UvA - RN netwerkevenement

Date: Wednesday 17 December, 14:00 - 18:00
Location: Room F0.01, Bushuis (Humanities Labs), Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam
Language: English
Cost: Free for RN-members and non-members alike

Registration: Please register before December 3 by filling in the form on the website or by sending an e-mail to boekpapierfoto@restauratoren.nl. 

The RN working group BPF is excited to share a collaborative event with the studies Conservation and Restoration of Book and Paper of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). During this network event three current UvA students will present the research they conducted for their MSc theses and two alumni will give a presentation about their experiences as emerging conservators. Karin Scheper will conclude the session with a reflection on our changing field. The afternoon will end with drinks, hosted at the Bushuis. 

Programme:

13.30 Walk-in

14:00 to 16:00 – Talks 

Introduction of the afternoon by the UvA teachers

• Ellen van Heteren - Assessing past treatments: A method to document the long-term effects of lubricating leather bindings

Ellen van Heteren is a 2nd-year APP student in book and paper conservation at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on books and archival documents.

Research summary: Until recently, leather bindings have often been treated with various lubricants with the intention of adding fat and moisture to the fibres and retaining their flexibility. The use of these products largely ceased in the early 2000s, as researchers and conservators questioned the effectiveness of the treatment and the long-term alterations to the leather bindings. Making use of a survey of a few hundred lubricated bindings from the KB National Library, this research aims to identify changes related to these lubrication treatments after almost twenty years of natural ageing.  

• Alva Guzzini - The undercover Agent: The role and composition of an unknown brown substance in Indonesian dluwang manuscripts

Alva Guzzini is currently enrolled in the Advanced Professional Programme at the UvA. For her master thesis she investigated a frequently encountered but unidentified brown agent applied to the inside covers of Indonesian manuscripts at the University Library in Leiden. She is now doing research on the anti-fungal effects of essential oils’ vapours on mould.

Research summary: Alva will be presenting on the research performed for her master thesis. Particularly, she will focus on the intersection of scientific analysis and book-historical observations, that come together to shed some light on the materiality and binding practices of 18th-19th c Indonesian manuscripts. This research was already presented at the Austria-Indonesia conference in September 2024, and is expected to be published in a book.

• Margherita Caprotti - Is it a palimpsest? Investigating erasure with MA-XRF, multispectral imaging, and historical reconstructions

Marghertia Caprotti is enrolled in the Advanced Professional Programme in the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Amsterdam (2022-2026).

Research summary: Her thesis focused on identifying a potential palimpsest in a parchment historical object. The methods included multispectral imaging, MA-XRF, and reconstructing erasure techniques.

• Mariska Castelijn & Luca van der Zande - After Graduation: From Studies to Studio

Mariska Castelijn graduated from the UvA in 2020-2024. She performed research into the conservation of artists' books and the cleaning of wax seals. During her internships, she worked on a range of paper objects, such as architectural models and artist books. Mariska is the proud owner of her business in paper conservation called Castelijn Papierrestauratie (www.castelijnpapierrestauratie.nl).

Luca van der Zande graduated from the UvA in 2020-2024, during which he researched discolouration in Islamic manuscripts from the Mamluk era and the consolidation of powdering gesso and flaking goldleaf in medieval Dutch manuscripts. After graduation he started his own business (Van der Zande Boekrestauratie), where he worked primarily for private clients. He currently works full-time for the KB as a book conservator. His role there is to prepare the entire collection of books for the planned move to the new depot. 

Presentation summary: Mariska and Luca give a short presentation about their experiences as emerging conservators in the Dutch conservation field. Both started their own business after graduation but their experiences are vastly different. Besides their experiences and possible difficulties they have experienced, they will talk about the projects they have worked on. 

• Keynote: Karin Scheper - Bench, Desk, Stacks, and Study. Has the scope of the profession become unsustainable?

Karin Scheper is conservation specialist at Leiden University Library. Her academic work focuses on the materiality and structure of manuscripts and books from the Islamic world, a topic she embarked on out of necessity but with much pleasure. For her research in this field, she received a PhD in 2014, which was awarded with a scholarly honour by the KNAW. In 2019 she received a Bahari Fellowship which allowed her to study the Bodleian Oriental collections in Oxford. She has also given a variety of trainings and workshops in several institutes abroad.

Presentation summary: Conservators are highly trained specialists with hands-on knowledge of objects. They are also expected to advise on matters as diverse as light levels and climate, IPM, requirements for transportation of fragile objects, and the anticipated costs of the physical care and housing of proposed acquisitions. While the curriculum broadens and the amount of professional literature increases, conservators face a growing range of treatment options. In addition, the choice of research and analytical techniques is expanding. How all-round can we be? Who should manage the expectations of what we bring to the table (bench/desk/stacks/study/lab)?

16:00 to 18:00 - Borrel