Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Announcement and Invitation
2. In Remembrance of Mogens S. Koch (1943–2025)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.From: James Martin
Posted: Friday April 18, 2025 6:08 AM
Subject: Announcement and Invitation
Message: Dear All,
After two years of reflection following a change in control at Sotheby's,
I've decided to reengage professionally. I'm pleased to announce the launch of
a boutique consultancy, Noiro LLC, through which I'll offer select advisory
services on a part-time and flexible basis.
Drawing on my unique experience at Orion and Sotheby's, this new venture is
an opportunity not only to stay connected to work I value, but also to pass on
what I've learned over the years.
The principal focus of these services will be cost-efficient ways to assess
risk and avoid mistakes - prior to transactions. (Services will not include
laboratory examination or testifying expert work.)
If you'd like to connect or explore a potential collaboration, feel free to
reach out via WhatsApp at +1 (413) 4416487.
And an invitation to colleagues
I have decided not to build, equip, operate, and maintain a fifth analytical
laboratory for sample analysis and non-invasive elemental and molecular
analysis.
Rather, I will refer or work with third-party laboratories, worldwide, when
such instrumental measurements are needed - to create opportunities for
collaboration and to help support such laboratories.
If you operate a laboratory that offers services for the following
techniques, on a fee-for-service basis, then please reach out via WhatsApp:
Portable XRF, scanning XRF
FTIR microscopy, Raman microscopy
InGaAs imaging, x-radiography
Thank you,
Jamie
James Martin
AIC Fellow 2000, Winterthur '89
Principal, Noiro LLC / Chief Science Officer, Sotheby's (2016-2023) /
Principal, Orion Analytical LLC (2000-2016)
WhatsApp +1 (413) 441-6487
Sent from my iPhone
2.From: Luisa Casella
Posted: Friday April 18, 2025 10:28 PM
Subject: In Remembrance of Mogens S. Koch (1943–2025)
Message: It is with profound sorrow that I share the passing of Mogens S. Koch
on Monday, April 14. Mogens was not only a pioneer in the field of photograph
conservation, but also a beloved colleague, mentor, and friend.
His generosity, warmth, and deep curiosity about the photographic image and its
preservation inspired generations of students and professionals across the
world.
Born in Denmark, Mogens came from a family immersed in design - his father, the
renowned architect and furniture designer Mogens Koch Sr., left an indelible
mark on Danish design history. Mogens inherited the legacy of thoughtful
craftsmanship and merged it with his own passion for photography. After
training as a carpenter, he began an apprenticeship in photography in 1963, and
from there embarked on a lifelong journey exploring photography in all its
dimensions - from image-making to preservation science.
Mogens completed his education in photography at the Royal Danish Academy of
Fine Arts in 1976. In 1964 he had attended a seminal Agfa seminar in Germany
where he met Edith Weyde, whose teachings deeply influenced his technical
understanding of photographic processes. He was a close friend of Klaus
Hendriks. His own photographic work included extensive campaigns in Greenland,
where he documented architecture and landscape in flux over the course of ten
expeditions.
It was his pivotal role in establishing and expanding photograph conservation
education in Denmark that defined much of Mogens' professional life. In 1978,
alongside chemist and paper conservator Birte Rottenstein, Mogens developed the
first course in photograph conservation at the newly formed Conservation School
at the Royal Academy (KADK). What began as a two-week seminar evolved into a
semester-long program that laid the foundation for photographic conservation
education in the region. Through partnerships with institutions in Sweden,
Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Greenland, Mogens helped train a generation of
conservators who would go on to lead major institutions.
Mogens was not only a teacher - he was an innovator. His practical ingenuity
led to the development of the now-standard four-flap envelope, and his
experimental work in chemical image retrieval opened new possibilities for
salvaging nearly lost photographic records on plastic supports.
His international influence cannot be overstated. In 1980, Mogens traveled to
Rochester, NY, where he met George Eaton, Walter Clark, and Jim Reilly, forming
lifelong connections that would further global dialogue on photographic
preservation. Mogens helped develop the P.A.T. methodology, designing the jigs
that were used. He taught over 30 workshops and courses worldwide fostering a
truly international community of practice.
Following the catastrophic Dresden floods of 2002, Mogens played a leading role
in the emergency recovery of water-damaged photographic negatives, working with
colleagues in Germany to develop and implement effective rinsing and drying
strategies.
Mogens was also a central figure in professional networks that shaped the
field. He was a founding member and later president (19872001) of the
Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Archiv-, Bibliotheks- und
Graphikrestauratoren (IADA), and the first president of the E.C.C.O., the
European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organizations. He was
recognized as an honorary member of IADA in 2003, and in the same year was
awarded the DGPh Kulturpreis, alongside filmmaker Wim Wenders. In 2013, his
immense contributions were honored jointly by AIC's Photographic Materials
Group and ICOM-CC's Photographic Materials Working Group.
After retiring from the Conservation School in 2014, Mogens remained an
emeritus presence, continuing to share his insight and wisdom with warmth and
characteristic humility. At this time he successfully relaunched his father's
design company. His legacy lives on in the countless professionals he mentored,
in the archival materials that were saved through his pioneering techniques,
and in the philosophy of care and precision he brought to the field.
To those who knew him, Mogens was more than a teacher or colleague - he was a
friend. He shared his knowledge generously, gave his time freely, and supported
with quiet conviction the advancement of our field. His absence will be deeply
felt, but his influence endures.
My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege
of working with him. He will be greatly missed.
----------------------------------Luisa CasellaPhotograph ConservatorMAC,
Fellow of AICPMG Chair (2023-25)CommComm Chair (2023-25)T: 585 281 3747
You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as
[email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to
http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. To
unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to
https://community.culturalheritage.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?UserKey=d16eaa87-0f69-494b-9f2f-303dbc1222e1&sKey=fab9aa4f27a04c5d876e&GroupKey=757a8f16-505f-4323-8e74-e376757aa9f7.
