We are hiring! We are looking for a part-time Book Conservator
Are you looking for flexible part time work as a book conservator? Do you like working on a wide variety of material within a small and friendly team. Please click on the link below for the full job specification and feel free to contact us via the contact form with any questions.
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Downloadable History of Paper Timeline - Now Available
After several years of teaching heritage professionals how to perform condition assessments on books and paper-based items, I have put together a downloadable History of Papermaking Timeline. Congratulations to everyone who enjoyed our quiz based on the timeline that we recently posted on Instagram. You can follow us @codexconservation
https://www.instagram.com/codexconservation?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
If you click on the link below you can download a copy. I hope that you find it useful.
history_of_papermaking___2_.pdf
https://www.instagram.com/codexconservation?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
If you click on the link below you can download a copy. I hope that you find it useful.
history_of_papermaking___2_.pdf
The Latymer Archive Project Internship
Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith is approaching their 400th anniversary and with the support of the National Manuscripts Fund, we have been working hard to conserve their unique collection of accounts and minute books. The collection was in a dire condition, having suffered mould damage and has been inaccessible to researchers. The first 4 incredible manuscripts were treated throughout 2023, and have been returned to the archive. So far, the project has provided 2 paid internships for emerging conservators. Chloe started work on the latest 4 volumes at the end of April, and work is progressing well. She is working hard to disseminate her progress on Instagram, so please follow us @Codex29123. As part of her internship she is leading the project management, researching the bindings, and doing the essential practical work required to make these vulnerable manuscripts available to the school community.
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Teaching in Italy for the Montefiascone Project
In August 2023, I had the pleasure of teaching an international group of binders and book conservators for 5 days as part of the Montefiascone Project, in Italy. The group assembled from around the world in the beautiful town from places as far flung as Hong Kong, Scotland, the United States, Sweden and Canada and began in intensive course on Early Modern Stationery Bindings. After learning about the history of London stationery bindings we produced 3 models which were scale facsimiles of existing bindings from the Middle Temple Archive in London. As part of my research, I even managed to locate the binder and his workshop that produced the most elaborate binding. It was fantastic to see these bindings that I love, capture the hearts of the group. To find out more about the Montefiascone Project and keep an eye on this summers programme follow this link: www.monteproject.com/
Working with the National Trust for Townend, an Incredible Collection...
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Over the last few years I have been working for various National Trust properties around the country, including Hatfield House, Wimpole Hall and the Townend, a 17th century farmhouse in the Lake District during the . It was the home of the Browne where you can learn about their farmland, their position in society and uncover the impressive library. Here is a video that not only introduces this interesting collection but also features the book conservation work that I have been doing.
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Open Workshop
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It has been a real pleasure settling into the Codex Conservation workshop, following the move to its new premises in Crystal Palace. It was a hard slog preparing the new space but it is a wonderful improvement as a purpose-built conservation studio. We have been welcoming clients old and new to an open workshop afternoon to celebrate the wonderful projects that we work on, and the amazing people that make it possible.
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Project Funding Success for Impact Heritage CIC -
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Over lockdown, I worked with 2 other wonderful and very experienced conservators to set up Impact Heritage CIC, a not-for-profit organisation to help develop conservation projects for community archives. Ruth, Ian and myself have been delighted with the success of our first major project was granted Arts Council England & Lottery Project Funding, the Bible Project for the Charterhouse Museum, led by Samantha Hare, an emerging conservator. Following up from this, we wanted to create more training opportunities for recently qualified conservators, following the stalling of numerous internships during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have been working with HEPE, on the conservation of an amazing collection of Cornish diaries, that will be made available for public access through the Kresen Kernow, the Cornish regional archives. This project is currently providing 2 paid training opportunities for 2 emerging conservators in the Sussex Consortium workshop. To find out more about Impact Heritage follow this link: www.impactheritage.uk
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TV appearance on Quest's Salvage Hunters the Restorers
The filming of this episode began in the summer of 2020 so it was fantastic to see it go out as part of Series 4 (Episode 15) . Follow this link for a snippet of the action:
twitter.com/i/status/1425387308849713155
Let's hope that it leads to many more exciting opportunities.
twitter.com/i/status/1425387308849713155
Let's hope that it leads to many more exciting opportunities.
Over the last few years, I have been developing various online training courses where participants are sent a prepared kit to make beautiful historic binding structures. These have included the parchment wallet stationery binding, the Chris Clarkson-inspired laced limp conservation binding, and the laced paper case binding. I have had the pleasure of working with binders and conservators from around the world, from Sweden to the US, creating bespoke courses for teams at the National Library of Scotland and the National Library of Singapore. It has been a huge pleasure not only making the bindings, but sharing their wider historic context with participants. I am hoping to offer a 5 day historic binding workshop as part of the Montefiascone Project in Italy this summer. More information and booking processes will be made available at monteproject.co.uk/en/ Here you can see the previous courses and find out more about the Project.
Completion of Dickens Fellowship Scrapbook Project funded by Arts Council England (ACE) & Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)!I was hugely proud to accept the support of the ACE HLF Project Fund for Dickens Fellowship Archive Project – Enabling Access for the Future
This project was for the first phase of funding conservation and cataloguing of the scrapbook collections which are fundamental to the Charles Dickens Museum. It has allowed this previous unsearchable, and hugely significant collection to be available to scholars and enthusiasts around the world, via the online catalogue, in good time for the Museum’s centenary celebrations in 2025. The 97 volumes of Fellowship Scrapbooks date from 1905 to 1997 and contain newspaper cuttings on any Dickens-related topic, from national publications to provincial papers. They contain primary materials including advertisements for theatrical performances, newspaper cuttings (mainly British papers, with some American articles), photographs and paper ephemera and were compiled by members of the Dickens Fellowship who founded the museum. |
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This video is an in depth look at the full conservation of one of the Dickens Fellowship Scrapbooks. It covers all of the treatment steps giving you a rare glimpse into the conservation processes. This was an incredible collection to work on, and they can be accessed online via the Resources Section of the Charles Dickens Museum website. It is a joy to share my experience of these fascinating volumes.
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Parchment Bindings Lecture - Available Online
I have also given a lecture on the conservation of 4 parchment stationery bindings as part of the virtual training programme for the Archives & Records Association. I was in great company in this lecture series and the talks by Victoria Stevens and Katherine Beaty are a must for all those obsessed by parchment stationery bindings like me!
Here is the link to the video of my conservation of parchment stationery bindings video:
https://www.archives.org.uk/training-resources/make-mend-amp-do-the-conservation-of-4-eighteenth-century-parchment-stationery-bindings?rq=parchment
Here is the link to the video of my conservation of parchment stationery bindings video:
https://www.archives.org.uk/training-resources/make-mend-amp-do-the-conservation-of-4-eighteenth-century-parchment-stationery-bindings?rq=parchment
To accompany my publications and work on the Conservation of Parchment Bindings I have compiled a downloadable bibliography.
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