Aic
A m e r i c a n
I n s t i t u t e
C o n s e r vat i o n
Historic
artistic works
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news
AIc
Inside
From the Executive Director 2
AIC News 3
Annual Meeting News 8
FAIC News 8
JAIC News 9
Grant Deadlines 10
Grants and Fellowships 11
People 11
In Memorium 11
Allied Organizations 12
Worth Noting 15
Washington Watch 16
Health and Safety 16
New Materials and Research 18
Specialty Groups 21
Courses, Conferences, and Seminars 25
Positions, Internships, and Fellowships 29
Fiber Reference Image Library: Developing a
Tool for Textile Preservation and Interpretation
Textiles are a tangible legacy of their makers and, as such, are cultural docu-
ments that we can decipher and interpret. Textiles provide evidence of the history,
materials, and technologies of their times. Material identification and fabrication
technology helps put textiles in context and is now a routine practice, often part of
the condition assessment. It is vitally important that a conservator treating a textile
fully understand its cultural importance. For example, fiber samples from the storm
and garrison flags from Fort Sumter revealed that it was the storm flag that flew over
the fort during the opening battle of the Civil War as evidenced by residual muni-
tions contaminants. Misguided treatment decisions, often made without materials
identification, can obliterate contextual information by removing evidence of pat-
terns of use (folds), soiling (residue from explosives or battle debris), or political or
spiritual importance (rubbings). To ensure that decisions are sound, conservators rou-
tinely collaborate with historians and curators, among others, during the assessment
and treatment process.
Collaboration between conservators, art historians, and other specialists has con-
tributed to an expanded world-view of textiles.These specialists all seek information
inherent in the textiles themselves and the most fundamental information sought
from a textile is its fiber type.The most accurate way to make this identification is
through microscopic examination. Accurate fiber identification is dependent on
removing a minute sample of fiber from the textile. Additional information can be
obtained through other types of instrumental analysis.This article reports on an-
ongoing project to make sample information available online through an image-based
reference library of fiber samples.
The National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center has taken the lead in creating
the Fiber Reference Image Library or FRIL.This collaborative project aims to amass
reference images of fibers described in their cultural and evidential context and made
accessible on the Internet. Information is compiled and disseminated to support
research, education, training, and conservation treatment. Users include preservation
professionals, scientists, educators, and students.The foundation for this project began
with a collection of fiber samples removed, before treatment, from textiles in the tex-
tile laboratory of the National Park Service at Harpers Ferry Center over a period of
more that 30 years.The history of the development of a Web-accessible reference
library of deteriorated fibers is documented elsewhere (http://www.nps.gov/hfc/
products/cons/con-fiber.htm) and an update was presented at the General Session of
the most recent AIC Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, June 2005.
FRIL is made up of a group of volunteers from the fields of conservation, cura-
tion, education, science, forensics, law enforcement, and information technology
(among others) who have worked together for the past three years to define the proj-
ect. Fibers will be photographed, digitized, analyzed and described in their cultural
and evidential context to be made globally accessible on the Internet in order to
facilitate material identification, conservation treatment decisions, and research which
January 2006
Vol. 31, No. 1
continued on page 6
Support AIC's Gulf Coast
cultural recovery effort: pur-
chase an AIC T-shirt.These
100% cotton, customized shirts
are only $15 and are available in
gold, gray, and white. Sizes
range from medium to extra-
extra large. Contact AIC to
order--info@aic-faic.org--or
mail in your check to the AIC
offices. Please include your
mailing address,T-shirt size, and
color choice.
2 AIC NEWS, January 2006
AIC News (ISSN 1060-3247) is published
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Deadline for March Editorial Submissions
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We reserve the right to edit for brevity and clarity.
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AIC accepts position-available ads only from equal
opportunity employers. All position ads must
conform to the standards for equal opportunity
employment.The cost of Internships and
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A
IC NEWS STAFF
Lisa Goldberg, Editor
Eryl P.Wentworth, Managing Editor
Jennifer Andruzzi, Production Editor
Ruth Seyler, Membership Director
Sheila Paige, Meetings & Marketing Officer
Jessica Oplak, Administrative Assistant
© Copyright 2006. AIC News cannot be reproduced in
its entirety without permission from AIC. Individual
articles may be reproduced if permission has been granted
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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
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AIC NEWS
From the Executive Director
How quickly 2005 sped by! It was a busy and productive
year for AIC and FAIC. I cannot list in this space all the year's
accomplishments, so I'll mention a few highlights that are carry-
ing us happily into 2006.
With the addition of the new position of membership
director we have reversed a downward trend in membership
numbers--thank you all. Please continue to encourage your col-
leagues to become individual members of AIC.
The Annual Meeting Task Force has responded to member
comments and many changes will be evident at the 2006 Annual Meeting. Plans are
progressing smoothly thanks to the excellent work of the General Session Program
Committee and all the Specialty Group Program Chairs.There is much to look for-
ward to in Providence, Rhode Island, not the least of which is the city itself.
Other achievements from this year past and the next to come enrich the profession
through continued educational opportunities for our members. Our first online courses
were such a success that six additional online courses are being developed. Also in 2005,
a total of 21 workshops served 344 individuals, and FAIC provided over $37,000 in pro-
fessional development awards to 49 recipients. Members of the AIC Wooden Artifacts
Group wrote a successful grant to the Florence Gould Foundation to support visits by
French conservators to U.S. studios this spring, which will culminate in a day of semi-
nars.The Samuel H. Kress Foundation provided support to print the Photographic
Materials Group's important publication, Coating on Photographs: Materials,Techniques, and
Conservation. FAIC proposals to NEH, IMLS, and the Getty Foundation have been sub-
mitted or are being developed so that our professional development activities can expand
and continue to respond to member needs through 2006 and beyond.
Wrapping up a successful year for AIC and FAIC was a very special development
event. In 2005, Angelica Zander Rudenstine, program officer at the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, was awarded AIC's prestigious Forbes Medal. As Mrs. Rudenstine could not
attend the Annual Meeting to receive the award, AIC organized a presentation event for
her in New York City on November 21. Almost 70 museum directors, curators, conserva-
tors, and conservation scientists gathered to honor Mrs. Rudenstine for her pivotal role in
guiding and supporting the advancement of the conservation profession. She has tirelessly
promoted serious scholarship in conservation and conservation science while seeking
greater communication among art historical, scientific, and conservation communities.
AIC President Nancy Odegaard opened the presentation portion of the evening
and orchestrated the events. Maxwell L. Anderson, FAIC Board Member, provided an
overview of AIC's and FAIC's roles in promoting professional development activities
for conservators, indicating the critical role Mrs. Rudenstine and the Mellon
Foundation have played and are playing in supporting and encouraging AIC to expand
its activities. During the award presentation, immediate past president W.Thomas
Chase summarized the history of the Forbes Medal, while Nancy Odegaard stressed
the appropriateness of honoring Mrs. Rudenstine with this award. In her acceptance
remarks, Mrs. Rudenstine expressed her appreciation of those she has worked with
and her pleasure in receiving the Forbes Medal.
My sincere thanks goes to Mariët Westermann and Michele Marincola at the
Institute of Fine Arts, New York
University, for their generosity in
offering the perfect location for the
event and helping in so many ways to
make the evening such a success. In
addition, University Products deserves
recognition as an event sponsor.Thank
you for your important support.
Best wishes to all our members
for 2006!
--Eryl P.Wentworth
Angelica Zander Rudenstine
(front) with current AIC
President Nancy Odegaard
(right) and former AIC
presidents Jerry Podany, Jay
Krueger, Debra Hess Norris,
and Tom Chase (left to right).
AIC News
News from the EPPRC Committee
Hurricane Disaster Response 2005
The late summer hurricanes that devas-
tated areas of the Gulf states resulted in
renewed efforts, discussion, planning, and
round-the-clock work for some AIC mem-
bers. Although AIC has been involved with
organizing emergency response programs and
workshops since 1991, the Emergency
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Committee (EPRRC) has been focused on
education with no mechanism for an organ-
ized response to a major disaster.The current
committee was formed by the AIC Board in
2003, and all current members have training
in emergency response and recovery for insti-
tutions that have suffered minor or major dis-
asters.The work of committee members dur-
ing and after the recent hurricanes highlights
the need for redoubled efforts to improve
communications, logistics, and training in all
areas of disaster and emergency response.
As chair of EPRRC and President of
the Southeastern Regional Conservation
Association (SERCA), I spearheaded commu-
nication efforts between conservators, state
officials, and museum directors who were
members of the Southeastern Museums
Conference (SEMC) for the American
Association of Museums (AAM) after the
recent hurricanes. Contacting cultural institu-
tions in the disaster areas proved extremely
difficult because most affected institutions'
staff had evacuated, often to other states.
Through calls to friends, family members, and
other secondary sources, we gradually con-
tacted the staff of affected institutions.
Conservators and cultural institutions
across the country responded to the disaster
with generosity.The AIC office was crucial in
helping to organize offers of assistance, and
AAM later gave a financial award to SEMC
for continued staff assistance.The AASLH also
organized teams of cultural properties profes-
sionals to assist with on-site needs. Bev
Perkins matched up AIC members who
offered assistance with the AASLH teams.
The conflicting needs and plans of vari-
ous agencies, and the situations specific to
each institution, complicated on-site work.
Since very few collections professionals or
conservators are trained to be "first respon-
ders" (individuals who are trained in the entry
into unknown hazard sites), their on-site work
was limited to assessment and advisement.
Those of us who live in the Southeast
3 AIC NEWS, January 2006
When civil authorities declare a
mandatory evacuation, museum staff
and their families are forced to flee to
nearby counties or states. Staff then
cannot access collections until the
government grants permission to
return. My pre-hurricane concept of
disaster preparedness now seems inad-
equate in light of recent realities. In
my mind, disaster response had always
meant a temporary loss of control. A
fire, burst pipe, or flooding bayou
would overwhelm a collection and
recede within a matter of hours.
Emergency supplies stored nearby
would be marshaled by teams of
trained staff and knowledgeable volun-
teers who would carefully isolate dam-
aged collections and organize them
according to materials and type of
damage. Alternate housing and storage,
previously identified in a disaster
preparations document, would be used
to triage and stabilize damage while
repairs to structures were planned and
implemented. But my recent experi-
ence responding to Hurricane Katrina
was significantly different.
In the aftermath of Katrina, local
authorities first sought to evacuate
injured and desperate civilians.Then in
an effort to prevent unhealthy condi-
tions from causing further illness and
injury, access to the city was limited.
Nine days after Katrina hit, one pri-
vate collector was able to arrange for a
team to receive a special permit to
charter a Blackwater Security escort
past National Guard check points into
the New Orleans Garden District.
Though private citizens were still not
allowed into New Orleans,the collec-
tor's home was kept under 24-hour
guard by security teams armed with
automatic weapons. Looting was still
prevalent and a drug-related murder
had occurred nearby only the day
before. Helicopters flew overhead
hourly. National Guard patrols made
rounds of the area.The collector's
security detail set up a perimeter
around the block while museum and
contract art handlers recovered paint-
ings and decorative art.The recovery
effort lasted until dusk when the secu-
rity escort mandated that the team
leave New Orleans.
Options for recovery and handling
of damaged materials are severely
limited under these conditions. It is
clear that a longer and broader view
of post-disaster recovery is required
when immediate human needs and
systemic limitations overwhelm our
best intentions.
--Steve Pine
Decorative Arts Conservator
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
spine@mfah.org
Thank you to
everyone who has
renewed their
membership for
2006.You are all
winners, but a
special congratula-
tions goes to
Linda S. Nieuwen-
huizen for win-
ning the Renew
by December 15
contest. She will
receive a compli-
mentary registra-
tion to the 2006
Annual Meeting
and two free
nights at the con-
ference hotel!
Hurricane Katrinia: A First-hand Account
4 AIC NEWS, January 2006
have, in past years, experienced the
challenge of attempting to access a
disaster area after a hurricane, even as
we are trying to return to our own
homes. Telephone lines are down, cel-
lular towers are often damaged, gaso-
line reserves are depleted, food and
clean water are limited or not imme-
diately available, and government
authorities block access to the disaster
area while the injured and dead are
being located. The struggles of those
intimately involved in the disaster are
illustrated by comments from two
AIC members who lived through the
recent hurricanes: Steve Pine and
Shamil Salah (see boxes, this story).
In the face of the recent disaster,
the EPPRC has been struggling with
some of the larger questions that con-
servators face. Many AIC members
who want to help do not live in
affected areas, or cannot afford to
uproot themselves and provide assis-
tance. There is concern for institutions
or individuals that do not have access
to public funding for disaster relief.
Many associations offered to help cul-
tural institutions, yet there was no
overarching organization that could
provide an initial assessment and dis-
tribute information. And, within AIC,
there are too few members with ade-
quate initial assessment training to
respond in a meaningful way to a dis-
aster of such magnitude as the recent
hurricanes.
In the coming months, the
EPPRC will be discussing its long
range plan for improved response.
Suggestions for future action have
been submitted to the AIC Board.
Thus far, AIC members have respond-
ed with generosity and care, but the
EPPRC hopes that future work will
include more concerted efforts by an
ever widening circle of conservators
who are well trained in basic emer-
gency and disaster preparedness and
response.
--David Goist
Chair, Emergency Preparedness, Response,
and Recovery Committee
gocon@aol.com
Call for Nominations
The Nominating Committee
requests nominations for the following
positions:
Treasurer (two-year term)
Secretary (two-year term)
Director of Committees and Task
Forces (three-year term)
Nominees must be AIC
Professional Associates or Fellows in
good standing. Please send nominations
via mail, fax, or email to any of the
Nominating Committee members:
Jill Whitten, Chair
Fax: (713) 426-0191
wpfineart@houston.rr.com
Kate Garland
(816) 751-1253
kgarland@nelson-atkins.org
Beverly Perkins
(951) 698-1520
perkins.b@comcast.net
Deadline for nominations is
February 1, 2006.
As I had done many times before,
I went to my studio near New
Orleans' uptown and placed all the
paintings up on tables and away from
any windows. After all, the windows
might blow in and the water might
rise, although this had never hap-
pened before. I made sure all the
computer files were backed up,
unplugged everything I could and
then went back to our home near
the levee to board up the windows
and pack.We all--my wife and 7-
year-old son (probably even our pet
cats)--felt that this was going to be a
three- to four-day evacuation, and
we treated it as a short vacation at
the in-laws (my wife's family's) house
in Iowa.
I spent one of the most frustrat-
ing--and terrifying--days of my life
watching CNN a few days later in
dry, land-locked New London, Iowa.
I watched my hometown portrayed
as a third-world disaster area. And
who among us could imagine the
breakdown in communications?
The FEMA account that I set up
two days after the hurricane was lost
in cyberspace, delaying emergency
funding by a month. FEMA sent me
a Small Business Administration loan
application, but two months later I'm
still waiting for an adjustor to view
my studio, and the caseworker
advised me to get a regular bank
loan. Insurance companies have been
less than useful. The only group I
found to be truly helpful was the
American Red Cross who gave
grants to people from New Orleans,
without question.
My family has stayed in Iowa
because the schools in New Orleans
are closed, but I returned to town as
soon as I could. Compared to 75% of
the city we were very lucky: our
house and business are not a total
loss.The house is standing, although
the wind stripped off roof shingles,
allowing rainwater--and mold--to
run down the walls. Most impor-
tantly, the satellite photos had given
me a false impression--the studio
had "only" a foot of water in it,
which meant that all the paintings
were safe.
Today we are rebuilding the
studio. Floodwater damage was all-
invasive, and mold grows rapidly in
humid New Orleans. All the
sheetrock walls and wooden floors
had to be thrown out to keep ahead
of the mold. I've moved to a tempo-
rary studio adjacent to my old one,
and I'm committed to staying in
New Orleans and rebuilding our art
conservation business.
--Shamil Salah, Conservator
Hudson + Salah Art Conservation
Studios
New Orleans, Louisiana
Hurricane Katrinia: A First-hand Account
5 AIC NEWS, January 2006
AIC Members as Katrina
Volunteers
More than 200 people have volun-
teered their time and talent to aid in the
recovery of cultural collections devastated
by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.These
volunteers signed up by filling out the
Volunteer Questionnaire on the AIC
website.The Volunteer Questionnaire
was developed by AIC staff and reviewed
by AIC members. It is still available as
the list of volunteers continues to grow.
If your name is on the list and you have
not yet been called, you still might be
asked to help in some way.
An initial group of 18 conserva-
tors was drawn from the Volunteer
Questionnaire.These conservators
acted as assessors on trips arranged by
AASLH.They were chosen because of
their training in disaster response for
collections, their readiness to enter a
potentially dangerous area, and their
expertise as conservators.The follow-
ing volunteers went to New Orleans:
Catherine Anderson, Sharon Bennett,
Lenora Costa, J. Claire Dean, Craig
Deller, David Goist, Carolyn
Riccardelli, Chris Stavroudis, and
Catherine Williams The following vol-
unteers went to Mississippi: Susan S.
Blakney, MJ Davis, Susan Duhl, Gary
Frost, Paul Messier, Barbara Moore,
Randy Silverman, and Jill Sterrett.
--Beverly N. Perkins
AIC Volunteer Responder Coordinator
(951) 698-1520
Perkins.b@comcast.net
Wintertime is Renewal Time
As we begin a new year, it is
important to take stock of last year's
achievements and develop this year's
plan for success. In 2005, AIC recom-
mitted itself to better member service,
an improved Annual Meeting, more
workshops (including online learning),
and an overall desire to better serve the
conservation profession.The results are
in: In 2005 AIC reversed a declining
membership trend and grew its mem-
bership by 8%, creating a larger voice
for the conservation profession.
It is now up to our members to
help us continue the positive momen-
tum. If you have not already done so,
please take a minute and renew your
membership for 2006 before the
January 31 deadline.You can use the
personalized renewal form mailed to
you in October or the general renewal
form included in this issue. Every
renewal received prior to the January
31 deadline gives AIC the funds it
needs to work on its members' behalf
in the coming year.
You don't want to miss out on
2006 with AIC. Continue reading for a
sneak preview of what 2006 has to offer.
AIC's 34th Annual Meeting, June
1619, 2006, Providence, Rhode Island
Join your peers for four days
devoted to papers and discussions cen-
tered around the theme of, "Using
Artifacts: Is Conservation
Compromised?"When does society
have the right to use cultural property?
This year's meeting will explore the
criteria that influence the decision-
making process. Make the most of the
2006 Annual Meeting experience by
attending a pre-conference workshop
or spending a day or two exploring
everything that Providence has to offer.
AIC Professional Development
Expanded to bring our members
even more choices in 2006, the AIC
professional development calendar has
something for everyone. Choose from
online courses in building business
administrative and marketing skills for
conservators in private practice, and
specialized in-person seminars ranging
from "Tear Repair in Painting" to
"Fine French Furniture Conservation."
Scholarships are available for many
programs.
Journal of the American Institute For
Conservation
JAIC brings members and sub-
scribers in-depth illustrated articles
covering important current research,
conservation issues, and technical pro-
cedures, as well as case studies and
book reviews.The next issue will be
dedicated to Carolyn Rose and her
impact on the conservation profession.
AIC News
AIC News provides updates on
conservation issues worldwide, AIC
and affiliated organization's professional
development opportunities, and
employment possibilities. New in 2006
are online job listings so members will
never miss out on a career opportunity.
Benefits for Your Business
AIC provides members with the
opportunity to purchase health, disability,
and long-term care insurance.
Professional liability insurance for conser-
vators has recently been added. In addi-
tion,AIC members have access to Club
Quarters--a private, economical hotel
with locations in eight major cities.
We Need You
Thank you for your support of
the American Institute for
Conservation.Together we have built
an organization that serves and repre-
sents our profession. As AIC continues
to grow to meet today's challenges, the
support of each and every member is
vital to the association's success.
Remember, the sooner AIC receives
your dues payment, the more time we
can devote to serving our members
and building a better future.
One of the most important bene-
fits of AIC membership is the oppor-
tunity to play a part in the future of
the conservation profession. Renew
your membership by the January 31
deadline. We need you.
Report from the IAG Meeting
Washington, D.C.
Nov. 18-19, 2005
The Internal Advisory Group
(IAG), which includes chairs from all
committees, task forces, specialty
groups, and AIC News and JAIC edi-
tors, met with AIC Board and staff
members to review the past year's
progress and make recommendations
to advance ongoing projects and activi-
ties.The major topics discussed includ-
ed changes to the Annual Meeting for-
mat, responses to Hurricane Katrina,
and developments in the evolving cer-
tification process.
The AIC Annual Meeting is criti-
cal to AIC's success because it provides
revenue that supports AIC activities and
staff and is a major, educational member
benefit.The Annual Meeting Task Force,
chaired by Jay Krueger, reviews Annual
Meetings and makes recommendations
for improvement.The general consensus
of the IAG was that changes to the 2005
Meeting format were successful and
should be continued.
Changes underway for the 2006
Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode
Island include:
6 AIC NEWS, January 2006
·
Holding a four-day rather than a
five-day meeting to reduce costs
for participants.
·
Scheduling one day for the
General Session, which is currently
spread out over two days.
·
Scheduling the Specialty Group
sessions over three days to reduce
concurrent sessions.
·
Encouraging greater support and
exposure for the vendors.
·
Reinvigorating the poster session.
Considerations for planning
future annual meetings were also dis-
cussed. Meetings and marketing officer
Sheila Paige continues to negotiate
with hotels to maintain stable low
room rates, provide adequate meeting
room space, and hold the Meeting in a
desirable location. After discussion with
the board, the range of potential meet-
ing dates was opened to include a
range of March to July.The 2007 and
2008 annual meetings will be held in
Richmond,VA and Denver, CO
respectively, and the dates for the
meeting have been changed to April in
order to insure the best accommoda-
tions and rates. This is not a perma-
nent change, but a trial based on cur-
rent hotel negotiations. In response to
this change, some dates related to pro-
gram scheduling and planning meet-
ings will be adjusted.
The AIC's response to Hurricane
Katrina was reviewed. Activities of AIC
and the Emergency Preparedness,
Response, and Recovery Committee
(EPRRC), chaired by David Goist,
were outlined. Coordination with
other agencies, such as FEMA,
AALSH, AAM, and Heritage
Preservation was evaluated and sugges-
tions were made for continuing and
future participation in disaster preven-
tion and recovery efforts. One priority
is to make AIC a recognized national
presence and promote its resources and
the talents of its members. Continued
and additional training in all levels of
conservation response is necessary.
Training is needed not only for
responding to affected areas but also
for providing appropriate advice by
phone or email and ensuring safe, off-
site treatment of affected objects.
The Certification Committee
made progress in developing a proce-
dure for certification.The types of test-
ing and examination were vigorously
discussed. It was emphasized and clari-
fied that the recommendations of the
committee must be voted upon by the
AIC membership before being enact-
ed.While the committee's work con-
tinues, funding sources and a timeline
for completion are needed.
Additional reports were present-
ed, including increased membership
retention by Ruth Seyler, the desirabil-
ity of broadening the membership
base, and AIC and FAIC finances and
improvements to the accounting sys-
tems by treasurer Rick Kerschner.
--Meg Loew Craft, Secretary, AIC Board
mcraft@thewalters.org
will exponentially expand their use and
their benefit.The collaboration brings
the project to the point of fundraising
that is necessary to take it to comple-
tion and launch it on the Internet.The
National Center for Preservation
Technology and Training and the
National Park Service, Harpers Ferry
Center has funded the project to this
point.The projected cost for comple-
tion is estimated to be more than
$300,000. Once development is com-
plete, it is hoped that a governing part-
nership will be forged between a uni-
versity and the National Park Service
for operation.
Online databases in the field of
conservation include the Infrared and
Raman Users Group (IRUG) and
Conservation and Art Materials
Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO). For
textile conservators and conservation
scientists, FRIL will be a source of
comparative material, useful as an aid
in the identification of an unknown
fiber and capable of facilitating future
research projects. For example, this ref-
erence material can be used to support
research about how storage and display
conditions and treatment affect objects
made with similar fibers. As the library
grows and more information in
amassed, it will help conservators and
other researchers delineate degrees of
fiber deterioration through comparison
of like textiles.
Initially, FRIL was conceived as a
resource for conservators who routine-
ly need to identify deteriorated fiber
samples that have lost their characteris-
tic morphologies, but now its potential
for other resources has been realized.
Applications may include extracting
information from the fibers that may
assist in object dating, or differentiation
continued from page 1
Specialists regard surviving tex-
tiles as primary source materials and
relate them to social and economic
history and cultural anthropology, as
well as to the traditional venue of
art history.This approach has
yielded new information to better
document and interpret textiles.
Researcher Angaharad Rixon stud-
ied fiber samples from fragments of
lace retrieved from the wreck of the
Dutch East India Company ship
BATAVIA that was wrecked off the
coast of Western Australia in 1629.
She performed a comparative analy-
sis of thread from the Batavia lace to
other laces of similar style and
period seeking scientific evidence to
help solve a dispute about its origin.
Her study compared 10 samples to
the Batavia lace, and while she did
not discover the lace's origin, her
work did raise a number of ques-
tions about the study of lace history.
It revealed the possibility of
linen/cotton blends in the manufac-
ture of early laces.This discovery
reversed the long-standing theory
that the use of cotton is evidence of
a 19th century reproduction. She
continued to study this issue using
the 16th and 17th century laces in
the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney,
where again, the use of cotton
appeared much earlier than would
be expected (Rixon, North Ameri-
can Textile Conservation Confer-
ence 2002, 103).
7 AIC NEWS, January 2006
between problematic fibers types such
as bast fibers or goat hairs, and the
study of archaeological textiles through
the identification of very deteriorated
fibers.Technological advancements and
applications have given the reference
library the potential to become a pow-
erful, searchable database containing
digital images of fiber samples and
other types of data related to the fiber.
As a profession, conservators have not
yet maximized the usefulness of sam-
ples collected during a condition
assessment to create a systematic refer-
ence library of materials from treated
objects because these samples have
mainly served to answer questions from
within an institution or a small user
group. FRIL is integrating images and
information from individual fiber sam-
ple collections to make them globally
available.
While stated briefly here, in-
depth information about applications
for fiber identification, degradation
studies, historical research, treatment
studies, image analysis, and
standardized development for
condition descriptions and
vocabulary are all discussed in the
reference noted above. Work realized
on the project since the publication
include decisions regarding the
metadata. Between 2003-2005 a
subgroup worked to create the
metadata based on Dublin Core
standards (http://dublincore.org/
documents/1999/07/02/dces/)
incorporating specifications from the
entire FRIL group. FRIL will be
composed of production master raster
image (pixel-based) files. The
associative metadata addresses all
functions including description,
identification, management, access,
and use, and will reside in a database.
The underlying utility of an
image-based fiber reference library is
its capability to locate and correlate
relevant information. Searches will rely
on using keywords and embedded data.
These data are dependent on using a
standard vocabulary so that those with
a range of professional backgrounds
can search, compare, and use the
library.Where possible, existing textile
industry and conservation standards
and terminology will be utilized.
Likewise, existing standards for pho-
tomicrography and image-capture and
processing will be used.
The library will store and archive
information associated with specific
textile fibers.This may include fiber
and source images and associated data,
with standardized details on ownership,
historical context, fiber descriptors,
condition description, fiber treatment
and environmental conditions, and
results of physical, chemical, and spec-
tral testing and analysis. Users will be
able to access original digital images,
processed images, and associated data
on a specific textile fiber sample. Links
to additional source information and
existing textile resources will also be
included.
At a meeting in April 2005, the
working group established minimum
microscopy and digital imaging stan-
dards.The magnification of a fiber
image will be at a minimum of 200x
and the required file type format will
be TIFF. Submissions from the field will
be sought once there is commitment to
fund the project. A "front door" policy
for submissions will be required to
ensure quality and an adherence to
standards. In the meantime, individual
members of the group continue to
work on topics, such as standards, iden-
tified at the first conference.
Contributors then will enter data
and images using these agreed-upon
protocols, standard fiber microscopy
and textile science nomenclature, and
uniform metadata formats. Images and
data also will be collected using agreed-
upon standards for textile fiber sam-
pling, mounting, and imaging. Existing
data will be included in the database or
linked to it wherever possible. Because
information will derive from samples
collected from objects in the possession
of public and private institutions and
individuals, and in the public domain,
issues regarding ownership rights will
be included in the metadata.
Summary
Forensic scientists, currency spe-
cialists, law enforcement officers, cus-
toms officials, intelligence officers, and
cultural and natural resource specialists
Law enforcement specialists and
forensic scientists also examine tex-
tiles and extract information.
Whether it is information revealed
by a backpack from the terrorist
train bombing in Madrid or from a
sample of DNA on a jacket, this
community of specialists seeks
information from textile samples
and uses the same analytical tech-
niques as conservators. For example,
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) accumulates fiber samples
from automobile carpets.The infor-
mation is organized by make and
model year in a searchable database
which assists officials in their inves-
tigation into crimes and missing
persons cases. Some auto manufac-
turers cooperate with the agency
and contribute samples when a new
car model goes on the market.
Among the first objects sampled
for fiber identification at the
National Park Service (NPS) in
1975 were George Washington's
Revolutionary War campaign tents,
owned by Colonial National His-
torical Park. Interestingly, these
objects returned to the textile lab at
HFC for re-treatment in 2000. It
was sufficient for conservators to
know, when developing a conserva-
tion treatment plan, that the office
tent liner was woven from a bast
fiber. A historian, however, was
interested in a more in-depth iden-
tification:Was the fiber linen or
hemp? The more precise identifica-
tion was important to the historian's
study of 18th-century military tents,
the origin of manufacture of their
cloth, and where the plants used to
weave the cloth were grown--
Colonial America or Europe.
8 AIC NEWS, January 2006
all work with fibers and have a need
for an image-based fiber reference
library to facilitate their work. Some
specializations will contribute to FRIL,
others will look to it to be an indis-
pensable teaching tool.The project, by
its very nature as a website will expand
as it becomes extremely accessible to
the widest possible audience.
Collaborations will ensure that
the project is well developed, progress-
es in a timely fashion, and produces
positive results. FRIL is a project that
addresses a critical need within the
field of textile preservation and has
resulted in well-qualified conservators
teaming up to undertake the work.
The Web-accessible image-based fiber
reference library will have a profound
impact on the preservation and inter-
pretation of textile material culture. It
will provide a tool to better under-
stand and reconstruct the role of tex-
tiles in society, assist in preservation
and interpretation, and increase intel-
lectual access to textile collections
internationally.
--Jane Merritt
National Park Service, Harpers Ferry
Center Division of Conservation
(304) 535-6142
jane_merritt@nps.gov
Pashmina (cashmere), a hair fiber
obtained from a Himalayan moun-
tain goat, is legendary for its fine-
ness, and detailed descriptions of its
origins and processing are found in
travel accounts of Europeans to
Kasmir from the 17th century
onward. A shawl woven from this
fiber is thought to be a product
made for the court or someone
with great wealth. FRIL will enable
specialists to differentiate pashmina
from fine but lesser quality goat
hair. As identification becomes less
problematic, it will be easier to
identify groups of shawls woven
from pashmina to determine trade
and presentation practices and stylis-
tic similarities. In addition, identifi-
cation of other luxury textiles con-
taining this fiber will be possible.
Annual Meeting News
AIC Annual Meeting Poster
Session--Preliminary Abstract
Deadline is January 23rd
Calling all innovative
thinkers--The Annual Meeting Poster
Session is an ideal opportunity to pres-
ent new treatment ideas, preliminary
findings and tips, and any projects that
could not be included in the Specialty
Group Sessions.
Just added--Were you a cultural
recovery responder in the hurricane-
affected Gulf Coast region? Share what
you learned with you peers. Showcase
your experience during the Annual
Meeting Poster Session.
OK sign me up--Complete a
one-page preliminary abstract and sub-
mit it to one of the Poster Session Co-
chairs by January 23, 2006 (see contact
information below). Abstract can be sent
via email, fax, or post, though email is
preferred. Acceptance will be confirmed
by February 3 and final abstracts will be
due from presenters by February 17.
The Poster Session Co-chairs can
be reached at:
Valinda Carroll
(757) 727-5553
Fax: (757) 727-5952
E-mail: AICposter@craquelure.net
Cary Beattie Maguire
(401) 297-9024
E-mail: AICposter@craquelure.net
FAIC News
FAIC George Stout Memorial
Fund Marks 25 Years
The FAIC established the George
Stout Memorial Fund twenty-five
years ago, in 1981, with a $20,000 gift
from The Bing Fund of California.
The Stout Fund is best known for its
support of students attending the AIC
Annual Meeting and other professional
conferences. In the past five years
alone, 86 students received Stout
funds.
Investment earnings from the
Fund provide a base for the awards, as
do contributions from individuals.
However, the majority of the funds
awarded each year come from contri-
butions made annually by AIC's
Specialty Groups.
The George Stout Memorial
Fund was originally designated to sup-
port lectures and student travel costs.
The first George Stout Memorial
Lecture was given at the AIC Annual
Meeting in Milwaukee in 1982 by
Cyril S. Smith who spoke on
"Materials in Art and in History."
AIC News first recorded Stout
awards to students in May 1984. It
noted that seven students were each
awarded $300 to assist with the cost of
attending the AIC Annual Meeting in
Los Angeles that year.
In 1986, Teresa Lignelli received
Stout funding to attend the AIC
Annual Meeting in Milwaukee. She
writes, "In 1986, my presentation at
the conference was during the
Selected Papers from the
Conservation Training Programs sec-
tion of the General Session. While I
was grateful for the Stout funding that
allowed me to participate in that con-
ference, there were also lasting bene-
fits to the award. As a student, the
presentation preparation was rigorous,
and in subsequent years I've drawn
upon that positive experience, that
process, while developing presenta-
tions for other conferences."
If you are one of the hundreds of
conservation students who have
received Stout Fund support during
the past 25 years, please consider doing
two things. First and foremost, thank
the AIC Specialty Groups for their
continued support. Second, consider
making a contribution to the Stout
Fund or to one of several other FAIC
funds and endowments. Small actions
taken today can make a big difference
in the years to come.
Grant Deadlines
Deadlines for FAIC Grant and
Scholarship Applications are February
1 and 15.
Applications are due in
February for requests for funding in
seven categories that support projects
by AIC members. Guidelines and
application forms are available at
9 AIC NEWS, January 2006
http://aic.stanford.edu/faic or from
the AIC office. To be considered for
a grant or scholarship, all materials
must be received by the published
deadline.
February 1: The Christa Gaehde
fund promotes study and research in
the conservation of art on paper by
members of 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 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 conserva-
tors. Awards typically range from $500
to $1000.
February 15: George Stout
Memorial awards help support atten-
dance at professional meetings by AIC
student members. Awards typically
range from $300 to $1000.
February 15: Individual
Professional Development Grants offer
support of up to $1000 to help defray
professional development costs for AIC
members.
February 15: Lecture Grants offer
up to $500 for the purpose of present-
ing public lectures to help advance
public awareness of conservation.
February 15: Regional Angels
Grants offer up to $1,000 toward the
development and implementation of
volunteer projects that mobilize teams
of conservators to work with collections
in need of care around the country.
February 15:Workshop
Development Grants offer up to
$1,000 to help defray costs for devel-
opment and presentation of regional
workshops for conservators.
Projects should begin no earlier
than April 1 for full consideration.
Hard copies (no faxes, please) of
application forms, supporting docu-
ments, and any required letters of sup-
port must be delivered to the AIC
office by the published deadline.
Applications can also be submitted
electronically if prepared according to
the guidelines published with each
grant category. All letters of support
should be sent by mail, not by fax or
e-mail.
FAIC Awards Fall Grants and
Scholarships
The Foundation of the American
Institute for Conservation (FAIC) gave
out eight grants and scholarships this
fall, totaling $5,100.The awards will
support professional development, pub-
lic lectures, and workshop projects.
Funding for the grants and scholarships
comes from donations from AIC mem-
bers and friends and earnings from
invested funds.
FAIC Individual Professional
Development Scholarships:
Susan Adler, "History and
Conservation of pre-19th Century
Tapestries"
Sharon Fickeissen, "Limp Vellum
Bookbinding"
Joyce Hulbert, "NATCC
Conference"
Stephanie Lussier, "Preservation
and Management of Photographic
Collections"
Valeria Orlandini, "The MIP-
European Thematic Network Metals in
Paper Conference"
Two FAIC Workshop
Development Grants were awarded in
this cycle. Los Angeles County
Museum of Art will present a work-
shop titled "Microscopy for Art
Conservators" with Gary Laughlin of
the McCrone Research Institute.
Etherington Conservation Services of
Greensboro, North Carolina, will pres-
ent "The Use of Pigments in
Manuscripts and their Conservation,"
taught by Cheryl Porter.
An FAIC Lecture Grant was made
to Metroparks of Toledo, Ohio, to pres-
ent a lecture by Wendy Partridge and
Emily Helwig in January 2006.The
lecture, titled "The Festival of the King
at the Tuileries," will be about the
restoration and preservation of wallpa-
per at Wildwood Manor House.
The next FAIC funding deadlines
are February 1 and 15, 2006.
Descriptions, guidelines and forms are
available at http://www.aic-faic.org or
from the AIC office.
JAIC News
`JAIC Special Issues'
JAIC special issues are a collec-
tion of papers with a central focus or
topic, and are published approximately
once per year.The next special issue
will be the 2005 Fall/Winter issue of
JAIC, devoted to the memory of
Carolyn Rose. Examples of some of
the JAIC special issue topics in the last
ten years include:
Fill Materials, JAIC,Vol. 37(1);
Artist's Intent (special section), JAIC,
Vol. 37(3);
Albert Bierstadt and 19th c. American
Art, JAIC,Vol. 38(1);
Disaster Preparedness, Response, and
Recovery, JAIC,Vol. 39(1);
Technology-Based Installation Art,
JAIC,Vol. 40(3);
Architecture issue dedicated to Morgan
Phillips, JAIC,Vol. 42(1);
Evaluation of Past Conservation
Methods, JAIC,Vol. 42(2);
The creation of a special issue
edition is a multi-step process that
involves hard work and commitment
from many people. It requires one or
more devoted organizers to initiate the
process, select the authors, and track
their progress to ensure that papers are
submitted by a pre-selected deadline.
The authors themselves spend many
hours writing and rewriting their arti-
cles in preparation for submission.
Once submitted, each paper is carefully
examined by JAIC editors and review-
ers. Like all other Journal submissions,
every article in the special issue must
meet the high standards of JAIC.
There has been some misunder-
standing in the past regarding content
and paper selection for special issues,
perhaps because the initial process
involves invitations to specific authors
for paper submissions.This process is
similar to that used for selecting
authors to write chapters for books or
themed volumes. However, as the
Journal is different from a book, this
invitation process cannot, and should
not, imply that the paper will be
accepted for publication in JAIC. In
fact, the acceptance rate for papers in
special issues is about 50%, which is
similar to that for regular submissions.
When any paper is submitted to
the Journal, it is examined and accepted
or rejected on its own merit.The con-
tent, structure, and uniqueness of the
article is considered. All papers must
conform to the JAIC Guidelines to
Authors and the JAIC Style Guide.
While this strict peer review/editing
process can be time-consuming and
American Association of Museums (AAM) at
www.aam-us.org
·
Museum Assessment Program: February 15
American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)
and the History Channel, at info@saveourhistory.com
·
Save Our History Grant Program: October 21, 2005;
2006 deadline not yet announced.
·
Alderson Internship Grant Applications deadline:
December 15
FAIC, at www.aic-faic.org
·
Carolyn Horton Fund: February 1, 2006
·
Christa Gaehde Fund: February 1, 2006
·
FAIC Samuel H. Kress Conservation Publication
Fellowships: November 1, 2006
·
George Stout Memorial Award: February 15, 2006
·
Individual Professional Development Grant: February 15,
2006
·
Lecture Grants: February 15, 2006
·
Workshop Development Grants: February 15, 2006
Getty Foundation at www.getty.edu/grants
·
Architectural Conservation Grants, Planning Grants: April
10, 2006
·
Architectural Conservation Grants, Implementation
Grants: April 10, 2006
·
Campus Heritage grants: April 10, 2006
·
Education and Training Grants, Conservation Training
Program Grants: no deadline
·
Education and Training Grants, Professional Development
Grants: no deadline
·
Getty Research Grants for Institutions: no deadline
·
Getty Conservation Guest Scholar Grants: November 1,
2006
·
Museum Conservation Grants, Survey Grants: no
deadline
·
Museum Conservation Grants,Treatment Grants: no
deadline
Heritage Preservation at www.heritagepreservation.org
·
2006 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP)
application deadline: December 1
Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) at
www.imls.gov
·
Conservation Project Support: October 1, 2005; deadline
for museums in declared disaster areas extended to
November 1, 2005
·
Conservation Assessment Program: December 1, 2005
·
Grants to State Library Agencies: Revisions of five-year
plans due April 1, 2006
·
Librarians for the 21st Century: December 15, 2005
·
Museum Assessment Program: February 15, 2006
·
Museums for America: November 15, 2005; deadline for
museums in declared disaster areas extended to
December 15, 2005
·
National Leadership Grants for Libraries: February 1,
2006
·
National Leadership Grants for Museums: February 1,
2006
·
Native American Library Services, Basic Grants with
Educational/Assessment Option: March 1, 2006
·
Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services
Program: April 1, 2006
·
Partnership for a Nation of Learners Community
Collaboration Grants: March 1, 2006
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), at
www.nea.gov
·
Arts Indemnity Program: Multiple deadlines
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at
www.neh.gov
·
Challenge Grants: November 1, 2005 deadline for
individuals and institutions in declared disaster areas
extended to November 29, 2005; May 2, 2006
·
Collaborative Research Grants: November 1, 2005
deadline for individuals and institutions in declared
disaster areas extended to December 1, 2005.
·
Consultation Grants for Museums, Libraries, or Special
Projects: September 16, 2006
·
Grant to Preserve and Create Access to Humanities
Collections: July 17, 2006
·
Grants for Teaching and Learning Resources and
Curriculum Development: October 14, 2005; deadline
for individuals and institutions in declared disaster areas
extended to November 14, 2005.
·
Implementation Grants for Humanities Projects in
Libraries and Archives: February 6, 2006
·
Implementation Grants for Museums and Historical
Organizations: February 6, 2006
·
Implementation Grants for Special Projects: February 6,
2006
·
Planning Grants for Museums, Libraries, and Special
Projects: September 11, 2006
·
Preservation and Access Education and Training Grants:
July 3, 2006
·
Preservation and Access Research and Development
Projects Grants: July 3, 2006; Precis due May 16
·
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions:
May 15, 2006
·
Recovering Iraq's Past: Request for Proposals to Preserve
and Document Iraq's Cultural Heritage: October 1, 2005
(Preliminary proposals due September 9, 2005)
·
Reference Materials Grants: July 17, 2006
·
Stabilization of Humanities Collections Grants: October
3, 2006
·
United States Newspaper Programs: July 3, 2006
The National Center for Preservation Technology and
Training (NCPTT), at www.ncptt.nps.gov
·
PTT Grants Call for Proposals application available
online by September 15, 2005. Proposals due December
1, 2005
National Gallery of Art Fellowships at, www.nga.gov,
under internships
·
Grant proposals, two deadlines per year: June 1 and
October 1
10 AIC NEWS, January 2006
Grant and Fellowship Deadlines
11 AIC NEWS, January 2006
even grueling, it assures both authors
and readers that all papers published in
JAIC have passed through a critical
evaluation by conservation profession-
als and have been accepted as an
important contribution to the perma-
nent conservation literature.
We encourage and welcome spe-
cial issues.Their multiple perspectives
on a single topic provide breadth and
insight that cannot be obtained
through a single paper. If you have an
idea for a special issue, please contact
me to discuss the topic and determine
optimum timing.
--Michele Derrick, Editor-in-chief, JAIC
mderrick@mfa.org
Grants and Fellowships
The American Battlefield
Protection Program of the National
Park Service
invites organizations to
submit applications for grants to provide
seed money for projects that lead direct-
ly to the identification, preservation, and
interpreatation of battlefield land and/or
historic sites associated with battlefields.
For more information, contact ABPP
Grants Manager at (202) 354-2037 or
visit www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/
2006grants.htm. Application deadline is
January 13, 2006.
The Association for Recorded
Sound Collections
offers grants in
amounts up to $1,000 to support
scholarship and publication in the fields
of sound recording research and audio
preservation. Applications should be
sent to Richard Warren,Yale University
Library, PO Box 208240, New Haven,
CT 06520-8240 by February 28, 2006.
People
Kimberly Nichols
has been
appointed Assistant Paper Conservator
for Asian Art at the Art Institute of
Chicago.This position is the first of its
kind at the museum. Ms. Nichols will
care specifically for scroll and screen
paintings, Indian miniatures, Islamic
paintings, palm leaf manuscripts, and
Japanese wood blocks prints and
books. Ms. Nichols is a graduate of the
Art Conservation Department, Buffalo
State College, and comes from the
Asian Conservation Studio at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She can
be reached at (312) 443-3341 or
knichols@artic.edu.
Rachel Freeman
has been
appointed the Andrew W. Mellon
Fellow in Paper Conservation at the
Art Institute of Chicago. Ms. Freeman
is a graduate of the Art Conservation
Department, Buffalo State College, and
was most recently at the Balboa Art
Conservation Center in San Diego,
California. She can be reached at (312)
443-3343 or rfreeman@artic.edu.
Anton Rajer
's Paris in Panama:
Robert Lewis and the History of His
Restored Art Works in the National Theatre
of Panama has been published by the
University of Wisconsin Press.The
bilingual, fully illustrated book covers
the history and restoration of Roberto
Lewis's masterpieces in the National
Theatre in Panama and documents the
recent four-year restoration process.
For book information, in both English
and Spanish, visit www.wisc.edu/
wisconsinpress/paris_in_panama.htm.
In Memorium
Faith Helene Zieske, 19512005
Faith Helene Zieske, 54, of
Haddonfield, New Jersey died Sunday,
November 13, 2005 at home after a
four-year struggle with cancer.
Born on May 5, 1951, in
Minneapolis Minnesota, Faith lived in
Minneapolis and Grand Rapids and
Pontiac, Michigan before attending
Michigan State University. She received
her BFA in Art Education in 1975 and
her MFA in Studio Art in 1977.
Faith developed an interest in
conservation after college, when she
returned to MSU as a graduate student
in printmaking and drawing. She
gained pre-program conservation
experience at the Detroit Institute of
Arts, the Field Museum, and at the
Oriental Institute at the University of
Chicago. In 1982 she received an MS
in Conservation from the
Winterthur/University of Delaware
Program in Art Conservation, having
completed internships with Christa
Gaehde in Arlington, Massachusetts
and at the National Gallery in
Washington, D.C. After graduate
school, Faith worked at The National
Museum of American History and at
the Cooper-Hewitt National Design
·
Paired Fellowship for Research in Conservation and the
History of Art 2006-2007 application deadline: March
21, 2006
·
Senior Fellowship Program application deadline for
academic year 2006-2007: October 1, 2005
·
Visiting Senior Fellow Program 2006-2007 application
deadlines:
For March 1 August 31, 2006 award period: September
21, 2005
For September 1, 2006 February 28, 2007 award
period: March 21, 2006
For March 1 August 31, 2007 award period: September
21, 2006
Preserve America at www.preserveamerica.gov
·
Preserve America Communities, four application and
designation cycles per year: September 1; December 1;
March 1; June 1
National Historical Publications and Records
Commission (NHPRC) at www.archives.gov/nhprc
·
Two deadlines per year: June 1 and October 1
Save America's Treasures at www.cr.nps.gov/hps/treasures
·
Grant Applications: 2006 deadline not yet announced.
Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, contact:
kgrier@winterthur.org
·
Research Fellowships Application Deadline: January 16,
2006
12 AIC NEWS, January 2006
Museum in New York. In 1983, she
accepted an advanced internship at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA)
where she remained, permanently join-
ing the Conservation Department as a
paper conservator in 1985.
Faith loved being a conservator
and the PMA became her home away
from home. Over the past four years--
overcoming all sorts of pain and diffi-
culties--she rarely missed a day of
work, rarely spoke of her burden. Faith
was a talented conservator, who loved
every facet of her profession.
Throughout her career, she delighted
in opportunities to continue her edu-
cation, including a 1985 month-long
odyssey through Japan which focused
on traditional hand papermaking, and a
course on inpainting techniques that
she took just last year.
She thoughtfully wrote for print
and for the Web, and gave carefully pre-
pared talks on paper conservation, col-
lection care, and other issues that arose
from her work on drawings and prints
for exhibitions at the PMA. In the artist
Paul Cezanne, Faith found her favorite
subject. She carried out extensive
research on his sketchbooks, presenting
her findings and the treatment tech-
niques she developed in "The
Conservation of Two Sketchbooks by
Paul Cezanne" at an Institute of Paper
Conservation conference in
Manchester, England in 1992. In 2002,
Faith published additional research,
"Paul Cezanne's Watercolors: His
Choice of Pigments and Papers," in the
proceedings of a 1999 conference held
at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Faith communicated well with
those around her and took seriously
the training of younger colleagues.The
devotion of those interns and fellows
with whom she worked was apparent
in how many of them attended her
memorial service.Working with Faith
was to share in the excitement of what
she herself had learned.
Faith married Jack Dobbins in
1987, and in 1997 they traveled to
China to bring home their new 14
month-old daughter, Mimi.
Throughout her life, Faith identified in
herself a passion for art and she pursued
this with boundless energy and interest.
This passion will live on in the works
of art she so beautifully treated in the
Philadelphia Museum of Art's collec-
tion and is passed on in Mimi's accom-
plished and inspired sumi ink drawings.
Faith is survived by her husband,
Jack Dobbins, and her daughter, Mimi
Dobbins, of Haddonfield, her parents,
Ray and Ann Zieske of Moorestown,
New Jersey (formerly of Wilmer,
Minnesota), and her brother, Randy
Zieske of Rolling Meadows, Illinois. In
lieu of flowers, please send contribu-
tions to a fund established to assist
paper conservation interns. Donations
can be mailed to:The Faith Zieske
Paper Conservation Student Assistance
Fund, 63 W. Lodges Lane, Bala
Cynwyd, PA, 19004.
--Nancy Ash,
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Conservation Department
nash@philamuseum.org
Allied Organizations
Revisions to the AAM
Accreditation Program
In January 2005, the AAM
Accreditation Commission released
revised Accreditation Program
Standards: Characteristics of an
Accreditable Museum, Accreditation
Commission Expectations, Core
Questions, and eligibility criteria.The
Self-Study Questionnaire that museums
use as part of the AAM accreditation
process was also completely revised to
reflect the new standards.The revisions
were the first in almost a decade and
the culmination of a three-year process
that included broad input from the
field, including feedback from AIC and
a range of museum professionals.
The following are highlights of
changes made to collections steward-
ship standards and related issues. For a
complete set of current program stan-
dards and details about all the program
changes, please see www.aam-us.org/
museumresources/accred/standards.cfm.
Characteristics of an Accreditable
Museum:
Under the heading of Collections
Stewardship, three new characteristics
were added to the original (slightly
reworded) two.The last three are new.
·
The museum owns, exhibits, or
uses collections that are
appropriate to its mission.
·
The museum legally, ethically, and
effectively manages, documents,
cares for, and uses the collections.
·
The museum's collections-related
research is conducted according
to appropriate scholarly standards.
·
The museum strategically plans
for the use and development of its
collections.
·
Guided by its mission, the
museum provides public access to
its collections while ensuring
their preservation.
Other revised characteristics relat-
ed to collections include:
·
The museum allocates its space
and uses its facilities to meet the
needs of the collections, audience,
and staff.
·
The museum has appropriate
measures to ensure the safety and
security of people, its collections
and/or objects, and the facilities it
owns or uses.
·
The museum takes appropriate
measures to protect itself against
potential risk and loss.
Self-Study Questionnaire and
Supporting Documents:
Changes made include:
·
The number of questions in the
Collections Stewardship section
almost doubled, and the depth
and specificity of information
gathered, particularly related to
conservation issues, increased.
(However, the format was
redesigned so that most of the
answers require participants to fill
in blanks, charts, and check boxes,
rather than the previous version's
more time-consuming essay
responses.)
·
What used to be one section of
general questions on preservation
and conservation was expanded
and split into three sections:
Preservation and Conservation
Practices, Environmental
Monitoring and Control,
Conservation Policies and
Planning.
13 AIC NEWS, January 2006
·
Questions address issues such as:
· Measures taken to protect col-
lections from direct physical
forces, water, pests, contami-
nants, light, temperature, and
relative humidity.
· What types of fire suppression
and environmental control
systems are used in exhibit
and collections storage areas.
· How conservation needs are
assessed, prioritized, and
addressed (including who, how
often, and data used to made
the decisions)
· How conservation needs of
the artifacts are balanced with
preservation needs of any his-
toric structures they are placed
in.
· Actual recorded temperature
and relative humidity levels,
and methods and frequency of
monitoring.
· Collections security measures
and disaster response for col-
lections.
· The Commission is also now
asking museums to submit, if
they have it, a conservation
plan and/or a collecting plan.
Neither plan is obligatory at
present, but the program revi-
sions are setting the stage for
making them required docu-
ments sometime in the future.
Accreditation Commission
Expectations Regarding Collections
Stewardship
This standards document, first
issued in 2001, was recently updated to
reflect the new Characteristics.
However, it continues to emphasize
that collections needs (development,
conservation, risk management, etc.)
are expected to be regularly assessed,
factored into institutional decision
making, and made a par