In a short article in the February 28, 2014 issue of The Wall Street Journal (“The Herculean Task of Moving Mike Kelley”), Anna Russell discusses the complex process of deinstalling, packing, and loading onto trucks the more than 200 works from the Mike Kelley retrospective that had been at MoMA PS1 in New York and was moving on to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. There is no mention of a conservator among the thirty-four workers involved in the project. Shouldn’t there have been at least one them there?
Month: March 2014
Tell Your Representative: Support Museum Funding Today!
Once again, in conjunction with Museums Advocacy Day, Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) are circulating a letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to provide robust funding in FY 2015 for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The deadline to sign on to this letter is TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014.
The Office of Museum Services is receiving $30.1 million this year, well below its authorized level of $38.6 million. The Tonko/Lance/Slaughter/Grimm letter is your Representative’s chance to go on record in support of museum funding, so ask them to sign on today!
“This is our opportunity to ask members of Congress to take a stand in support of funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services by signing this bipartisan letter,” said Alliance President Ford W. Bell. “I applaud Representatives Paul Tonko, Leonard Lance, Louise Slaughter and Michael Grimm for their continued leadership in supporting the essential role of museums in communities across the country.”
Last year, we contacted legislators in record numbers and made a real difference: a record-breaking number of members of Congress signed the letter supporting funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services. Keep that momentum going by contacting your Representativenow.
Thank you for acting on this important issue!
Almost all the Way to Timbuktu: A Photograph Conservation Workshop and Re-housing Project in Mali
Almost all the Way to Timbuktu:
A Photograph Conservation Workshop and Re-housing Project in Mali
by Heida Q.S. Shoemaker
1. 
I visited Mali in the summer of 2011, and fell in love with the country. I knew I had to return, and had to do something that would mean something, that would be a contribution to the people of Mali, and enriching for my own career as a conservator. My plan was to visit the site of the ancient manuscript libraries of Timbuktu, many of which were recently consolidated in a new conservation center (IHERI-AB). I had been invited by Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara, a curator who is one of the initiators of the preservation of these invaluable medieval African manuscripts. I wanted to view the training and preservation efforts at this site, and discover a way in which I could become involved in this important work. Unfortunately, a few months after making my plans, a coup d’état, and subsequent rebel insurgency in Northern Mali, rendered this plan impossible.
I had to switch directions, literally. Being both a photograph and a paper conservator, I chose to concentrate on the subject of photograph conservation instead. Bamako, the bustling capital city of Mali, is an important center of contemporary photography in Africa. The African Photography Biennial (“Rencontres de Bamako”) is held in Bamako every two years. This collection of exhibitions highlights the current contemporary photographers working in Mali and the rest of Africa today. Photography as a profession has also become an important route for young Malians – both fine-art and commercial photography. There are also many collections of historical and ethnographic photography, housed in various institutions in Bamako. All of these collections of photography are very important, and it is known by those charged with their care, that their preservation for current and future study and cultural heritage is paramount. Yet there is a lack of vocabulary, knowledge of conservation techniques, and resources in Mali, which I believed could be addressed through international exchange, collaboration, and education.
I visited many institutions in Bamako, to gain an understanding of the environment in which collections of important historical and contemporary photos were being cared for. The strongest connection I made during this second trip in 2012, was with the private photography school, CFP (Cadre de Promotion pour la Formation en Photographie).
I decided that I would initiate my contribution to the preservation of photography in Mali by running a workshop, hosted by CFP.
2. 
The Workshop – “Preservation of Photography”
The workshop at CFP (Cadre de Promotion pour la Formation en Photographie) was planned for two days in October 2013. This setting was chosen because of the students background and training in digital photography, as well as in traditional darkroom techniques. The director of CFP, M. Sogodogo, was trained originally as an Art Conservator, at the Musée National in Bamako, and he has maintained an interest in the preservation of the photography that the students create, as well as the preservation of the work of well-known Malian photographers in his care. He also stresses the importance of learning about traditional black & white photography, both in terms of creation, and care. The students at CFP were the perfect candidates for studying how to save prints and negatives from the dangers of age, light, pollutants and natural and man-made emergencies that threaten them every day.
3. 
4. 
The workshop, for 15 CFP students, consisted of both lectures and hands-on activities. In this way, the students could be introduced to both the theory and practice of art conservation. The unique combination of science, art history, knowledge of materials, and hand-skills would be demonstrated as being the fundamental aspects of photograph conservation. The first day, the emphasis was on the history of photographic processes and deterioration, from daguerreotypes to digital photography. Stress was placed on the importance of learning about historic processes – how they are made, how they deteriorate, and how they should be preserved – in order to preserve the history and patrimony and archives of Malian culture. Historic albumen prints of Mali from the early 19th century were presented as examples documenting history and the student’s heritage – important records of early colonial presence and architecture and commerce in Mali.
5. 
6. 
The second day focused on the environment, storage and treatment of photographs. Along with a power-point presentation, most of the day was given over to hands-on activities, a time for the students to experiment with different treatment techniques for the first time. Prints were bathed in water-baths, paper and adhesive remnants were removed, tears were repaired, and mounting techniques were demonstrated and practiced. In bathing the prints, the students experienced the wide range of factors and consequences of conservation treatment. They witnessed the vulnerability of wet emulsions, and yet saw the stability of a photographic image exposed to water. They learned how water could be the destructive force in a flood, yet it could be the element which also saves the photograph, when a stack of photos adhered together can be separated, and saved.
7. 
8. 
The students were amazing – absorbing so much new material, and demonstrating their interest with very complex, thought-out questions. They especially loved washing various types of photos, and observing the results. A few of them spoke of their new-found interest in continuing the study of photo conservation. This was one of the goals of the workshop – to begin to build interest in preservation, and equip students and art professionals in Mali with the vocabulary and basic understanding of photo preservation.
9.
10. 
The students received “Diplomas of Participation in the Workshop on the Conservation of Photography”. They were very proud of these, and I was also proud of their interest, hard work and concentration on a subject matter so new to them.
11. 
12. 
Re-housing project for the negatives of Malick Sidibé
13. 
14. 
The second part of the project was to begin re-housing the negatives of the Malian photographer, Malick Sidibé. Sidibé opened “Studio Malick”, his photography studio in the Bamako neighborhood of Bagadadji, in 1962. He set up studio shots here – of friends, athletes, engaged couples, professionals – and also went to and recorded dance parties of the 60’s, and street scenes of everyday youth in the thriving capital. His personal collection of negatives and contact sheets (glued onto paper folders, “chemises”, and labeled and numbered in his hand-writing) fill one room of his home. His most precious negatives are stored on an open shelf – floor to ceiling – against one wall. Each roll was cut into strips, placed all together in an acidic paper folder, labeled with the date, and stacked in original yellow Kodak film boxes. Red dust, ubiquitous and unstoppable in Mali, covered every surface, and had made its way into the boxes and acidic paper enclosures.
15. 
16. 
Having visited Malick the previous year, I decided to concentrate on this collection when I returned the following year. I purchased supplies ahead of time, which I carried in my luggage, arriving at the photographer’s home on the back of another ubiquitous sight in Bamako – a small motorcycle called a Jakarta – which was driven by Malick’s nephew.
17. 
We discussed the project, and I began cleaning a small selection of his medium format b/w negatives, and re-housing them in mylar envelopes and archival boxes. Each envelop was labeled with the same information that Malick had been so careful over the years to mark his negative envelops with. In contemplating the issues involved in this re-housing project, I had considered whether it was more appropriate to leave the original negative housing as Malick had designed it. Yet the stacking of the negatives all together, causing abrasion, and the ever-present heavy dust gathered through the years in the porous boxes, convinced me that a more “archival” protective system was necessary. I also made the choice of mylar over paper enclosures due to the significant consideration of handling. The negatives were handled often, both by the photographer, his sons, and clients. Mylar would protect each negative strip, while providing visibility. Mylar would also render them impervious to dust and pollution, whereas the porous and less-sealed nature of a paper envelop would allow dust to again settle on the negs. Although mylar is not considered ideal in a hot climate, the lack of high humidity made the choice of mylar reasonable in this case, due especially to the high volume of handling predicted. The original paper envelops with the photographer’s hand-writing will be preserved in the new boxes as well.
I was only able to complete a small amount of this work, but hope to continue the project on a larger scale very soon.
18. 
Lastly, to come full circle, I finally met M. Abdel Kader Haidara! During the invasion of Timbuktu in the spring of 2012, it was thought that many of the ancient manuscripts had been destroyed. But thanks to Drs. Abdel Kader Haidara and Stephanie Diakité and others who helped, 300,000 manuscripts were packed in metal crates, and whisked off to safety. They are now biding their time in Bamako, waiting until it is safe enough to go home to Timbuktu. I was fortunate to be able to visit one of the safe-houses where a large group of archivists and technicians are painstakingly archiving and making boxes for each manuscript, storing them in environments controlled by silica gel and de-humidifiers, to mimic the much drier conditions of the desert from which they came. To learn more about this amazing effort, visit the site of T160K (Timbuktu Libraries in Exile) at http://t160k.org
With all of the turmoil of the coup, the invasion by insurgent rebels, and the destruction of monuments in many northern Malian cities, it was amazing to see these beautiful, hugely significant books safely protected from harm.
My experience designing, planning, and implementing this project was extremely thought-provoking, stimulating, and satisfying. Each step was led by my long-held dedication to conservation, and my new-found connection to Mali. I would never have guessed that a touristic visit to Mali with my mother three years ago would lead me to standing in front of a group of young eager-to-learn Malian students, or to dusting the surface of the negatives of one of the most important living Malian photographers. I plan to continue this work, broadening my scope by working with other professionals who are interested in the outreach of photograph conservation to Africa. I have joined, as a consultant, a larger project for the preservation and digitization of the archives of multiple Malian photographers, and hope to train the group on the ground who will be implementing this project. And, I hope to finally make it to Timbuktu, to visit the ancient African manuscripts when they have been returned to their rightful home.
I want to thank:
The American Institute for Conservation Photographic Materials Group (AIC-PMG) for the 2013 Professional Development Stipend Award
The Winterthur Museum and University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation for the 2013 Betty Fiske Professional Development Award in Contemporary Art Preservation
My contributors to my Indiegogo campaign, “Save Photographs in Mali” for their generous contributions and support. See my Indiegogo page at: http://igg.me/at/savemaliphotos/x/2688784
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation for the 2012 Carolyn Horton Grant, which was used for my preliminary trip to Mali for research and making connections, in preparation for the workshop and re-housing project.
Debbie Hess Norris, for providing most of the images used in the workshop presentation. This was an invaluable contribution to my workshop.
Karen Zukor, for providing advice on giving workshops in foreign lands, and for the contribution of supplies to the workshop.
Amadou Ouologuem, for his inspiration for my project, and help with my travels to Mali.
Captions for images:
1. Admin. Minga Siddick (left), H. Shoemaker, CFP students, Director Sogodogo (right), photo by CFP, 2013
2. CFP students bathing photos, photo by H. Shoemaker, 2013
3.& 4. Left: CFP students bathing photos Right: Heida demonstrating surface cleaning of negs, photos by CFP, 2013
5. & 6. Left: 19th c. Albumen print of Bamako Market Right: Contemporary photo of same market, re-built after a fire
7. & 8. Inpainting exercises, photos by CFP, 2013
9. & 10. Left: Student Bintou Diarra showing photo-corners exercise, Right: Zoumana Sidibé with photo-corners exercise, photos by H. Shoemaker, 2013
11. & 12. Left: Heida (left), CFP students, M. Sogodogo (right) Right: Heida with student Ousmane, photos by CFP, 2103
13. & 14. Left: © Malick Sidibé , “Nuit de Noel” 1963; Right: © Malick Sidibé “Jeune homme” 1977
15. & 16. Left: M. Sidibé examining his negatives Right: M. Sidibé’s storage system, photos by H. Shoemaker, 2013
17. Re-housing M. Sidibé’s negatives, photo by A. Cissé, 2013
18. M. Haidara with a Timbuktu manuscript, photo by H. Shoemaker, 2013
About the Author:
Heida Shoemaker is a professional paper and photograph conservator. She received her Masters in Science from the University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum Master’s Program in Art Conservation in 1996. Since starting her private practice in Berkeley in 1998, she has worked with the general public, framers, and museums to care for their fine art on paper and photographs, family photographs, and archival material. She does contract work for institutions such as the Cantor Art Center, Stanford University; The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; The Berkeley Art Museum; and The DeYoung Museum, SF. Heida has also held a Getty Advanced Fellowship in Paper Conservation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1997 – 1999, and a yearlong fellowship at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Heida has traveled to Mali three times between 2011-2013 to perform research, teach on photograph conservation, and care for Malian photography collections.
Preservation and Collection Management Librarian, Yale University
Preservation and Collection Management Librarian
Medical Library
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Rank: Librarian 1-3
Part time – 20 hours/week
Requisition: 24375BR
www.yale.edu/jobs
Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.
Position Focus:
Reporting to the Yale University Librarian for Medical History and working with the University Library Preservation Department, the Preservation Librarian coordinates all preservation activities within the Historical Medical Collection and the general collections of the Medical Library, including objects housed in the Cushing Center. The Preservation Librarian develops and maintains preservation policies and procedures, and prioritizes preservation needs for the Historical Library. The Preservation Librarian also assists the Librarian for Medical History in the management of the Library’s collections.
Implements an in-house care program for the Historical collection. Designs and executes preservation assessments and surveys as needed, and performs minor preservation treatments. Coordinates conservation and preservation treatment for the materials by University Library Preservation Department staff and by outside vendors. Educates staff in preservation issues. Supervises student assistants.
Designs exhibitions for Medical Library and Cushing Center spaces including rotation of 3-4 major exhibits per year. Manages exhibit prep and loan activities. Carries out registrarial activities to maintain the collection, incoming and outgoing loans and ensures special care, security, and proper handling.
Assists Librarian for Medical History with digital initiatives, including selection and assessment for materials to be digitized. Serves as a resource for Medical Library digital projects and determines the suitability of individual materials for chosen digitization techniques.
Works with Physical Plant and Library Administration to maintain the environment of the locked stacks. Coordinates building environmental monitoring and provides interpretation and reports.
Assists in the coordination the Medical Library’s emergency response plan; monitors and maintains emergency equipment and supplies; trains staff in emergency response procedures; responds to emergencies as needed.
Leads and participates in outreach and instruction activities. Provides tours, orientations and lectures for Yale School of Medicine, Yale University and visitors to the collection. Review and manages the Adopt a Rare book program.
Serves on Library and University committees as appropriate. Engages in research and service to meet requirements for promotion and is active professionally. Monitors developments and best practices elsewhere to help ensure the excellence of Yale’s collections.
Required Education, Skills and Experience include:
1. Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school. In selected instances, a post-graduate degree in a related discipline may be required or substituted for a master’s degree in library science.
2. Demonstrated record of designing projects and bringing them to a conclusion in a timely fashion.
3. Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing, team environment.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of a wide range of preservation and conservation issues and current developments within the library, archival and preservation profession, including born digital preservation.
6. Demonstrated ability with working in a special collection environment, with some collection management experience.
Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments (see range assigned to this description as noted in the posting position title). Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html.
Preferred Education, Skills and Experience:
Master’s degree in Library Science from an American Library Association accredited library school, and two years preservation experience; knowledge of at least one Western European language; supervisory experience; strong project management and interpersonal skills.
The University and the Library:
The Yale University Library, as one of the world’s leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 12.8 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers. For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library’s web site at www.library.yale.edu.
The Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library
The Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library serves the Yale Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, and the Yale-New Haven Hospital as well as Yale College and the Yale Graduate School. The Medical Library is a dynamic and busy place; library staff work together as a team to provide responsive and effective information support to the Medical Center’s missions of research, education, and patient care. Medical librarians provide individualized support through the Library’s active personal librarian program. Electronic resources have grown to 13,051 ejournals, 31,125 ebooks and over 90 electronic databases. In addition, digitized collections, clinical synthesis tools, and evidence-based practice resources bring information to our community at the library, on campus and remotely. For additional information, see: http://library.medicine.yale.edu/
Medical Historical Library
The Medical Historical Library is a department of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library and holds one of the largest and finest medical history collections in the world. Its holdings include rare books, journals, pamphlets and ephemera, manuscripts form the 12th through 20th centuries, prints and drawings, photographs, and artifacts. After major environmental and preservation surveys, a systematic preservation program was begun in 2005. A well-equipped preservation workroom has been set up with the possibility of additional space for preservation activities. For additional information, see: http://historical.medicine.yale.edu/.
Salary and Benefits:
We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.
How to apply: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications, consisting of a cover letter and resume should be submitted by applying online at http://www.yale.edu/jobs. The STARS req. ID for this position is 24375BR.
Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Didn’t I just read this article?
Yesterday, March 4, 2014, in the “Arts, Briefly” column of The New York Times, I read a short piece by Elisabetta Povoledo entitled “Parts of Pompeii Crumble Under Heavy Rains”. The title and content seemed so familiar—as if I had read them before. There was a good reason for this. I had—in December 2010 and December 2011 and November 2012 and April 2013. If the Italian cultural and archaeological authorities do not take things in hand, I am bound to be reading the same story during or after next year’s rainy season.
ECPN Officer Vacancies
Are you an emerging conservator who wants to advocate for the interests of other emerging conservators? If so, then please consider one of the open officer positions on AIC’s Emerging Conservation Professionals Network: Vice Chair, Professional Education and Training Officer, Communications Officer, and Outreach Officer. All positions will serve for a one year term, beginning just after AIC’s 41st Annual Meeting in June 2014. All new officers will have the option of renewal for a second year, except for the Vice Chair, who will be expected to move into the Chair position after the first year, for a one year term.
To learn more about ECPN, please visit: conservation-us.org/ecpnofficers.
Position descriptions can be requested and questions about committee activities can be directed to ECPN Chair, Eliza Spaulding at elizaspaulding@gmail.com. To apply, please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume to Eliza Spaulding. Deadline: Friday, April 4.
Objects Conservation Professional (Technician/Conservator) Position Available
Cascadia Art Conservation Center, LLC (CACC) is a private conservation lab in Portland, Oregon. CACC works with a variety of clients from private to institutional both locally and nationally. Currently CACC’s main focus is the conservation of objects. Cascadia specializes in working with private and public institutional clients. Services range from preventative conservation work to hands on conservation treatments. CACC works with a wide range of objects including ancient artifacts, contemporary artwork, decorative objects, family heirlooms, Native American artifacts, wood, glass, and monumental sculpture.
CACC has been in business since February of 2009. CACC is focused on meeting the needs of clients, and often provide services that are not generally available within the region. These include the preventative conservation treatments (maintenance), Oddy testing of materials, and artist consultation to name a few. CACC’s current lab is not large, however it is the only fully climate controlled conservation lab in Oregon.
QUALIFICATIONS: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and prior experience in a museum or other conservation related work. Excellent color vision, hand skills/craft ability are required. The ideal candidate will have working knowledge of the AIC Code of Ethics, AIC Guidelines for Practice and commentaries to the guidelines. Excellent communication and writing skills are also required. Knowledge of DSLR camera use, Photoshop, word are also desired.
The work requires someone who is comfortable with heights and working on elevated surfaces such as scaffold and mechanical lifts. The ideal candidate will have a willingness to work outdoors (mostly during nice weather) and enjoy occasional interactions with the curious public. A valid driver’s license, good driving record and a reliable vehicle is required.
JOB DESCRIPTION: The successful candidate will focus on conservation treatments in the lab and will spend much of the summer on outdoor treatments and maintenance. Exact duties will be dependent on skill level. If the successful applicant is at a technician’s level, the job will be to assist in the conservation, and be mostly independent on maintenance tasks. If a conservator attains the position, then they will have much more conservation appropriate focus, working more independently as a conservator.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 20th, 2014
Please send resume or curriculum vitae, 3 references and examples of previous work in a PDF format to rkrueger@cascadiaartconservation.com.
EMPLOYMENT DATE: April, 2014
ANNUAL SALARY: $40,000 with benefits