Frances Lennard, Professor of Textile Conservation
This year is an important milestone, marking 25 years since Nell Hoare became Director of the Textile Conservation Centre (TCC). Nell has maintained her involvement with textile conservation education since the TCC closed in 2009, becoming consultant to the Textile Conservation Foundation (TCF) and playing a very important role in raising funds for the new Centre for Textile Conservation (CTC) within the Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History at the University of Glasgow.
Nell became Director of the TCC in 1991, when it was still an independent charity based at Hampton Court Palace. She led the merger of the TCC with the University of Southampton in 1999, which gave the Centre a new home on the University’s Winchester School of Art campus, and enabled huge growth, including a step change in textile conservation research, the development of the textile conservation programme into a masters’ programme and the introduction of a new MA in museum studies as well as the development of the commercial conservation service.
Following the closure of the TCC by the University of Southampton, Nell played a leading role in establishing a new home for the textile conservation programme here at the University of Glasgow. Since the new Centre opened in 2010, she has been fundamental to its success, raising a total of nearly £1.25 million to support the move and for student bursaries and equipment. We are hugely indebted to her for her continuing support which makes such an enormous difference to the ability of students to take up their places on the programme and in enabling us to buy cutting-edge equipment.
Sadly, Nell wasn’t able to attend the second year students’ placement presentations at the end of September, when we had planned to surprise her with a small celebration. But she had the happy surprise of receiving a special card in the post, created by two of the second year students and signed by everyone at the CTC and TCF, and a vintage silver photo frame presented by the TCF to mark the occasion.
Nell has been absolutely amazing the way she never gave up after Winchester, it is so wonderful that the TCC has survived all the downside of its life to be up here in Glasgow doing so well. I think it is one of the really star events of the museum conservation world. Nell’s greatest gift is her immense tact in the way she handles people and problems, she should write a book about it especially during the political turmoil of the present time!
Congratulations to Nell! And very many thanks for all the work that raised the profile of the TCC and helped to assure its future. Kate