The Icon Book and Paper Group are thrilled to offer this solvent gels workshop led by book and paper conservator Françoise Richard and hosted by the National Archives.
This three-day training will focus on the use of gels combined with aqueous solutions and organic solvents. Knowledge-based and practical sessions will alternate throughout the workshop. Participants will learn about the chemistry and properties of different gels in order to optimize their use in practice. Notions of solubility, toxicity, and sustainability will be directly applied when making and using solvent-gels for the removal of synthetic adhesives. Participants will modify gels and adjust their application methods in order to improve treatment efficiency.
Participants will also be able to submit specific treatment scenarios or gels-related questions to workshop leader Françoise Richard so they can be worked into the workshop timetable.
Please note that this is a multi-day workshop and will run from 09:00-17:00 15-17 October 2024.
Françoise Richard
After graduating with a MA in conservation from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Françoise Richard worked for private and institutional Book and Paper conservation studios in the US, Europe and the UK. In 2017, she moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where she joined the Rijksmuseum conservation team, before starting her own private practice. In 2021, she joined the department of Conservation and Restoration at the University of Amsterdam with a part-time lectureship while continuing to provide conservation services to Dutch cultural institutions.
