all the way
from Washington to the Bronx. When I arrived, late, I was
given a nice sunset tour of the gardens and a more intensive
view of the Library and its conservation and preservation
activities. I presented the award to Gregory Long, president
of the NYBG, at a reception opening their exhibition of rare
books and prints that documents the history of American
botany and horticulture, followed by a short lecture from
David Andrews, collector and curator of the exhibition.
Both of these occasions increased the visibility of the
AIC and HP, and enabled us to spread the word about con-
servation and make people feel good about their past con-
servation efforts. These Awards are a very positive step in
outreach.
AIC and FAIC Boards
The AIC and FAIC Boards met on November 2022,
with the AIC Board meeting on November 20 and 22 (a
half-day meeting on Saturday, November 22) and the FAIC
Board meeting with its invited members at the National
Gallery of Art on November 21. The FAIC meeting
included a tour of the National Gallery's Department of
Conservation, and I want to thank them for the wonderful
meeting arrangements.
We transacted a great deal of business during our three
days of meetings. Probably the most important and contro-
versial discussions surrounded the question of the possible
reorganization of the FAIC.
FAIC Reorganization
Since the AIC Annual Meeting in June, the question of
the history of the AIC, IIC-AG, and the FAIC has continu-
ously sparked discussion, along with possible ideas for reor-
ganization. We have made charts of past officers of the AIC
and the Annual Meetings for the past 31 years. These will
be made available in the near future.
Joyce Hill Stoner's excellent summary and thoughtful
piece in the last AIC News has been very helpful in clari-
fying our thoughts. In late October, Penny Jones and I con-
sulted our lawyers (Crowell & Moring, LLP has agreed to
give us a reduced rate as a non-profit organization) about
the relationships between AIC and FAIC, and what could
be done to make FAIC more viable in terms of fundraising
and development. The full report was given to the AIC and
FAIC Boards, but following is a synopsis.
The lawyers suggested that we look at the areas of over-
lap and disconnect between the two organizations. Our
lawyers suggested a stronger separation of the two organi-
zations, including separate stationery, separate minutes, and
separate meetings (this is already true). We then took up
the question of the composition of the two Boards, but did
not resolve it. At the moment, the FAIC Board consists of
eight conservators (ex-officio officers from the AIC Board),
and five invited Board members (outsiders chosen with
fundraising in mind).We could consider raising the number
of invited Board members, and probably consider a separate
president for the FAIC--perhaps separate officers entirely.
We will always need to have some overlap in Board mem-
bers, though. Since the FAIC Board serves at the pleasure
of the AIC Board, the number of changes in the bylaws will
not have to be as extensive as if we were making changes
in the AIC Board. My opinion is that it is very important
to consult with the AIC membership and to get the mem-
bers' input on any changes.
To increase continuity, it is possible that terms of office
AIC N
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2004 5
on the FAIC Board might be longer than those on the AIC
Board. One scenario that was considered by the Board
would be to appoint four officers of the FAIC Board: chair-
man, vice chairman, recorder, and comptroller.The titles are
different from those of the AIC Board. We could have the
four officers of the AIC Board included on the FAIC Board
as ex-officio (but voting) members. This would make eight.
Adding the executive director makes nine. Then seven
invited Board members would make 16. In my mind this is
a little large for a Board, but not impossible. FAIC Board
officers would be appointed by the FAIC Board and con-
firmed by the AIC Board. Other scenarios (including keep-
ing things as they are) will present themselves and I will be
glad to listen to them.
This is very much a time of transition for the whole
organization as we grow into new fundraising and devel-
opment capabilities, and I think that we need to have a
thorough discussion and airing of ideas before we propose
the new structure. We will certainly be discussing the new
structure at the IAG meeting, and I hope that the new AIC
website will facilitate our discussions as well.
IAG Meeting in March
The IAG (Internal Advisory Group) will meet on March
67 in Washington. This year, we will have two selected
topics. The first will be the FAIC reorganization, and the
second will be the Annual Meeting Task Force. Nancy Ode-
gaard will be constituting a Task Force to look into all
aspects of the AIC Annual Meeting, and she is currently
drafting a charge for the Task Force and considering mem-
bers and a chairman. We need the input of ideas and opin-
ions from the leaders of the specialty groups at IAG. Mem-
bers of specialty groups should let their representative
know their views, so that these views can be communicated
and discussed at the meeting.
Annual Meeting
Planning for the Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon,
is proceeding. It looks as if we will have an interesting, and
perhaps controversial, meeting and I urge all of you to
attend.
Best wishes for a prosperous and uplifting New Year!
--Thomas Chase, AIC President, (301) 6569416;
tchase4921@aol.com
From the Executive Director
A Retrospective
When I think about the activities of AIC and FAIC
during my tenure over the last six and a half years, I am
reminded of the many members who helped make these
activities and events happen, and the pleasure it was to
work with all of them, particularly members of the Board
of Directors and the AIC staff.
During those years FAIC raised more than $3.5 million
dollars for projects such as the Professional Development
Endowment, the Latin American and Caribbean scholarship
program, the Emergency Response "Train the Trainers"
project, the Furniture in France study tours, Kress Conser-
vation Publication fellowships, annual meetings, brochure
publication, curriculum development, electronic media
symposiums, JAIC online, and many other endeavors. The
funders included the National Endowment for the Human-
ities, Getty Grant Program, The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation, Fidelity Foundation,
Samuel H. Kress Foundation, NCPTT, Max
and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Hunting-
ton. T Block, Insurance, Inc., Florence
Gould Foundation, Claneil Foundation,
Kiplinger Foundation, National Endowment
for the Arts, John and Mary Shirley Foun-
dation, and others.
Annual Meetings took place in Arling-
ton,Virginia/D.C. twice, St. Louis, Philadel-
phia, Dallas, and Miami. I remember such
keynote speakers as Lynn H. Nicholas,
Maureen Farrow, Maxwell Anderson, Vir-
ginia McAlester, and Joseph L. Sax. A mem-
orable evening included architect Michael
Graves speaking at the public lecture and
symposium in Dallas, followed by a dinner
at which I had the honor of sitting next to
him. The sites of opening receptions were
the National Gallery of Art, the Saint Louis
Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of
Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, historic Vis-
6 AIC N
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2004
L to r: Incoming Executive Director Eryl P.Wentworth, AIC President Tom Chase, and outgoing
Executive Director Elizabeth F. "Penny" Jones. Photo Eric Pourchot and W.T. Chase
caya Museum and Gardens, and the Library of Congress; all
unique events to remember.
Special projects over the last several years included a
new website (now debuting) placing back issues of JAIC
online, a round table on preserving the records of conser-
vators in private practice, a retreat on education and train-
ing, a task force on qualifications, an agreement with the
Winterthur Library to house the oral history project mate-
rials, a segment on Antiques Roadshow, inauguration of
AIC-Announce, finalization of the commentaries to the
guidelines for practice, placing the Guide on the website,
initiation of the joint AIC/HP award for Oustanding Com-
mitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections, and a
positive vote to continue to pursue a certification program.
I recall the presentations of the prestigious Forbes
Medal to Harold Wilson (1998), Richard Krimm (1998),
and Lawrence Reger (2000).
Continuing member benefits such as the award-winning
JAIC, AIC News, and the AIC Directory are the work of a
coterie of dedicated members and staff. It was wonderful to
work with them.
In 2001 the FAIC bylaws were amended to include
invited Board members. The members who have served or
are serving include Harold Wilson, Steven Heyer, Winifred
Riggs Portnoy, Maxwell Anderson, Elizabeth Kaiser
Schulte, and Suzanne Deal Booth. With these new bylaws,
I see a significant step forward for FAIC, probably with
more changes to come in the future.
A particularly exciting activity has been the Professional
Development Endowment, which has blossomed with fund-
ing from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and donations
from AIC members. Support for curriculum development
for new programs has come from the Getty Grant Program
and workshop funding from the NEH. The professional
development program is a wonderful opportunity for AIC
members to add to their skills and knowledge, and funding
aid makes it even more possible for members to increase
their abilities. There are too many people to name and to
personally thank, but be assured that I will remember all of
you, and I applaud your dedication to the conservation of
our cultural heritage.
--Elizabeth F. "Penny" Jones,
Outgoing AIC/FAIC Executive Director
Planning for the Future
It is with great pleasure that I begin my duties as the
new executive director of AIC/FAIC. It will be an honor to
support the work of conservators across the country and
participate in leading this respected organization to the
next phase of its evolution.
Throughout my career I have supported the preserva-
tion of our cultural heritage. Following training in object
conservation in the Anthropology Conservation Laboratory
under Caroline Rose in 198081, I was responsible for the
collections at the Colorado Historical Society. Between
1985 and 1995, as assistant director of the Valentine
Museum in Richmond,Virginia, I supervised the restoration
and furnishing of the Wickham House, a National Historic
Landmark (NHL), and coordinated collection care and
exhibition development and implementation. In the early
1990s, I was the principle coordinator for Valentine River-
side, a $21.5 million project involving the renovation of
four buildings and installation of indoor and outdoor exhi-
bitions on an 8-acre NHL site, Tredegar Iron Works.
Most recently, I served as the director of the Octagon,
the museum of the American Architectural Foundation. My
responsibilities at this NHL building included management,
fundraising, and strategic planning. While in Washington,
D.C., I have served on several local and national boards and
continue to work on the executive committees of Cultural
Tourism, DC, whose purpose is to strengthen the image
and economy of the city, and ArtTable, a national organiza-
tion promoting and advancing greater knowledge and
appreciation of the visual arts. I've served the museum field
by acting as a panelist and field reviewer for the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum
and Library Services, and the American Association of
Museums, and have been a presenter, panel member, and
panel chair at a variety of professional meetings and work-
shops. It has been critical in my work with museums and
historic structures to understand preservation issues, collab-
orate with conservators, and secure funding for conserva-
tion and preservation.
Today, I'm looking forward to the challenges--and the
fun--ahead, and I welcome your participation and comments.
--Eryl P.Wentworth, AIC/FAIC Executive Director,
ewentworth@aic-faic.org
AIC N
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2004 7
AIC/FAIC BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MEETING
March 45, 2004
IAG
March 67, 2004
(March 7: morning only for more discussion time)
Washington, D.C.
8 AIC N
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2004
AIC News
Reminder about Approval Signatures on
Treatment Proposals
The AIC membership committee takes its job very seri-
ously and reads all material submitted thoroughly. In
reviewing applications for professional associates and fel-
lows, we have noticed a trend, especially among conserva-
tors working in institutions. Very often the contractual
agreement (treatment proposal) is missing a signature and
date. The membership committee has discussed this at
length, and, in consultation with the chair of the AIC ethics
and standard's committee, would like to remind the mem-
bership that this need for a signature is stated in:
Code of Ethics and Guideline for Practice
Commentaries to the Guidelines:
Commentary 4c: Contracts
B. Minimum Accepted Practice
· The contractual agreement must be in written
form. Although elements of the contractual agree-
ment may be distributed among several different
documents, the agreement must include
scope of work;
fee structure or salary;
terms of service;
approval for conservation services or delegation
of authority for decision making with regard to
conservation services;
signature(s) and date
· When conservation services involves examination
and treatment, the contractual agreement must
also meet documentation requirements (see
Guidelines 2428)
We do understand that sometimes an institution accepts
verbal rather than written approval, and that it might be
difficult to convince your employer to do otherwise. These
signatures however are for the conservator's protection and
we should all try to institute this practice as suggested in
the commentaries.
--Elisabeth Batchelor, Chair, AIC Membership Committee
--Kate Garland, Chair, Ethics and Standards Committee
Angels Day 2003
Thirty-six conservators volunteered their time and
expertise at the Naval Historical Center in Washington,
D.C., on June 4, and accomplished an incredible amount
Nouvir Research
Half Page
NEW
Film supplied
of work. It may sound corny, but it really was inspiring to
see so many people come together to help our institution.
The Naval Historical Center (NHC) is the official his-
tory program of the Department of the Navy. Its lineage
dates back to 1800 with
the founding of the Navy
Department Library by
President John Adams.
The Center now includes
a museum, art gallery,
research library, archives,
research and writing pro-
grams, as well as formal
curator and underwater
archaeology departments,
all housed in historic
buildings on the Wash-
ington Navy Yard.
The collections at the
NHC include thousands
of books, maps, letters,
and other documents, paintings, uniforms, flags, medals, and
a wide variety of objects. It was this diversity of materials,
along with the need for conservation assistance that made
the NHC an appealing choice for Angels Day.
We are lucky that the Washington, D.C., region has so
many resident conservators, as it allowed Angels co-coordi-
nators Michele Pagan and Linda Blaser and Angels team
leaders to visit the NHC to see the collections. These visits
and continued communication between the Angels coordi-
nators, team leaders, and NHC staff played a big part in the
success of the day.
Preparation began in January when NHC collections
staff held the first meeting with Michele and Linda and a
few of the team leaders to discuss the overall event and to
identify a few key projects. In the following months, NHC
staff honed the list of projects that could be accomplished,
and devoted much time to preparing spaces, objects, inven-
tory lists, and supplies.
Preparation for the day included three workshops held
at the NHC by three team leaders. Michele Pagan demon-
strated care and handling of textiles; Hugh Phibbs demon-
strated non-adhesive hinging (mounting) of paper artifacts
in mats, and encapsulating of paintings; and Rachel Ray
Cleveland demonstrated care and handling of paper-based
items. The NHC staff was delighted to learn these hands-
on techniques, many of which were used on Angels Day.
Clearly, much of the work could not have been done
without a grant from FAIC and the supplies donated from
several vendors, thanks to the efforts of Michele Pagan. We
were overwhelmed by the generosity of supplies donated by
Advanced Packaging, Archival Products, Archivart, Conser-
vation Resources, Fibermark North America, Gaylord
Bros., Hollinger Corp., Metal Edge, Test Fabrics Inc., and
University Products.
When Angels Day arrived, the NHC Deputy Director
welcomed everyone, Michele Pagan described the overall
project, and introductions were made. Angels divided into
groups depending on which project they wanted to work
on, and went off with the NHC staff leaders to the differ-
ent locations. Each staff leader gave a brief description of
the projects, and each
team leader organized
the team to accomplish
the work, usually giving
a
demonstration of
appropriate techniques.
Linda Blaser and NHC
staff photographed all
the activities.
After
cleanup, everyone met
for a group discussion, at
which each team leader
and NHC staff leader
described the work
accomplished and
expressed opinions about
the day. This meeting was
an important part of the learning experience, and probably
could have gone on indefinitely. At the catered dinner, the
NHC director thanked the group.
The work of the Angels included:
·
Art Gallery: Backed paintings with blueboard, rehoused
works of art.
·
Library: Rehoused oversize blueprints, plans, and draw-
ings in custom-made folders; performed minor tear
repair; took apart bound-in volumes to rehouse items
individually.
·
Curator: Unfolded textiles, some huge, and refolded them
with acid-free tissue in large boxes; removed documents
from framed housings and rehoused them in Mylar or
tissue in document boxes; rehoused paper-based items in
flat file drawers; vacuumed, housed, and performed minor
repairs to ship models; devised a storage system for a large
sword collection; wrote condition reports for clocks, a
ceramic collection, and a lacquered table.
·
Museum: Constructed storage mounts for hats; vacuumed
and dressed a uniform on a custom-made mannequin;
padded, vacuumed and/or rehoused a blanket, a uni-
formed doll collection, life vest, shoes, and other clothing
items; devised a new storage system for a large medal col-
lection; improved the object storage room by cleaning it
and lining metal shelves and drawers with foam.
Along with the sheer amount of work accomplished, a
particularly valuable aspect of all these activities is that
NHC staff members can and do continue to implement
these collections care strategies. Indeed, one of the greatest
benefits of Angels Day is the staff 's increased awareness of
some of the practicalities of providing good storage for
their historic materials. Our upper management has seen
how valuable and possible it is to provide proper housing
and care of materials.The fact that so many volunteers were
willing to come to the NHC to provide help and expertise
made a big impression.
AIC N
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2004 9
Angels Heather Wanser, Ann Frellsen, Martha Smith, and Linda Blaser rehousing
naval drawings in the Navy Department Library.
Linda Blaser, in her post-Angels Day report, compiled a
list of some of the benefits of Angels Days and the factors
that help them run smoothly. Helpful preparation includes:
pre-visit by organizers; staff education and continued dialog
before the project; clear understanding of everyone's role;
coordination with inside conservation staff; prioritization of
projects to ensure important items are treated; structured
briefing at the beginning of the day; variety of projects for
a wider learning experience. Benefits include picking up
tips from other disciplines; learning triage techniques; uti-
lizing creativity to solve problems quickly; camaraderie.
At the AIC Annual Meeting after Angels Day, I was able
to personally thank many of the vendors who donated sup-
plies, and many of the Angels. Everyone commented that they
had a good feeling of accomplishment for having made a dif-
ference for our collections. Equally important, conservators
said it had been a fun learning experience, as they met new
people and learned some new tips and techniques, and in
some cases, worked with materials outside of their specializa-
tions.
Once again, to all you 2003 Angels out there, the NHC
thanks you for your invaluable help.
--Claire Peachey, UA Conservation Lab, Naval Historical Center,
1219 1/2 E. St. SE,Washington, D.C. 20003; (202) 433-9731;
peachey.claire@nhc.navy.mil
Italian Approaches to the Structural
Conservation of Paintings,
September 2528, 2003
Imagine a four-day workshop near a picture-perfect
town nestled in an idyllic farming community; your living
quarters are a cabin on a crystal clear lake where you can
swim or sail after workshop hours. But this isn't a tourist
brochure.
The workshop, hosted by Susan Blakney and her able
and willing staff in their well-equipped studio, was held
September 2528 at West Lake Conservators in Skaneate-
les, N.Y. Matteo Rossi Doria, a versatile and highly
respected Italian conservator from Rome, conducted the
workshop. His résumé includes the conservation of works
by Caravagio, Dossi Dosso, Zucchi, Remei, and Van Dyck.
He has treated a wide range of grand murals, leather
screens and small portrait-sized paintings.
After the introductory lecture on restoration history in
Italy by Doria and a brief talk by Celina Berenfeld on her
research dealing with Cesare Brandi's theories of restora-
tion, it was all hands-on demonstrations of materials and
techniques. The focus was the use of traditional Italian
materials that are relatively unknown to American conser-
vators. Doria introduced the Italian method of using "colla
di pasta" as an adhesive for the lining of paintings.
Doria challenged the predilection for BEVA as the sole
lining adhesive. He uses BEVA and other adhesives includ-
ing several cold lining recipes. He reiterated his emphasis by
saying "we try to treat in a more gentle way" and "to follow
the philosophy of minimal intervention."
At a later slide lecture we saw various approaches to the
manufacture of stretchers and supports. Somewhere along
the way we were entertained by the recounting of the tor-
turous and Byzantine process that Italian conservators must
go through to attain permission to treat works of art.
When Matteo used the expression "in my opinion," it
was felt as a sincere acknowledgment of different views
other conservators might entertain. We were fortunate to
hear Matteo's opinions on facing, consolidation, impregna-
tion, lining, low-pressure methods, hot tables, facing
removal, lining removal, and many other topics. Four days
just wasn't enough.
Attendees included Celina Berenfeld, Anne-Marie
Chludzinski, Diane Falvey, Paul Gratz, Paul Haner, Hitoshi
Kimura, Chiara Kuhns, Christine Labrie-Cleary, Janice Pas-
safiume, Maria Scarpini, Janice Selfridge, Nora Smith, Rick
Strilky, Susan Blakney, Margaret Sutton, Nathan Sutton,
John Sutton, Deborah Uhl, Serena Urry, Alexandra Von-
Hawk, Anne Zanikos, and Joyce Zucker.
The event was funded in part by an FAIC workshop
development award.
--Submitted by Nora Jean Smith and Joyce Zucker
Annual Meeting News
2005 Annual Meeting Program Committee
It's time to start planning for the 2005 Annual Meeting
and we will need help in developing a program that
explores the theme of new technologies for conservation docu-
mentation in research, projects, and technological innova-
tions. This meeting will update the membership on some of
the topics covered at the 9th Annual Meeting in Philadel-
phia in 1981 because most conservators currently incorpo-
rate computer technology into various aspects of their
work.
We are currently forming a program committee and are
searching for a program chair, with no barriers to the geo-
graphical location of potential members. AIC members who
would like to be involved in planning the 2005 general ses-
sion or discuss other topics can contact Nancy Odegaard,
AIC Vice President, Arizona State Museum, University of
Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. 85721; (520) 621-6314, Fax: (520)
621-2976, odegaard@u.arizona.edu.
Planning for Portland
Are you preparing for your June trip to Portland? Below
is a list of websites that may be of interest and use both
before and during the conference. If you are looking for a
great guidebook to Portland, we highly recommend Best
Places: Portland by Kim Carlson and Carrie Floyd, pub-
lished by Sasquatch Books.
·
Portland Airport information, including ground trans-
portation information: www.portlandairportpdx.com
10 AIC N
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·
Public transportation information, including MAX and
bus lines: www.trimet.org
·
Portland Art Museum: www.pam.org
·
Portland Visitors Association: www.pova.com
·
Portland Rose Festival: www.rosefestival.org
·
Good local weather forecasts, including live weather
cams (look for the weather link): www.kgw.com
·
Local event listings and some local news and gossip:
www.wweek.com
·
Regional Arts and Culture Council: www.racc.org
·
Oregon Historical Society: www.ohs.org
·
Powell's City of Books: www.powells.com
·
The Oregonian, the state's main daily newspaper and
source for all manner of information:
www.oregonian.com.
All of us on your Local Arrangements Committee are
looking forward to welcoming you to Portland and we are
doing all we can to make sure that your visit is not only
informative and productive but also enjoyable.
--J. Claire Dean, Chair Local Arrangements Committee
AIC N
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2004 11
Images from the "Conservation of Leather"
Workshop
Fifteen conservators from California to Massachu-
setts participated in AIC's workshop on "Conservation
of Leather," taught by Roy Thomson and Aline Angus
of the Leather Conservation Centre. The British
instructors were hosted by the Conservation Center for
Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, November
68. Photos by Maria Fredericks.
Aline Angus, right, offers tips on the treatment of leather upholstery to
Rian Deurenberg.
Paula Zyats, left, and Nancy Britton consult color triangles as they match
leather dyes.
David Brock makes a surface repair with a heated spatula and BEVA paste.
12 AIC N
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2004
Slate of AIC Board Candidates Offered by
the AIC Nominating Committee
The AIC Nominating Committee is pleased to pres-
ent the following slate of candidates for the AIC Board
of Directors for the year 2004.
· Treasurer (2-year term): Richard Kerschner
· Secretary (2-year term): Meg Craft
· Director, Communications (3-year term): Paul Messier
The Nominating Committee sincerely thanks those
who have agreed to run for office, those who considered
running, and all those who offered guidance and helpful
suggestions. Remaining in office through June 2005:
Thomas Chase, president; Nancy Odegaard, vice presi-
dent; Mary Striegel, director, specialty groups; and
Katharine Untch, director, professional education and
training. Remaining in office through 2006: Jane
Klinger, committee liaison.
Call for Nominations from the Membership
for Additional Candidates for AIC Board
Elections
The AIC Nominating Committee encourages the
AIC membership to submit additional nominations of
qualified individuals as candidates for the 2004 AIC
Board elections.
Nominees for treasurer, secretary and director, com-
munications, may be fellows or professional associates.
To facilitate the process, nominations should be sub-
mitted in writing, accompanied by:
·
a signed, "Willingness-to-Serve" statement (form
available from the committee chair)
·
a brief biographical sketch (format available from the
committee chair)
Nominees must be members in good standing of AIC
and should have prior experience with the functioning
of the organization through service on committees, task
forces, specialty groups, subgroups, or in other capacities.
Potential nominees are encouraged to discuss the
duties of the office under consideration with current
incumbents or past officers.
The Bylaws require that completed nominations be
received by the Nominating Committee chair by March
1, 2004 (three months prior to the AIC Annual Meeting
in June in Portland, Oregon).
All completed nominations and all correspondence
regarding nominations, including requests for position
descriptions, copies of the willingness-to-serve state-
ment, and guidelines for the biographical sketch should
be addressed to Eric Hansen, The Getty Conservation
Institute, 1200 Getty Center Dr., Suite 700, Los Angeles,
Calif. 90049-1684; (310) 440-6720, Fax: (310) 440-7711,
ehansen@getty.edu.
Call for Nominations for Candidates for the
AIC Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee also solicits, in advance
of the annual business meeting, nominations of qualified
individuals as candidates for the Nominating Committee
election to be held at the 2004 AIC business meeting in
Portland. As it does each year, the committee will have
one vacant position. However, there were recent changes
to the bylaws concerning how the election for the nom-
inating committee at the General Meeting is conducted.
All, members (including associates, professional associ-
ates, and fellows) can now vote on the candidates for the
committee (please see Bylaws of the American Institute
for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Section
VI(D) in the 2004 Directory). The Committee consists
of three members, one of whom is a professional associ-
ate or associate. Jill Whitten, professional associate, will
continue to serve on the committee until June 2005. Eric
Hansen (fellow) will rotate off the committee in June,
2004, and the new chair will be Shelley Reisman Paine
(fellow). Nominees for this year's open position must
therefore be fellows. Committee members serve terms of
three years, the third year as chair.
While additional nominations will be taken at the
business meeting, to avoid the accidental omission of any
nominations sent by mail, we require that all such nom-
inations be received by the Nominating Committee
chair by April 30, 2004.
Nominations must be accompanied by a signed will-
ingness-to-serve statement (copies of the statement form
are available from the Nominating Committee chair).
The Nominating Committee will be happy to discuss
any aspect of the nominating and election process with
potential candidates and anyone interested in nominat-
ing candidates.
--AIC Nominating Committee:
Eric Hansen (ehansen@getty.edu);
Shelley Reisman Paine (srpaine@nashville.net); and
Jill Whitten (wpfineart@houston.rr.com)
Board Elections 2004
AIC N
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2004 13
FAIC Receives NEH Grant for Professional
Development
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded
FAIC a $201,492 preservation and access education and
training grant to support an expansion of AIC's program of
professional development for conservators during 2004 and
2005. The award includes support for program costs as well
as additional FAIC scholarships for participants. Upcoming
workshops funded by the grant include:
· "Tear Repair of Paintings," April 2224, 2004, Los Angeles
· "Contemporary Machine-Made Papermaking," October
2023, 2004, Williamstown, Mass.
· "Aqueous Systems for Cleaning Historic Textiles," July
2630, 2004, Winterthur, Del.
· "Writing for Conservation Publication," 2004 dates and
location to be determined.
AIC members seeking financial support to attend these
programs should apply for FAIC Professional Development
funds by the regular February 15, 2004, deadline. Program
details and scholarship application materials can be found
on the AIC website (http://aic.stanford.edu).
Workshop topics proposed for 2005 under the grant
request include "Recovery of Wet Materials Following a
Disaster," Varnish on Paintings," "Adhesives for Conserva-
tion," and "Writing for Conservation Publication." Devel-
opment of the adhesives course was funded by the Getty
Grant Program; the NEH funds will help support regional
presentations of the workshop. Several of the workshops
will be offered more than once in the next two years at
locations throughout the United States.
The NEH proposal was drafted by Katharine A. Untch,
Penny Jones, and Eric Pourchot, with the assistance of many
AIC members. Jane K. Hutchins, Richard Kerschner, Susan
Anne Mathisen, Debbie Hess Norris, Ellen Pearlstein, Jerry
Podany, and others reviewed drafts of the proposal. More
than 30 résumés of instructors, organizers, and advisory
panel members were submitted. Collaborating institutions
include the J. Paul Getty Museum, Williamstown Art Con-
servation Center, The Saint Louis Art Museum, the Gerald
R. Ford Conservation Center of the Nebraska State His-
torical Society, the Campbell Center for Historic Preserva-
tion Studies, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, and
National Park Service Harpers Ferry Center, Conservation.
Letters of support from past workshop participants and
many of AIC's allied organizations helped to make the case
that affordable continuing education opportunities for con-
servators will significantly enhance stewardship of Amer-
ica's cultural property and serve as important primary
sources for humanities research, education, and dissemina-
tion. Thanks to everyone for their support!
--Eric Pourchot, Program Officer for Professional Development,
(202) 452-9545, x12; epourchot@aic-faic.org
FAIC Receives Getty Grant Program Funding
for Latin American and Caribbean Conservators
to Attend Annual Meeting
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conser-
vation of Historic & Artistic Works (FAIC) recently
received a $60,400 award from The Getty Grant Program to
support attendance at the AIC Annual Meeting in Portland
by conservators from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Many thanks to Amparo R. de Torres for organizing and
publicizing the scholarships. Assisting Amparo with admin-
istration and translation are Beatriz Bresser Milled Haspo,
Escarlet Silva, and Constance Stromberg.
This year marks the fifth time that The Getty Grant Pro-
gram has funded the scholarship program. More than 100
conservators from Latin America and the Caribbean have
been supported to attend AIC's meetings in San Diego, St.
Louis, Dallas, and Miami. The grant also helps to support
the costs of simultaneous translation of the General Session
into Spanish.
The Getty Grant Program is part of the J. Paul Getty
Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic institution
devoted to the visual arts located at the Getty Center in Los
Angeles. Since its inception in 1984, the Grant Program has
supported more than 3,000 projects in more than 150
countries. The Getty Trust also includes the J. Paul Getty
Museum, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Con-
servation Institute.
The FAIC Oral History of Conservation
Program
While many conservators are aware of the existence of
the FAIC Oral History of conservation archives, and some
know that they are permanently housed in the Winterthur
Library and are in the process of being indexed, most do
not realize the extent of the holdings. Since 1975 when the
project was approved by the FAIC Board of Directors, more
than 120 conservators, art historians, artists' materials man-
ufacturers, and other persons connected in some manner to
the field of conservation have been interviewed.
As one who has conducted interviews, I would encour-
age more AIC members to do the same. Interview subjects
are people who have led full and distinguished careers. If
you are a student or a conservator just beginning a career
NEWS
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works
who has volunteered to conduct an interview, you will have
the privilege of holding an extended conversation with one
of the most respected individuals in the field. If you are a
mid-career professional, you will have the opportunity to
learn unpublished information about the development of
certain conservation materials and techniques. As an added
bonus, you will learn about myriad topics not related to
conservation. I, for one, have heard about the gentrification
of the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, Broadway
theater history, the education of girls in England following
World War II, and Watson and Crick's publication in
Nature.The last topic was related to me during an interview
with a conservator of decorative arts.
As one who has consulted oral history interview tran-
scripts in her research, I have found that they contain infor-
mation available nowhere else.
For further information about the FAIC Oral History of
Conservation Archives or to volunteer your services, contact
Dr. Joyce Hill Stoner, c/o Paintings conservation, Winterthur
Museum, Winterthur, Del. 19735; jhstoner@udel.edu.
--Rebecca Anne Rushfield, (718) 575-2702; wittert@juno.com
Congratulations to Recipients of FAIC Funds!
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conser-
vation (FAIC) recently awarded $5,150 in awards for pro-
fessional development and outreach. Congratulations to all
the fall 2003 award recipients!
FAIC Individual Professional Development Awards
FAIC Professional Development Awards support a wide
variety of educational activities for AIC members. Eight
individuals received funding for the following professional
development activities:
·
Melissa H. Carr, to attend the URUSHI course on con-
servation of Japanese lacquer
·
Judith Eisenberg, to attend AIC's workshop on
"Removal of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes and Tape Stains"
·
Amy Katherine Jones, to attend the ASMOSIA VII con-
ference
·
Linda Stiber Morenus, to attend the Hiromi Paper tour
of Japan
·
Ellen J. Pearlstein, to attend an archaeological X-radiog-
raphy course
·
Nancy Purinton, to attend a course on "Maps and
Atlases"
·
Holly Salmon, to study Japanese lacquer conservation
·
Amparo R. de Torres, to attend a workshop on "Mycol-
ogy for Conservators"
FAIC Lecture Award
FAIC Lecture Awards support lectures about conservation
as an outreach endeavor throughout the country. One award
was made this cycle, to the Washington Conservation Guild,
for a lecture by Christine Smith, "Where Framing and Con-
servation Meet," March 21, 2004, Alexandria,Virginia.
Information on making a contribution to any of the FAIC
funds can also be found on the AIC website under "FAIC."
14 AIC N
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2004
Deadlines for FAIC Award Applications are
February 1 and 15
Additional Funding Now Available!
Applications are due in February for requests for
funding in seven categories, including the new Christa
Gaehde fund, that support projects by AIC members.
Guidelines and application forms are available at
http://aic.stanford.edu or from the AIC office. All mate-
rials must be received by the published deadlines for
consideration.
February 1:
The Christa Gaehde fund promotes
study and research in the conservation of art on paper
by members of the AIC. Projects may involve individual
study; attendance at workshops, conferences, or other
events; purchase of materials for research projects; or
other activities in keeping with the purpose of the fund.
Awards will typically range from $500 to $1,000.
February 1:
The Carolyn Horton fund supports
continuing education and training for AIC members
who are professional book and paper conservators.
Awards typically range from $500 to $1,000.
February 15:
George Stout Memorial awards help
support attendance at professional meetings by AIC stu-
dent members. Awards typically range from $300 to
$1,000.
February 15:
Individual Professional Development
awards offer support of up to $1,000 to help defray pro-
fessional development costs for AIC members. In addi-
tion, special funding, made possible through a grant
from the National Endowment for Humanities, is avail-
able to support attendance at AIC's upcoming work-
shops on "Tear Repair of Paintings," "Aqueous Systems
for Cleaning Historic Textiles," "Contemporary
Machine-Made Papermaking," and "Writing for Con-
servation Publication."
February 15:
Lecture Fund awards offer up to $500
for the purpose of presenting public lectures to help
advance public awareness of conservation.
February 15:
Regional Angels Project awards offer
up to $1,000 toward the development and implementation
of volunteer projects that bring teams of conservators to
work with collections in need of care around the country.
February 15:
Workshop Development awards offer
up to $1,000 to help defray costs for development and
presentation of regional workshops for conservators.
Projects should begin no earlier than
April 1
for full
consideration. Hard copies (no faxes, please) of applica-
tion forms, supporting documents, and any required let-
ters of support must be delivered to the AIC office by
the published deadlines.
In Memoriam
Bettina Jessell
19172003
Bettina Jessell died peacefully on October 26 at the age
of 86. A small, soft-spoken woman, she possessed an enor-
mous generosity of spirit, a gracious manner, a fierce sense
of humor, a phenomenal depth of knowledge of paintings,
and an unrelenting commitment to works of art.
Born in 1917 in Breslau, Poland, Bettina grew up in an
academic family, the daughter of Professor Fritz Arndt, a
renowned organic chemist. She was interested in art from an
early age and after visiting the studio of an icon restorer as
a young girl, she decided to become a picture restorer. As
Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, her father was
offered a professorship at Oxford University and the family
left for England where Bettina finished secondary school.
Still intent on becoming a restorer, in 1936 she enrolled at
the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, but before completing
her degree, fled the Nazi invasion of Austria in 1938.
Upon her return to England, she was apprentice to
Helmut Ruhemann, a restorer at the National Gallery in
London, with a private studio. Her exceptional skills were
recognized early on by Ruhemann and she worked in his
Golden Square studio until 1939 when war broke out in
Britain. Ruhemann and his family were evacuated to
Gloucestershire with the paintings from the National
Gallery and Bettina, who was regarded as one of his most
gifted pupils, accompanied him, working as his assistant in
Gloucestershire for nearly a year. In 1940, after the fall of
France, she returned to London, took a government train-
ing course in engineering, and became a civil engineer for
the next 11 years. She would later credit her experience as
a civil engineer for her interest in s