Thursday June 20th

We spent the day with Gaël de Guichen, the father of preventive conservation. After a delicious breakfast, we immediately got to work in the classroom. Gaël introduced us to ICCROM (International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), an organization that promotes the conservation of cultural heritage. As a class, we brainstormed and discussed the definition of cultural property. We then split into groups and created lists of agents of deterioration that conservators have to take into account.

Gaël spent a good deal of time with us defining the different types of conservation: preventive conservation, remedial conservation, and resoration. Because he specializes in storage, Gaël showed us two PowerPoint presentations showcasing his efforts to reorganize two disastrous museum storage spaces in Iraq and India. The transformations were incredible and demonstrated how a little effort can  create a safe, efficient, and pleasant workplace that improves the security of stored artifacts.

After a long day of fascinating lessons, we enjoyed yet another wonderful meal prepared by Maria, the convent's talented cook. We had vegetable soup, meatloaf, and potatoes, followed by an incredible fruit salad.