Speakers Bureau

The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts is a leading provider of services and education to assist in the long-term preservation of cultural heritage. As we work to help organizations and individuals tell stories through their collections, we’ve collected some stories of our own.  Our Speakers Bureau provides an opportunity to share knowledge and advice with members of the community who are passionate about history and art. Community groups can select from hour-long presentations in a case study format describing recent conservation projects, or  interactive sessions where attendees will gain practical knowledge on preserving their personal treasures 

Please note: Presentation offerings are updated periodically to reflect new conservation projects, staff research, and areas of expertise.  

Presentations 

Case Study: Conservation to the Rescue at Shofuso 

When employees at Philadelphia’s Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center arrived at work one morning in June 2022, they discovered someone had broken in and damaged the iconic murals adorning several interior sliding screen doors by artist Hiroshi Senju.  Hear how CCAHA Senior Paper Conservator Heather Hendry carefully repaired damage to the screen and cleaned its surface using innovative techniques developed from detailed study of Japanese paper-making, and the artist’s process. 

Case Study: Oh, the Gall – Conserving Historic Ink Sketches 

Iron Gall ink was once used widely in Europe from the 5th through 19th centuries. Its rich black color made it excellent for written documents and drawings, but history has shown that the ink is highly unstable and prone to oxidation, making treatment of these older objects a constant challenge for paper conservators.  In this case study, we share a project to preserve a sketchbook by the Flemish-Florentine artist Stradanus (c. 1590).  Together, a team of conservators and curators worked to achieve a color match in the drawings as close as possible to the artist’s original intent and to stabilize the sketchbook to prevent further damage.  

Caring for Your Treasured Collections 

Nearly everyone has something in their home that is important to them personally, to their family, or to their wider community that they wish to preserve for the future.  It could be a signed first edition novel, a family scrapbook, historic photographs of the town your grandparents are from, or a ticket stub from when the Phillies last won the World Series. You may not consider yourself to be a “cultural heritage steward”, but you are!   
 
The CCAHA presenter will offer guidance about caring for different kinds of material in a home setting, including practical tips on how to properly store and handle material and where (and where not!) to display them. If appropriate to the venue, participants could be invited to bring objects from their personal collections for advice on their care, and to share a bit about their significance.  Note that this is not a setting in which CCAHA can provide in-depth condition assessments or treatment estimates.  

Image courtesy of Annabelle Camp.

Interested in setting up a presentation?  

Contact Daphne Mayer at dmayer@ccaha.org.