Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Vacancy - Preventive Conservator: Exhibitions, British Museum 2. RE: Cultural Heritage Destruction in Iran 3. RE: Registration open! The Role of the Conservator and Resilience Symposium 15-16 april 2026 Gothenburg Sweden 4. Oddy Tested Black Paper 5. OSG Postprints Volume 31 (2024) Now Available! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Emily Yates Posted: Wednesday March 25, 2026 8:48 AM Subject: Vacancy - Preventive Conservator: Exhibitions, British Museum Message: Preventive Conservator: Exhibitions Full-time, Hybrid (at least 3 days per week on-site) Fixed-term (until December 2027) £39,105 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on Monday, 30 March 2026 About the role The British Museum is seeking an experienced Preventive Conservator to play a leading role in the preventive care of one of the world's most significant collections. You'll bring strong experience in preventive conservation, contribute to high-profile exhibitions and international collaborations, work alongside expert colleagues across disciplines, and help shape best practice in preventive conservation for years to come. This is a specialist post with a strong focus on exhibitions, loans and international touring, supporting the Museum's ambitious exhibition programme and long-term strategic priorities. The role combines strategic oversight, technical expertise and people leadership, and will contribute to the delivery of the Museum's Masterplan <https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/masterplan/> and capital projects. You'll balance project work with core function activities, apply your experience and creativity to develop new techniques and lead on major internal/museum wise projects in relation to collection care and preventive conservation. This is a rare opportunity to work at a world-leading museum during a period of significant transformation. Key areas of responsibility Lead in the coordination of preventive conservation activities for exhibitions, loans and touring projects, ensuring delivery to time and budget Lead on the care of the collection through on environment (temperature, relative humidity, light and pollutants), and support Integrated Pest Management Independently assess the condition of collections and contribute to the preventative conservation of collections made of a wide range of organic and inorganic materials by proposing environmental management solutions for long-term preservation Solve complex conservation challenges related to exhibition delivery, using professional judgement, innovation and adaptability Collaborate with and influence colleagues and stakeholders on collection care and conservation matters Support and advise partner institutions in the UK and internationally on collection care standards Line manage and mentor staff, aligning individual objectives with departmental and organisational priorities Review and improve processes and procedures to ensure best practice in safeguarding the collection Ensure compliance with current health and safety legislation Contribute to exhibition de-install processes, evaluation and lessons learned Contribute to funding bids, outreach activities, public speaking and professional publishing About you A recognised professional conservation qualification (degree level or equivalent experience) and working towards PACR accreditation Excellent knowledge and experience of contemporary preventive conservation principles and practice Practical experience of exhibition and display-related conservation activities Strong understanding of conservation theory, ethical decision making and health and safety requirements Proven ability to manage projects, solve problems and make sound professional judgements Excellent communication skills, with the ability to motivate and influence, collaborate with and present to a range of audiences Ideally, you will have experience of working on complex projects and of exhibition design and build The closing date for completed applications is 12 noon on Monday, Monday, 30 March 2026. For full details please visit https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_8587.aspx <https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com/templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_8587.aspx> ------------------------------ Emily Yates Wolverhampton United Kingdom ------------------------------ 2.From: Alan Hawk Posted: Wednesday March 25, 2026 11:31 AM Subject: RE: Cultural Heritage Destruction in Iran Message: As someone who has served in the Armed Forces of the United States (including to one deployment to Afghanistan), we are extremely sensitive to preventing damage to cultural heritage. Even junior enlisted service members are sensitized to this issue in their law of war training. We do NOT target civilians. We do NOT target cultural heritage sites. This does not mean that neither civilians are harmed nor cultural heritage is damaged, but we do everything in our power to prevent that. The weapons dropped by our aircraft are precision guided munitions, utilizing GPS, to make sure that the intended target is hit. Everything I am seeing, including footage from inside Iran, indicates very precise targeting aimed at military targets and leadership. The IRGC (unlike Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban), to their credit, doesn't appear to be using museums, mosques and schools for munition storage or command posts, which would turn them into legitimate military targets. Extremist Shia (Iran) don't appear to be as antithetical to artwork as the Sunni extremists, such as ISIS and the Taliban. ------------------------------ Alan Hawk Museum Specialist National Museum of Health and Medicine Silver Spring MD [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 03-12-2026 23:40 From: Aisha Wahab Subject: Cultural Heritage Destruction in Iran For anyone that has missed the latest calls and warnings from our cultural heritage sector about the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in Iran by the United States and Israel, UNESCO <https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-expresses-concern-over-protection-cultural-heritage-sites-amidst-escalating-violence-middle>, ICOM <https://icom.museum/en/news/icom-calls-for-protection-of-museums-and-cultural-heritage-amid-conflict-in-iran-the-gulf-region-and-the-eastern-mediterranean/>, Museum Associations <https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2026/03/blue-shield-warns-of-potential-war-crimes-against-irans-cultural-sites/>, ICOMOS <https://www.icomos.org/actualite/icomos-statement-middle-east/>, and USCBS <https://uscbs.org/statement-iran-conflict-cultural-heritage-march-2026/> have all posted about the concern for Iranian cultural heritage, the warning of potential war crimes against Iran's cultural sites, and the call for protection of cultural heritage in Iran. We are currently witnessing the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage, the loss of civilian life, and harm to our planet with this current war on Iran. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage is against our code of ethics, against what we stand for as cultural heritage protectors, it violates the Geneva Conventions' Additional Protocols, the 1954 Hague Convention, and it violates international law. In less than 2 weeks of war, thousands of civilians have been killed or injured, toxic rain from bombed oil depots threatens the planet and people's health, and it has been reported that several UNESCO World Heritage sites have been damaged in Iran including the Golestan Palace, the Chehel Sotoon, the Masjed e-Jameh of Isfahan, Ali Qapu palace, several mosques around Nash e-Jahan Square, and prehistoric sites of the Khorrambad Valley. I fell in love with Iranian art and architecture prior to my career in conservation, when I was interning at the LA County Museum of Art under the Art of the Middle East Curator, Linda Komaroff, who showed me a world of magnificent beauty, craftsmanship and culture. A year and a half ago I fell in love all over again when I finally got the opportunity to visit Iran and witness in-person it's beauty, the kindness and hospitality of its people, and it's rich culture and history. I visited most of these World Heritage sites that have been damaged. It is heart breaking to witness such historical, cultural, and human loss and to know that my government is responsible, and my taxes are contributing to it. Please continue to stay informed, call your representatives, and use your voice to speak out against unethical wars, the deaths of civilians, and the destruction of cultural heritage. For further articles on the issue: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/03/10/unesco-sites-in-iranian-city-of-isfahan-and-others-across-countrydamaged-by-us-israel-strikes <https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/03/10/unesco-sites-in-iranian-city-of-isfahan-and-others-across-countrydamaged-by-us-israel-strikes> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/12/dismay-as-ancient-heritage-sites-across-iran-damaged-in-us-israel-bombing <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/12/dismay-as-ancient-heritage-sites-across-iran-damaged-in-us-israel-bombing> https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-heritage-sites-damaged.html <https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-heritage-sites-damaged.html> ------------------------------ Aisha Wahab (she/her) Paper Conservator Stanford Libraries ------------------------------ 3.From: Saira Haqqi Posted: Wednesday March 25, 2026 11:31 AM Subject: RE: Registration open! The Role of the Conservator and Resilience Symposium 15-16 april 2026 Gothenburg Sweden Message: Will this be recorded and posted online? It sounds like an amazing discussion! Thanks!Saira -- Saira Haqqi ConservatorNational Archives and Records Administration Archives II - Room 16008601 Adelphi RdCollege Park, MD 20740301-837-3725 (office)202-317-2251 (NARA cell) If we are setting up a meeting, please let me know if you need any accommodations! ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 3/24/2026 3:57:00 PM From: Elin Lundmark Subject: Registration open! The Role of the Conservator and Resilience Symposium 15-16 april 2026 Gothenburg Sweden NKF-S/IIC Nordic Group Sweden have invited Professor Jane Hendersson and Professor Salvador Muñoz-Viñas for a symposium and conversation on the future role of the conservator and the conservation profession. The symposium aims to continue the conversation based on the publication The End of Conservation <https://smunozvinas.blogs.upv.es/files/2024/04/SMunozVinas-2024-The-End-of-Conservation-Authors-version.pdf> (Muñoz Viñas 2024), Jane Hendersons #WhyDoIDoConservation, the conversation on What is it that we conserve ( <https://mediaspace.bfh.ch/media/Donnerstags-Vortrag+72+-+Jane+Henderson%2C%C2%A0Salvador+Mu%C3%B1oz+Vi%C3%B1as+-+What+is+it+that+we+conserve+++Was+genau+bewahren+wir/0_qxh7q9x9>2025), the interview between Professor Salvador Muñoz-Viñas and Nina Olivier in Konserveringspodden <https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/the-end-of-conservation-in-english/id1439416472?i=1000672190336>, and the E.C.C.O. and ENCoRE Symposium in Prague 2025 on Trends and Challenges in Conservation-Restoration Education <https://www.iiconservation.org/news/trends-and-challenges-conservation-restoration-education-symposium>. Registration is open, for more information and registration, please visit http://www.nkf-s.se/conservator-resilience.html <http://www.nkf-s.se/conservator-resilience.html> Best regards, NKF-S/IIC Nordic Group Sweden 4.From: Abby Stevens Posted: Wednesday March 25, 2026 2:49 PM Subject: Oddy Tested Black Paper Message: Please can anyone recommend a black paper, suitable for printing object labels, that has been oddy tested and passed (for temporary or permanent use)? I have found just one on the AIC Wiki Test Results database, but it was tested in 2017. Just wondering if anyone out there has used anything more recently? Many thanks, Abby ------------------------------ Abby Stevens Preventive Conservator Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. [email protected] ------------------------------ 5.From: Raina Chao Posted: Wednesday March 25, 2026 3:57 PM Subject: OSG Postprints Volume 31 (2024) Now Available! Message: We are delighted to announce the publication of Volume 31 of the Objects Specialty Group Postprints, which includes papers developed from OSG and OSG Tips sessions presented in Salt Lake City in 2024. Many thanks to the volunteer members of the OSG Postprints editing team: Aliza Taft and Julie Unruh. Additional thanks go to AIC Communications & Membership Director Bonnie Naugle and OSG Program Chair Fran Baas for all their work on the Postprints and the conference itself. Above all, thank you to the authors who shared their work making this valuable resource for their colleagues! You can find individual articles as well as a compiled volume available for download free of charge at the OSG Postprints website <https://resources.culturalheritage.org/osg-postprints/>. They are offered alongside abstracts of presentations not developed into written papers. Complete volumes of the Postprints are also available for download in the OSG Community Library <https://www.culturalheritage.org/viewdocument/expect-the-unexpected-embracing-and-managing-change-uncertainty-and-surprise?CommunityKey=2d8d21c7-d79b-480e-8a24-b6fe23240b7b&tab=librarydocuments>. Volume 31 features the following articles (visit the Volume 31 page on the OSG Postprints website <https://resources.culturalheritage.org/osg-postprints/2024-volume-thirty-one/> for abstracts and download links): Resource for Understanding Conservation Coatings for Outdoor Iron Cannons – Liatte Dotan, Fran Ritchie, and Nicole Peters The Lion, the Saint, and the Red Robe: Technical Study and Treatment of a 17th Century Wax Diorama by Caterina de Julianis – Adrienne Gendron, Georgina Rayner, Katherine Eremin, and Angela Chang Behind the Scenes with Joe Kubert: Comic Book Legend (and Tape Enthusiast) – Leah Humenuck The Surrealist and the Saint: a Two Sculpture Journey into Marisol and the 1960s – Ruthie Rolfsmeyer, Emily Hamilton, Jiuan Jiuan Chen, Rebecca Ploeger, and Aaron Shugar The (Inherent) Vices and Virtues of a Dreamscape Parchment Paravent by Mohamed Zouzaf – Kathryn boodle and Terra Huber Bones, Epoxy, and Cotton Balls, Oh My!: The Treatment of Two Thornton Dial Artworks – Kaela Nurmi Adventures in (Re)Constructing and Conserving a Thai Thammat – Angela Elliott, Gregory Bailey, Stephanie Hulman, Jennifer Mikes, and Katharine Shulman Steel Yourself: Addressing Internal Secrets of a Beverly Pepper – Claire Taggart, Nicole Berastequi, and Nick Petronzio Huh…That's Weird: Reflections on the Treatment of a Heavily Restored Ceramic Tankard – Allison Kelley Cleaning Lacquer Surfaces Using PVOH Gel – Bac-Vu Do Fort Builder for Temporary Object Enclosures and a Low-Cost Variable Speed Control for the Nilfisk GM80 – Laura Kubick New Tools and Techniques – Tony Sigel Vacuum Splints: Adapting Medical Vacuum splints for Object Support and Transport Needs – Colleen Snyder Congratulations to the authors and happy reading to all! Raina ------------------------------ Raina Chao Conservator Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Office of Cultural Heritage Saint Louis United States ------------------------------ 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.
