By Beth Gillions and Anna F Robinson Setting the scene March 2020: lockdown of the UK in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic has been declared and we, two first year textile conservation students, make a journey to the northwest of England to weather the uncertainty of lockdown with Beth’s family. The decision to leave… Continue reading
Nicole Giacomantonio As a conservation student with a background in textile art, I tend to linger in the textile world even outside of the formality of my studies. This lockdown has provided generous free time to return to some of my favorite textile hobbies, namely quilting and knitting, that keep my manual skills in check… Continue reading
On March 16th the University of Glasgow stopped all face to face teaching and by the end of that week Scotland, along with much of the rest of the world, was in lockdown. For the students on the MPhil Textile Conservation programme the ramifications have been significant – dissertations have had to be re-conceived to… Continue reading
It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that Valerie Carson, New Zealand’s pioneering textile conservator, died on 21 January. Please have a look at this lovely tribute to her remarkable life and work by Rachel Collinge and Rangi Te Kananwa. https://mailchi.mp/tepapa.govt.nz/blog_valerie-carson?e=6e0869543e
by Anna Robinson, first year student MPhil Textile Conservation. In the last week of October, the first-year students paid a visit to the Whitworth Art Gallery at University of Manchester. At the Gallery, we were treated to a whirlwind tour, including both public and behind-the-scenes spaces by the museum’s textile conservator, Ann French. The tour… Continue reading
Authors: Charlotte Cameron, Emma Smith, Eva Maria Catic – recent graduates, MPhil Textile Conservation An additional project for us in the second semester was the wet cleaning of a c.1930’s printed dress from our Karen Finch reference collection. The dress was to be used in a costume mounting practical undertaken by the first years, and volunteers from second year were asked… Continue reading
Marika Kesler and Aisling Macken, Conservation Assistants on the Pacific barkcloth project. As the project Situating Pacific Barkcloth Production in Time and Place wraps up, the objects to be returned to the partner institutions needed wrapping up as well. We joined the project for the final three months to finalise photography, conservation, and storage of… Continue reading
By first and second year students, MPhil Textile Conservtion (2017-2018), compiled by Laura G García Vedrenne. The MPhil in Textile Conservation programme requires constant hard work to get good results. Every treatment, assignment, or lecture is worthy of full attention. However, there comes a moment when students have to get out of class and give… Continue reading
by Kayla Silvia, 1st year student, MPhil Textile Conservation We often take it for granted that our textiles can be thrown in the washing machine but this semester I found out how much more complicated it is to wash historic textiles. Wet or aqueous cleaning is a conservation treatment that uses water and/or additives (i.e.… Continue reading
Dr Karen Finch OBE, 8th May 1921 – 15th April 2018. I am very sorry to pass on the news that Karen died peacefully, at home, on Sunday 15 April. She is mourned by her daughter, Katrina, her son-in-law Alan and her beloved grandsons Joshua and Jacob. Katrina wrote, “We shall forever miss the extraordinary person… Continue reading
