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The Icon Book & Paper Group Committee are pleased to be able to bring you a series of live streamed talks while many people are required to stay at home during in these unprecedented times. We have been trying to think about what we can do to help support the community of conservators & conservation students, especially mindful of the fact that working or learning at home may mean re-imagining the ways you normally approach your role.
Tuesdays and/or Thursdays (depending on availability) at 4pm (BST/ UK time) we will have lectures on our Zoom webinar platform. Anyone may register, and up to 500 people can be in the audience for each one, based on first arrivals at the time of the lecture. If speakers are willing, we will also record the talks and post them below, so others can see them later. We will try to keep this up for as long as we’re isolating, as long as there is interest. They will be completely free to join for everyone, not just Icon members.
We want to thank everyone who has attended and all of the speakers for giving their time and expertise for free in support of their profession.
If you are interested in giving a talk, see details at the bottom of the page.
The upcoming webinars of our series is as follows, with joining links for each under the details. Overviews and speaker bios for each talk can be found by clicking the link as well.
44. Wednesday, 8th July, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group
National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF) Panel
Building a Skilled and Diverse Heritage Science Community
You can register to join this webinar following this link
45. Wednesday, 15th July, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group
Michal Lukomski, Getty Museum
Monitoring micro-changes in historic objects to support strategies for indoor climate management
You can register to join this webinar following this link
46. Wednesday, 22nd July, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group
Bhavesh Shah, Victoria & Albert Museum
Introduction to R and Data Science
You can register to join this webinar following this link
Joining a webinar
We recommend you start getting set up around 15 minutes before the webinar is due to start. All our webinars are streamed on an online platform called Zoom, which is free to download. Once you click the link, Zoom will begin downloading (if you don’t already have it, in which case it will simply open). You will be given access once the webinar is ready to begin. Places are limited, so only the first 500 people to log in will be able to attend live.
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Previous lecture recordings
Overviews/descriptions of each lecture recording can be found in their youtube description field by clicking on the embedded video's title card (top of video), which will open up the recording in new youtube tab.
43. Wednesday, 1st July, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group
Paola Ricciardi, Senior Research Scientist at the Fitzwilliam Museum
Psyche on a smartphone: shining new light on a Florentine Renaissance masterpiece
42. Tuesday, 30th June, 4pm, BST
Jana Dambrogio and Wunsch Conservation Lab Staff
Divine Conservation: What can 500 tarot decks tell us about conservation?
40. Thursday, 25th June, 4pm, BST
Elena Bulat, Senior Photograph Conservator, Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard University
“Larger Than Life”- Edwin Forrest Mammoth Daguerreotype Conservation Challenges'
39. Wednesday, 24th June, 4pm, BST
Matija Strlic, Professor of Heritage Science at University College London and Professor of Analytical Chemistry at University of Ljubljana
The European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS)
37. Thusday, 18th June, 4pm, BST
Susanne Klein, Associate Professor, EPSRC Manufacturing Fellow, Chair of the British Liquid Crystal Society
Woodburytype: a forgotten 19thcentury photomechanical process and its 21st century resurrection
36. Wednesday, 17 June, 4pm, BST
Susan Braovac & Fabrizio Andriulo, University of Oslo
Applying alkaline nanoparticles to deacidify alum-treated wood
35. Tuesday, 16th June, 4pm, BST
Fletcher Durant, Director, Conservation and Preservation, University of Florida Libraries
Conservation Is Not Neutral (and neither are we)
34. Monday, 15th June, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Modern Materials Network
Sue Mossman, Science Museum research associate and chair of Plastics Historical society
Textiles: synthetic transformation
33. Thursday, 11th June, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Photographic Materials Group
Louis Porter, Artist/Museum Photographer
Original Copies: Albumen Printing the Scanned Negatives of Victorian Photographer John Thomson
32. Wednesday, 10th June, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group
Caitlin Southwick, Founder & Executive Director, Ki Culture / Sustainability in Conservation
Sustainability and Cultural Heritage: Our Past and Our Future
31. Tuesday, 9th June, 4pm, BST
Rita Udina, Paper & Book Conservator
Conservation of oiled or impregnated tracing paper
30. Monday, 8th June, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Modern Materials Network.
Louise Dennis, Curator of MoDiP, the Museum of Design in Plastics at the Arts University Bournemouth
An introduction to MoDiP and a look at museological relationships with plastics
29. Thursday, 4th June, 4pm, BST
Herre de Vries, Book & Paper Conservator, RNA - restauratie nijhoff asser
The identification of 'shark skin' on bookbindings as leather or parchment
28. Wednesday, 3 June, 4pm, BST
Hayley Simon, PhD student, UCL Institute of Archaeology
Corrosion and conservation of the Mary Rose cast iron cannon shot
27. Tuesday, 2 June, 4pm, BST
Emma Nichols, Book & Paper Conservator, Cambridge University Library
‘Giving Them Back Their Voice’ - The Paper Analysis and Development of an In Situ Conservation Treatment Method of a WWII Moisture Damaged Nominal Roll
26. Thursday, 28 May, 4pm, BST
Lorraine Finch ACR, Freelance Conservator - LF Conservation and Preservation
Caring for your collections on a shoestring
The chat during the talk had lots of helpful tips (UK and Intl.) so check it out here!
25. Wednesday, 27 May, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group.
Josep Grau-Bové, Lecturer, UCL
Using online and open apps for preventive conservation
24. Tuesday, 26 May, 4pm, BST
Tiffany Eng Moore, Book & Paper Conservator, TEM Conservation
How Do We Assess Mould Levels? Exploring the Parameters of Rapid Adenylate Bioluminescent Swabs in Conservation.
21. Wednesday, 20 May, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group.
Carl Heron, Director of Scientific Research, British Museum
100 years of Scientific Research at the British Museum
20. Tuesday, 19 May, 4pm, BST
Melissa Lewis ACR FRSA, Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art
The Circular Econonmy: The art world and museums
19. Monday, 18 May, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Modern Materials Network.
Vanessa Applebaum, Conservation and Collections Care Manager, Science Museum (Blythe House)
Preserving Innovation: Considering the Treatment and Materiality of 3D Printed Objects in Museums
18. Thursday, 14 May, 4pm, BST
Moira Duncan, Doctoral Student in Early Modern Literature, University of Ottawa
William Morris and the Kelmscott Press
17. Wednesday, 13 May, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group.
Anita Quye, Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow
Creating constructive pathways to aid ethical sampling decisions in scientific research for cultural heritage
15. Thursday, 7 May, 4pm, BST
Emily Williams, Associate professor of Archaeological Conservation, University of Durham, UK
Sustaining Objects: narrative and outreach
14. Wednesday, 6 May, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group.
Katrien Keune, Head of Science, Rijksmuseum, NL
Metal Soaps in Art: from first observations towards a deeper understanding
13. Tuesday, 5 May, 4pm, BST
Bridget Mitchell, Book Conservator, Owner of ArcaPreservation.co.uk
The Book Shelter - Open Display, covered.
12. Thursday, 30 April, 4pm, BST
Henrike Lähnemann, Professor of Medieval German Literature and Linguistics, University of Oxford, UK
Recycled Parchment. Manuscript Fragments in Medieval Dresses
Youtube link mentioned during the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJNCe5JzA-4
11. Tuesday, 28 April, 4pm, BST
Roger Williams, Book & Paper Conservator, Northwestern University Libraries
Adaptable Conservation Book Support: a DIY & open-design tool
10. Thursday, 23 April, 4pm, BST
Nic Rayner, Conservator (Retired)
Analysing environmental condition data using Microsoft Excel
The set of instructions and blank spreadsheet with the formulas to input data into can be downloaded by clicking (instructions) and here (spreadsheet with formulas), or at the bottom of the page in 'documents'.
9. Wednesday, 22 Apr, 4pm, BST
We are pleased to be joined in this series by the Icon Heritage Science Group.
Eleanor Schofield, Head of Conservation & Collections Care, Mary Rose Trust
Where the arts meet science: Keeping the Mary Rose shipshape
8. Tuesday, Apr 21, 4pm, BST
Shona Hunter, National Library of Scotland, UK
What a performance! The preservation and photogrammetry of a giant pop-up book at the National Library of Scotland
7. Thursday, Apr 16, 4pm, BST
Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, Assoc. Dir. for Preservation and Conservation, Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin
From Craft to Columbia: Paul N. Banks and the Education of Library and Archives Conservators in the U.S.
6. Tuesday, Apr 14, 4pm GMT
Caroline Bendix ACR, Library conservator
Conserving the National Trust's libraries
5. Thursday, Apr 9, 4pm GMT
Kristine Rose-Beers ACR, Head of Conservation, Chester Beatty, Dublin
Exploring the materiality of the early Islamic book: preparing to conserve an early Qur’an manuscript in the collections of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
4. Tuesday, April 7, 4pm GMT
Arantza Dobbels, Project Conservator, The National Archives, & BPG Student Liaison Officer
Introduction to Icon for students
3. Thursday, April 2, 4pm GMT
David Mills, Scientist
Digitisation without disruption
2. Tuesday, March 31st, 4pm GMT
Fiona McLees ACR, Paper Conservator, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
From author’s draft to select library holding: the metamorphosis of Franz Kafka’s manuscripts
A link to Fiona's full paper can be found here
1. Thursday, March 26th, 4pm GMT
Andrew Honey ACR FSA, Book Conservator, research and teaching, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
‘Torn, wrinkled, stained, and otherwise naughty sheets’ – how should we interpret paper faults in seventeenth-century paper?
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Potential speakers
Please email Holly Smith & Abby Bainbridge at iconbpg@gmail.com, or tweet/DM Abby at @bainbridgecons. We are open to talks from conservators and people who work with conservators (curators, librarians?), geared towards conservators at all stages of their career—including students/prospective students. It can be a talk you’ve given already or something new. The software has the capability to share your screen, so the presentation would look like your Powerpoint or similar with a voiceover, or the video of you talking, or both. Participants can send in questions that you can answer in real time or at the end. We will run through a trial webinar with speakers beforehand so you’re comfortable.
Please note
We will do our best to keep to the schedule but, depending on everyone’s health and work situations, we may need to make changes, even at the last minute.
Image: Books Antiquariat: bboellinger/pixabay
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