North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of

Tahk (1983-1984); Dr. James Argo (1984-85); Dr. John Messinger
(1986-1993); Dr. Karen Trentelman (1993-95); Dr. Judith Bischoff
(1995-1997); and beginning in 1999, Dr. Jennifer Mass, an inorganic
chemist with a specialization in ancient glass and a career that has included
an advanced fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and
research in Europe.
Paper Conservation. In the area of paper conservation, Marilyn Kemp
Weidner provided instruction beginning in the program's second year. It
was during her three-year association with the department that she developed
and introduced the first suction table to the field of conservation.
After Ms. Weidner, the curriculum was taught by Katherine Eirk, a specialist
in bleaching techniques, followed by pioneering photograph conservator
Jose Orraca. In the following year, the eminent paper conservator
Keiko Keyes joined the department. It was during this time that
Ms. Keyes first began to explore the technique of light bleaching—now a
standard conservation procedure. The year following, English paper conservator
Keith Holmes taught at the program, followed by Nigerian conservator
Joseph Nkrumah. In 1978, Cathleen Baker, an American conservator
trained in England, was hired. Over her twelve-year tenure at the
department, she laid the foundations of the present paper conservation
curriculum. Interested in the technology of treatments, she contributed to
research in enzyme use and established the popular short workshops on
papermaking and printing that are still taught to first-year students by the
college's fine arts faculty.
When Ms. Baker resigned in 1993 to pursue a career in writing and
book arts, Irene Briickle, a paper conservator and bookbinder trained in
her native Germany, replaced her. Ms. Briickle came to the department as
a Getty Senior Fellow in 1990, began teaching in 1991 during Ms. Baker's
sabbatical year, co-taught with Ms. Baker the following year, and began
her present full-time teaching role upon Ms. Baker's departure. Under Ms.
Briickle's guidance, the paper conservation curriculum has developed significantly,
especially in the areas of conservation history, finishing techniques,
and connoisseurship. Ms. Briickle also developed new instructional
programs for students specializing in book and photograph conservation.
The former area is supported by student access to workshops of
the distinguished Canadian book conservator Betsy Palmer Eldridge, and
the latter, by the department's consultant Paul Messier, a program graduate
and private photograph conservator in Boston. Mr. Messier is accessible
to students during visits to the department and at other times through
long-distance learning systems and an interactive web site.
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