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1/36INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY

N E W S L E T T E R

I C C R OM

35October 2009 Special edition


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ICCROM Newsletter 35, October 2009

From Rome Centre to ICCROM

Milestones on the Path of the International Centre

Dr Mounir Bouchenaki, Director-General, and Dr Jukka Jokilehto, Special Advisor

Establishment o the Organization by

UNESCOTe decision to create the InternationalCentre or the Study o the Preservationand Restoration o Cultural Property wasadopted by the Ninth General Conerenceo in New Delhi, in November1956, in a period that was marked by theprocess o recovery rom the ravages o theSecond World War. wo years earlier, theGeneral Conerence had adopted the HagueConvention for the Protection of CulturalProperty in the Event of Armed Conflict,

the first convention concerningthe saeguarding o cultural property. Tedecision to create the Centre correspondedto the requirement o to increaseawareness and scientific knowledge aboutthe conservation o heritage, and to sharesuch experience with conservationists(, General Conerence: Resolutions,1956):

(4.53) Te General Conference,Considering that it is incumbent on

the Organization, in accordance withArticle 1 of its Constitution, to maintain,increase and diffuse knowledge by assuringthe conservation and protection of theworlds historic and scientific inheritance,Considering that modern scientific researchhas led to the use of new methods for thepreservation of cultural property, morereliable and more effective than thoseemployed in the past, Considering that itis essential that, in the treatment of thetreasures making up the worlds heritage, dueaccount should be taken of the latest scientific

advances. Decides to create an InternationalCentre for the Study of the Preservationand Restoration of Cultural Property, to belocated in Rome, where it will be able to profitfrom the assistance of the Istituto Centraledel Restauro and other specialized scientificinstitutes. ...

Te first States to become Members othe new International Centre were: 1957:Austria; 1958: Dominican Republic, Israel,Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Poland, Spain,

Ceylon; 1959: Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt,Libya, Switzerland, Syria, Yugoslavia; 1960:Italy, Romania, and Sudan. [Country namesat time o adhesion.]

Building the Foundations o theOrganization (Rome Centre)

In 1958, signed an agreement withthe Italian Government or locating theCentre in Rome, thus the initial shortername: Rome Centre. A close collaborationwas established with specialized Italianconservation institutions, especially theCentral Institute o Restoration ( now

called ), but also with others, suchas the Royal Institute or Restoration oWorks o Art () in Brussels, in orderto have a broad international basis. he

A watercolour depicting the Centre aninfant being guided by an older andwearier fatherly figure, UNESCO. By A.Flores, Guatemala, former ArchitecturalConservation Course (ARC) participant,1971.


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Provisional Council (1958-60) nominated by consisted o our ex-officio members: (Cesare Brandi, Director), (PaulCoremans, Director), Italy (Piero Gazzola)and (Jan K. van der Haagen). TePresident was Frdric Gysin, Director o theSwiss National Museum in Zurich. Observersincluded: Pro. Guglielmo De Angelis dOssat,Director-General o Cultural Property o Italy,and Georges Henri Rivire, Director o .

Te Provisional Council appointed thefirst director: Harold James Plenderleith,renowned British scientist and Keepero the British Museum conservationlaboratory, whose book: Te Conservation

of Antiquities and Works of Art(1956), hasbecome a classic. Paul Philippot, a Belgianart historian specialized in Flemish paintingand restoration theory with a backgroundin jurisprudence, was appointed DeputyDirector. Te first General Assembly o theorganization took place in 1960, electingthe regular Council Members, in additionto the ex-officio members already appointedby . Te Italian Government agreedto provide the Centres initial administrativepersonnel.

Te first task was to establish a structureand programme or the organization, inresponse to the statutes and the emergingrequests. Te number o Member Statesgrew steadily, and was 53 by the end o 1971.Te second task was to identiy and buildup a network o experts and specializedconservation institutes. Te Directorundertook a series o missions to getacquainted with the problems and potentialresources around the world. One o theearly projects resulting rom these missionswas associated with s campaign tosaeguard the ancient monuments in theNile Valley.

Regarding the role o Plenderleith,Philippot has described this in aninterview: Plenderleith was a well-knownexpert; he came from the British Museum,where he had established and directed aconservation laboratory, and where he hadbeen responsible for important restorationsin varied fields, such as the Dead Seascrolls. He was a splendid ambassador, and could make use of him as he wasalways available. On the other hand, whenPlenderleith visited a country, there was a

Well the Rome Centre is an activity,of course, which is very close tomy heart. I left the British Museum

Research Laboratory on an invitationto found an International Study Centrefor Conservation in Rome, and I didthat because I felt that there were somany problems throughout the worldwhich one had more opportunity oftackling from the sheer ignoranceof the conditions under which thesemonuments were kept...And so inRome we are in contact with allthe countries in the world. We aresupported by some 24 of them. Wewould be willing to help any countryat all, whether it supports us or not,but of course we wouldnt be able toexist very long unless we are in some

way able to collect enough money tolive on.

Harold J. Plenderleith in an interviewwith UNESCO radio, 1961.

G. Torraca in Semna, Sudan, 1962.


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good probability that the country, as a signof gratitude, would also become a Member ofthe Centre.

From the start, training was seen as animportant tool. First this was organized inthe orm o internships at and , andsoon contacts were also established withthe University o Rome, where De AngelisdOssat was initiating specialized coursesor architects. From 1965 the coordinationand international outreach o these courseswas taken over by the Centre. In 1968,another specialized course was startedjointly with on the conservation omural paintings. In the meantime, Giorgio

orraca was employed as a scientist, and hestarted setting up a small didactic laboratoryespecially to support training programmes.An important achievement was the Libraryand documentation centre based on a grantby the Gulbenkian Foundation.

In 1964, the Rome Centre played a keyrole in the Second International Congressof Architects and echnicians of HistoricMonuments, organized in Venice under, and chaired by De Angelis dOssat.Te drafing group or the Venice Charter

was headed by Piero Gazzola with RaymondLemaire as Rapporteur; it had 23 members,including Plenderleith, Philippot, andHiroshi Daiuku, the Centres contactat . In 1966, the Rome Centrewas invited to coordinate the recoverymeasures or works o art in the case ofloods o Florence and Venice. In September1972, the Centre collaborated or theorganization o the important WilliamsburgConerence, marking the beginning o closecollaboration with the , who had joinedthe Centre the year beore. Financially, this

also helped to strengthen the budget, whichhad been running on very modest figures.Initially, the Centres budget was establishedon the basis o 1% o the contribution oMember States to .

Development o raining and Research(International Centre or Conservation)

Paul Philippotwas elected Director o theRome Centre in May 1971. One o his firstdecisions was to change the short name to:International Centre or Conservation, as

Rome Centre was ofen misunderstood.His directorship initiated the second majorphase in the organizations history. TeCentre was provided with new premises

by the Italian Government in the ormerhospice o San Michele, which allowed orbetter arrangement o offices and trainingacilities, as well as a larger space or theLibrary.

Internationally, the 1970s was a crucialperiod or the urther development oconservation policies and strategies. In1972, adopted the World HeritageConvention , recognizing the InternationalCentre as one o its Advisory Bodies. TeCentre attended a number o events duringthe European Architectural Heritage Year,1975, which resulted in a series o policydocuments by the Council o Europe,

and it participated in the preparationo the Recommendation concerning theSafeguarding and Contemporary Role ofHistoric Areas, adopted by in 1976.Te Centre also initiated a series o regionalactivities in Latin America, Arab States,and Asia, including pilot projects in theconservation o mural paintings jointly with, in Romania (1970), urkey, Lebanon,and Japan (1973).

In the Centres programmes, training wasthe most important theme in this period,

leading to the development and reinemento the classic international trainingprogrammes organized at its premisesin Rome: Architectural Conservation(ARC) rom 1965, Conservation o MuralPaintings (MPC) rom 1968, FundamentalPrinciples o Conservation (later: ScientiicPrinciples o Conservation - SPC) rom1973, and Security, Environment andLighting in Museums (later PreventiveConservation in Museums - SEC) rom1975. In 1976, sponsored by , theCentre organized the irst specialized

course on Stone Conservation, in Venice.All o these initiatives were recognizedas major international reerences inconservation training, and they also servedas models or courses at a national level.

At its new premises in San Michele,it was possible to develop a properdidactic laboratory in collaboration with and other institutions. his gavean opportunity or the preparation o aseries o didactic kits in conservation,contributing to a echnical Cooperation

Programme worldwide. In 1973, the Centrestarted publishing a yearly Newsletter,where Philippot wrote on the typologyo curricula or training o specialists

For a long time, I already had the ideathat there was a need to have closecollaboration between a laboratory

scientist, an art historian and a restorer.The condition was that each of themshould know a little more about thediscipline than the others. The basisfor the training of restorers shouldtherefore be interdisciplinarity. On thisbasis, I thought, in addition to missions,it would be important to focus onteaching. Accordingly, I thought it wasnecessary to establish a structure for aprogramme and to develop the relevantconcepts.

Paul Philippot in an interview, 2001.


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in conservation (1974), relecting themethodical approach to conservationtraining, the trademark o the Centre.Indeed, most o the Centres publicationswere aimed to support training, includinga series o basic but proessionally highlyqualiied textbooks, as well as the classicConservation of Mural Paintingsby Lauraand Paolo Mora and Paul Philippot (1977),based on joint research with the Conservation Committee.

Coming o Age (ICCROM)

By the 1980s, starting rom its initialoundations, the International Centre was

consolidated and developed into a matureinternational network, continuing the closecollaboration with . he series ointernational campaigns that hadstarted in the 1960s was now reinorcedby the implementation o the WorldHeritage Convention. At the same time, and were active in promotingconservation policies worldwide. he 1980ssaw the urther development o scientiicmethodologies and training programmes,irst in Europe and North America, then

increasingly around the world.When the British architect, Sir BernardMelchior Feildenwas elected Director othe International Centre in 1977, he gave theorganization not only its new name but he also consolidated its organizationalstructure and introduced health insuranceand retirement benefits as part o theUN Family. He stressed interdisciplinarycollaboration, taking architects to thelaboratory and scientists to the field, and heworked on the relationship o theory andpractice. Increasing attention was given to

research, e.g. mosaics, climate control, CorpusVitrearum, industrial archaeology, adobeand stone, as well as the theory and historyo architectural conservation. A particularproblem area was related to earthquakes; assisted in saeguarding measuresin the capital o Guatemala and Friuli,Italy, in 1976, as well as in Montenegroin 1979. An agreement with IIC and theButterworth publishing company, UnitedKingdom, allowed the initiation o a series oundamental publications on Conservation

in Art, Architecture and Archaeology, whichincluded Feildens: Conservation of HistoricBuildings(1982), a major reerence book onbuilt heritage.

Cevat Erder, a urkish archaeologist anddirector o conservation training in Ankara,was elected Director in 1981. During histenure, new attention was paid to thedevelopment o regional programmes.Preventive Conservation or Museums inArica (), launched with ssupport, was an outcome o work initiatedin 1981 or the conservation o movableheritage in sub-Saharan Arica, and itincluded training, research and technicalcooperation. he same model was ollowed

in the programme or Oceania. In1982, a new and more systematic echnicalAssistance Programme was establishedbased on making available a variety oinstruments, books, and other materialsor conservation institutions around theworld. raining in the conservation opaper and archival materials was launchedin 1985, and a new programme wasbeing developed on earthen architecturalheritage. he establishment o theConservation Inormation Network (),

in 1986, resulted rom a joint eort withGetty Conservation Institute () andother partners, marking a revolution inthe Library. s Library data bank

The strengths of ICCROM are hiddenstrengths. Its strength was the hundredor so world-class lecturers, who came

to ICCROM because it was a centre ofexcellence, and they gave their servicesfor a very nominal fee the studentsin the long-term [were] absolutely vital,because they would go back to theircountries and in due course reach highpositions.

Bernard Feilden in an interview, 2003.

ICCROM has 50 years of experienceand accumulated knowledge fromwhich many lessons can be drawn.

This knowledge, when properly used,can create miracles. It should thereforebe used towards protecting valuableobjects and treasures. Science andtechnology should be applied inthe service of culture in a world thatis all too quickly losing its heritageand where this seems to be a virtue.In other words, one should alwaysremember that the conservation ofcultural property is a very sensitiveissue and not a fast service. I keeprepeating that and will live it always.

Cevat Erder in a speech commemoratingthe 50th Anniversary of the creation ofICCROM, 2006.

B.M. Feilden, H.J. Plenderleith, C. Erder and P. Philippotat the 1983 General Assembly.


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(initiated in 1977) became a undamentalcomponent o this network. Collaborationwas strengthened with the WorldHeritage Committee, and World Heritage-related activities became increasingly visiblein s programmes in the 1980s.

In 1988, the Polish architect and arthistorian Andrzej Tomaszewskiwaselected Director o . he year 1989marked the 30th anniversary o sactivities, and by that time the number oMember States had grown to 82. Already

president o the Internationalraining Committee (), omaszewskiemphasized the training o trainers,and organized a series o conerences toimprove collaboration between trainersand training centres. he irst InternationalWood Conservation Course was heldin rondheim, Norway, in 1988, incollaboration with Norwegian authorities, and . he collaborationwith terre and other partners in theconservation o earthen structures resulted

in the project, consisting o research,documentation, technical cooperationand training. In this period, slaboratory was provided with a larger space

and improved acilities. At the same time,the idea o an architectural conservationlaboratory, already launched by Feilden,resulted in the creation o an exportable,low-cost architectural laboratory module,accompanied by the publication o areerence manual.

Growing International Network

he events that had led to the 1989revolution in Central and Eastern Europealso brought major changes in theconservation o cultural heritage. heinternational community was broadened,bringing an increased number o States to

an active collaboration. his collaborationwas encouraged through the internationalinstruments o , such as theWorld Heritage Convention, as well asthrough awareness-raising by and , and training and technicalcooperation by . In the contexto collaboration with the World HeritageCommittee, published, in 1993, theManagement Guidelines for World CulturalHeritageby Sir Bernard Feilden and JukkaJokilehto.

he Belgian museum director andart historian Marc Laenenwas electedDirector o in 1992. At thistime, the title o Director was changedto Director-General. Laenen undertooka major review and restructuringo the organization, which broughtvarious changes in administration andprogramming. From 1994, became reachable via Internet, which alsoincluded consulting the library catalogueon line. he period included a surveyon ormer course participants

as a reerence or new developments.While the classic programmes remaineda reerence, the emphasis was rapidlyshited to management and regionalinitiatives. he last traditional coursewas organized in 1998. It was partlyreplaced by the new programme,which explored Integrated erritorialand Urban Conservation, and had theirst international course at in1997. his was accompanied by regionalinitiatives in Brazil, the Baltic countries

and South-East Asia. he Media Save Artproject initiated by Gal de Guichen aimedat raising public awareness in the ield ocultural heritage conservation.

From safeguarding and conservation weare moving towards the managementof legacies. At the same time dangers

are increasing: the ideologizationand commercialization of culturalheritage as well as the polluting of ourenvironment. These are challenges forall of us, but principally for ICCROM. Ourorganization, steered by eight directorsconsecutively and surrounded byhighly-qualified and deeply committedexperts, has always carried out the tasksentrusted to it and has not only activelyparticipated in these changes, but hasalso been the harbinger.

Andrzej Tomaszewski in a speechcommemorating the 50th Anniversary ofthe creation of ICCROM, 2006.

We need good practices andtraining programmes about ways tolink conservation of heritage withenvironmental care, economic andcultural development, education andabove all with planning, which is alsoapplicable for intangible heritage.Especially with regard to living culturalheritage, we may need to extend ourobject-oriented approaches to wider,more comprehensive, dynamic andcontextual approaches within regionaldevelopment and planning and tomove from product-oriented action tothe management of processes.

Marc Laenen in a speech commemoratingthe 50th Anniversary of the creation ofICCROM, 2006.


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he British archaeologist andconservation educator Nicholas Stanley-Price, appointed Director-General in2000, completed and reined the work oreorganizing o s administrationand programme structure, as initiated byLaenen. Partly also due to the retirement osome senior sta members, the personnelwas gradually renovated, resulting in aduly international and non-Eurocentricrepresentation. While Laenen hadavoured the development o regionaltraining programmes, Stanley-Pricereintroduced a series o new internationaltraining courses, such as the course on

the Conservation o the Built Heritage(CBH). Stanley-Price also strengthenedthe publications programme, creating thenew Conservation Studies series, which

by the end o 2009 will have reached ninevolumes. Parallel to this and as a resulto more than 25 years o experience, theHistory of Architectural Conservationby Jukka Jokilehto, was published byButterworth-Heinemann in associationwith . he Strategic Directionso , reined by Stanley-Price,emphasized environmental conservation,cultural diversity, eiciency, integration omovable and immovable cultural heritage,promoting preventive conservationand interdisciplinary research, as wellas integrating heritage conservationtheory and practice into university

programmes. Particular attention was paidto guaranteeing the highest quality to allprojects where was involved.

Group photograph taken at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Resolution of the General Conference of UNESCO on ICCROM creation, Paestum, Italy, 2006.

ICCROM should be a proactiveorganization conducting its ownprogrammes which respond to

Member States needs, rather thanreacting only to random requests.

The programme approach is now wellestablished and successful, for whichthe increased diversity of the staffsbackgrounds has been key. Definingstrategic directions allows MemberStates to reflect on overall mission andpurpose, and to evaluate progress bymeans of reports that measure impact.International heritage conservation isnow on a scale unimaginable in 1956and ICCROM maintains its niche as thespecialized centre with a worldwideoverview. Its founding name in 1956as a Centre for Study remains as valid

as ever, and the dissemination of itsunparalleled knowledge base remainscrucial.

Nicholas Stanley-Price, 2009.


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As a young archaeologist in Algeria,I excavated a necropolis of the earlypaleochristian site of ipasa, now onthe World Heritage List. In so doing,I discovered a tomb with frescoes andmosaics which dated from the 4th to5th century AD. Faced with the problemof how to deal with its conservation,my first reaction was to call the RomeCentre. o my utter surprise, both HaroldPlenderleith and Giorgio orraca came to

visit the site. I was struck that such high-level specialists came to see me. his wasin the late 1960s, and my experience as anarchaeologist was profoundly touched bythis encounter.

hroughout my professional lifeI have been in contact with experts through my work with ,and I have always considered the main resource for Member States interms of scientific and technical advicefor the conservation of their monuments

and collections. As Director-General of, my wish has been to continuein the footsteps of my predecessors whiledeveloping three strategies in view of thechallenges faced by cultural heritage in the21st century.

he first of these has been to strengthenold partnerships and forge new ones witha number of specialized institutions. his,in my opinion, is the key to facing thecomplexity of issues raised particularlyby threats to cultural heritage such asuncontrolled urban development and

climate change. he second strategy hasbeen to make a universal centre,and all efforts should be made to haveall United Nations State Parties join. hethird has been to further professionalwork in science for conservation, and thesensitization to new methodologies forheritage conservation. he safeguarding ofboth tangible and intangible heritage canonly be pursued and developed throughheightened public awareness.

As my experiences with comefull circle, it is with personal pride that Ipresent the organizations milestones andaccomplishments in this special editionof the newsletter. hough it has beenimpossible to pay homage to all of thepeople who have passed through thesedoors and all of the worldwide projectsin which we have been involved, we havemade a modest attempt to capture some ofthe more defining moments of these past

fifty years. I thank those of you who kindlyprovided contributions and pictures. Yourstories have been heartwarming and asolid example of how has not onlyaffected conservation as a field, but thelives of the many people who work withinit. I have faith that this will continue wellinto the future.

As We Move Forward

A Note from the Director-General

M. Bouchenaki.


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The Earliest Years of the Rome Centre

Te Centres history begins on the first floor o a historic building on via Cavour.Back then, the staff number was small but ideas and ambitions were big. Toughit was just getting started, the Rome Centre was already beginning to make asignificant impact on the world o conservation and restoration. It was an age oimportant missions to distant countries as well as emergency relie in the ace odisaster. It was also a time in which new ideas were ormulated and disseminatedthrough international conerences and courses. Tese ormative years laid the

groundwork or many milestones to come.

Te relationship o H. Plenderleithand C. Brandi was rather special,because both understood that iswas essential to have agreements.Te problem however was thecommunication, considering thatPlenderleith did not speak Italianand Brandi did not speak English. Teytried to communicate in French, andI tried to help translating occasionally.It was sometimes quite unny, becausethese two had such different characters:Plenderleith mixed scientific questionswith issues o everyday lie, andBrandi always ollowed his theoreticalthinking. I remember once, at thetime o the missions to Egypt beorethe construction o the Aswan Dam,Plenderleith had just come backrom a mission, and talked about hisvisit to the Egyptian tombs. Ten heinterrupted to say that the eggs thathe had eaten that morning were not

resco, using an Italian word. Brandi,who was always thinking o muralpaintings, comments: no, no, nonerano a resco, erano tempere (no, no,they werent a resco, but a tempera).

Paul Philippot in an interview, 2001,while discussing collaborations withCesare Brandi, Director of the ICR

Te Rome Centre was at via Cavour,a street with very heavy car traffic.Crossing this street was a kind oacrobatics. So, one day Plenderleithannounced he was going to buyhimsel a baby pramto cross thestreet saely.

Hanna Jedrzejewska and AldonaRomanowicz, Poland 1988

We worked hard but we worked well,in the sense that we were a big amily.Plenderleith was already an elderlyDirector I was twenty, my colleaguewas twenty-six. We were all young, and

we were all well-loved by the Director.We were like his children.

Gemma Berardinelli, former secretary ofPlenderleith, on life at the Rome Centre

Original headquarters on via Cavour.

Co-workers celebrating G. Berardinellis wedding in 1966.

J. Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, speaking at the UNESCOGeneral Conference in New Delhi, 1956.

H. Plenderleith with P. Coremans,Director of IRPA, during a UNESCOmission to India, 1965.

The Director and his staff going for a coffee break.

8

UNESCO General

Conference takes place

in New Delhi; it is

decided to establish a

conservation body.

Agreement is

signed between

UNESCO and Italy

to establish an

institution in Rome.

Austria becomes the

first Member State.

First five States adhered

to the organization,

making the Rome

Centre a legal entity.

The Rome Centre

becomes

operational with

Harold Plenderleith

as its first Director.

1956 1957 1958 1959


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I thought that you might like toknow that my husband, HiroshiDaiuku, one o the originalrecipients o the Award in1979, and the specialist whoguided s early years, is aliveand in reasonably good health at 89years. We cherish memories o ourriendship with Harold Plenderleith

and our trips to Rome or theGeneral Assembly. Congratulationson your 50th Anniversary!

Alison Daifuku

A draft of the Preamble of the VeniceCharter handwritten by P. Philippot.Source: Lemaire papers, UniversityArchives, Leuven, Belgium.

H. Plenderleith giving a lecture in Korea, 1960s.

Abu Simbel, Egypt. Dismantling the Templeof Ramses II by means of a derrick crane. UNESCO/Nenadovic

H. Daifuku, second from the right. Taken duringan ICOMOS congress in Warsaw, Poland, 1965.

Participants of the ARC Course, 1965.

The first General

Assembly is held.

The Library is

launched.

The Rome Centre has a

key role in the drafting

of the Venice Charter.

The salvage of the

temples of Abu Simbel,

Egypt, begins on the

eve of the creation of

the Aswan High Dam.They were dismantled

and reassembled on

higher ground.

ICOMOS is founded

in Poland with

P. Gazzola as its

founding president.

Thus, a fruitful

partnership is born.

First course on

ArchitecturalConservation (ARC)

is held at the Centre.

ICCROM coordinates

the international

response to the

devastating floods

in Florence and

Venice.

First course on the

Conservation of

Mural Paintings

(MPC) is held in

partnership with

the ICR.

1960 1962 1964 1965 1966 1968


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New Headquarters, Expanding Horizons

Te 1970s were an important time or strengthening conservation as a proession.Concepts like ecology and historic urban areas emerged, along with a series o charters andrecommendations to protect heritage. A key moment or the Centre was the transer to itspresent headquarters in the historic Ospizio di San Michele. Space and vicinity to the otherheritage organizations brought new possibilities and greater activities.

Part of ICCROMs history begins with the building which houses the organization. San Michelehad a

well-known reputation as a school that taught young men to work in the fine arts. Over the centuries, it

spawned legions of great artistsTwo artist/restorers who learned their craft there from about 1893 to 1906

were the painters Ettore Serbaroli (1881-1951) and Gonippo Raggi (1875-1959). These men left for America

and, in addition to creating original art, also restored many beautiful churches and structures in North and

South America. It is very fitting that ICCROM today is located in a building that trained so many great men who

were involved in restoring some of the worlds great artistic treasures.

Joseph A. Serbaroli, Jr Business Manager, New York, and grandson of Ettore Serbaroli, celebrated Italian-American

artist, 2009ICCROM at via di San Michele.

P. Philippot and B. Feilden.

Detail of a relief, Borobudur.

Mission to Romania to conserve the exterior paintings of a Moldavian churchnear the Russian border, 1973.

Scientific Principles of Conservation Course. G. de Guichen, M.C.Uginet and participants at the CFLR (Centro di Fotoriproduzione,Legatoria e Restauro degli Archivi di Stato, now ICPAL), Rome, 1976.

Preventive Conservation in Museums. Practical workat ICCROM. G. de Guichen and participants, 1975.

Paul Philippot becomes Director

and changes the name from

Rome Centre to International

Centre for Conservation.

The United States joins the Centre,

impacting its budget positively.

Mission to Borobudur, Indonesia,

to study the alteration of stone

and cleaning procedures.

The Centre is acknowledged

as an advisory body in the

UNESCO World Heritage

Convention.

Transfer begins to its

present location at via di

San Michele.

The first edition of the

Newsletter is published.

Mission to Romania to

conserve exterior paintings of a

Moldavian church.

Course on Conservation Science

(SPC) is launched.

1971 1972 1973

10


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ICCROM staff, 1979.

Friuli, 1976. Left: Apse of the Duomo of Venzone, after the first tremor.Right: The same apse after the second tremor. ICCROM was involved in the photogrammetric survey after thefirst tremor. Reconstruction of the church was based on the resulting drawings.

First course on Security and

Environment in Museums

is held (SEC, later renamed

Preventive Conservation in

Museums).

First Stone Course in Venice,

Italy, is held.

Recovery work is undertaken

following a devastating

earthquake in Friuli, Italy.

The UNESCO Recommendation

concerning the Safeguarding

and Contemporary Role of

Historic Areas is drafted.

Bernard Feilden is

appointed Director,

changes the Centres

name to ICCROM.

First computerized

system in the Library.

By it 20th Anniversary, ICCROM

holds four regular courses in

Rome: Architectural Conservation

(ARC), Conservation of Mural

Paintings (MPC), Scientific

Principles of Conservation (SPC),

and Preventive Conservation in

Museums (SEC); and the Stone

Course in Venice.

1975 1976 1977 1979

I had the wonderul privilege oparticipating in the Introduction to thePrinciples o Conservation Science Course(SPC) in 1978. I was the curator o paintings,prints and photographs at the Museum othe City o New York at the time and laterwent on to be senior curator beore changingjobs to be a museum director. Te coursetaught me undamentals about the physical

nature o cultural materials. It introducedme to the world o conservation and leadingpractitioners with whom I am still riends.As my career advanced, my understanding oconservation has played a key role in assessingand saving diverse museum collections.

Steven H. MillerExecutive Director, Morris Museum, USA

In the late 1970s, I ollowed a course

at on museum security andclimate control. I enjoyed handlinga fire hose under the supervision oa real fire fighter and loved beinginstructed about thef and robberyby a real carabiniere, in ull uniorm.Seven months pregnant, I hadmy finest hour however, during adrive along the iber. Afer I hadainted close to s premisesin the afermath o a somewhatcopious lunch, Gal de Guichen,

who directed the course, rightlyassumed a ast recovery, driving meat some speed in his open sportscar. Indeed, I was able to attendthe rest o the days program aferthat drive. I do not know whetheryour courses include a lecture aboutwomen ainting in museums. Inot, Gal de Guichens improvisedaction should be taken up in yourcurriculum.

Ebeltje Hartkamp-Jonxis

Former curator of the Rijksmuseum,Netherlands


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An outstanding conservation library: from card index to the digital era.

A mini-revolution began in the Library in 1977, when obtained two computersand started automating the catalogue records. Specialists rom worked with us to

create the first programme or this purpose, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the libraryholdings. Te potential o this new technology was very exciting, and we elt like pioneersas we developed the new bibliographic description fields needed or our records. Ourworkdays were intense, what with a backlog o some 9000 past publications to register in thenew system, along with the continuing cataloguing o newly arrived acquisitions. However,we were rewarded by the knowledge that we were providing a useul and instructiveexample or other organizations.

Gianna Paganelli

Library Assistant, ICCROM

ICCROM Goes Digital

Cartoons from the 1979 Newsletter poking fun at the Librarys documentation process.

Publications staff, C. Rockwell andM. Garca Robles, with ICCROMs firstcomputer, 1983.

The backbone of the Library has alwaysbeen its staff. F. Tomasi, G. Paganelli,M. Ohanessian, and Head LibrarianM.C. Uginet, 1983.

ICCROM PUBLICATIONS IN RETROSPECT

From the late seventies, the mantle ofpublications fell to me; I was somethingof a novice, but with an inherent concernfor accuracy and language, and eagerto learn. Mnica Garca and I workedtogether in this area for many years.

Newsletter #7 was our baptism by fire.

In those days, Italian printers were stillsetting type in lead, and had no notionabout hyphenation in either English orFrench. Some five sets of proofs wentback and forth, and that issue finallystaggered into press.To simplify life, we started a campaign

for a word processor so that camera-ready copy could be produced. Afterconsulting with FAO colleagues, wecampaigned for a Wang word processor,which was trendy at the time. A memo

recommending this purchase waswritten, extolling its many virtues notleast facilitating compilation of the

annual report, which was then a tediousmanualcut-and-paste operation. The request was accepted, and the wordprocessor installed, much to everyonesdelight. The novelty soon infected thewhole building, and people begansigning up for time on it. The demand

became so intense that a small computerroom was eventually set up, and thingsevolved from there to PCs in every office. These technical improvements facilitatedproduction of many products. Otherdevelopments involved improving theNewsletter design and introducing the useof color, acquiring ISBN and ISSN numbersand computerizing the mailing list. Technology certainly revolutionizedICCROMs publications capacity and is stillhaving an impact there and elsewhere.

Cynthia RockwellFormer Head of Publications, ICCROM


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Fifty Years of Preventive Conservation with ICCROM

Gal de Guichen, Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM, and Catherine Antomarchi.

Fify years ago, just beore becomingthe first Director o , Dr HaroldPlenderleith published his Conservation ofAntiquities and Works of Art(1956). Withits clear language and extensive coverageo the material, the work quickly becamea key reerence in the field. Emphasis wason preventive conservation prior to anydirect intervention. At that time, humiditywas considered to be the principal threatto collections. wenty years went by andother publications, such as Garry TomsonsamousMuseum Environment(1978)appeared, ocusing not only on collections

but also on the buildings surrounding them.Climate was still by and large at the top othe list o deterioration causes.

In 1975, tackled the issue byproposing the first course on what becameknown as Preventive Conservation inMuseums. Administrators, curators,architects and conservator-restorersconcentrated on climate, but also onlighting, thef and fire. Over 15 years, 250proessionals rom 38 countries came tostudy while also enriching the course with

their own experience. Tanks to them,more threats to heritage were identifiedand prevention strategies became clearer.Tanks also to several o them, spread the message through national andregional seminars in more than 40 countries.Parallel to these efforts, conceivedan exhibition on climate and lighting thatcirculated to 48 European cities. Didacticmaterials were developed and a data banko some 1,000 images was created, the latternow being available on the website.

Between 1985 and 2000,

launched the Programme(Prevention in Arican Museums), whichwas a decisive development or preventiveconservation. At the time, countlesscollections were in desperate condition andrequired a global and strategic approach.In 15 years, engaged more than 25scientific and financial partners, trained 400proessionals in 44 countries and workedon more than ten museum case studies.oday, the effort continues through variousArican institutions, Ecole du Patrimoine

Africain() and the Centre or HeritageDevelopment in Arica ().

With , the concept o preventiveconservation would evolve prooundly and

propose targeted responses combiningprotection and enhancement, and touchingevery aspect o a museums unction romstorage to display, rom research to activities,and rom planning to maintenance, withpreventive conservation embedded in everysector. Te importance o climate slowlydwindled, given the need to control otherthreats that ofen had a more serious impact.

Still, the approach had a weakness:it involved only the responsibility oproessionals, though heritage conservationis a much wider and universal issue. As aresult, the public must also be involved in the

prevention effort. For this purpose, launched in 1990 a major operation calledMedia Save Art, in order to bring the publicand proessionals together. Tus, or a five-year period, a series o pilot actions targetedvarious groups in turn: teachers, tour guides,the media and sponsors.

By the early 1990s, preventive conservationwas booming. Te Netherlands launchedthe Delta Plan; the Canadian ConservationInstitute () published its preservation plan;proessional organizations adopted the theme

or their international conerences; the Conservation Committee created a preventiveconservation group; courses and academicprogrammes were set up in various countries,ollowing the example o the specializedMasters degree created by the Sorbonne incollaboration with .

Fify years afer Dr Plenderleith,preventive conservation is still one os strategic orientations and is apriority because it concerns, connects andmotivates everyone involved in heritage,well beyond specialties and cultures.

EPA Fund meeting in Rome, 2002.From left to right: A. Godonou, EPADirector, Benin; N. Stanley-Price, formerDirector-General of ICCROM; T. Aminou,former vice-Rector Abomey-CalaviUniversity, Benin; P. Simonnet, former EPAFund coordinator; and C. Antomarchi,

Collections Unit Director, ICCROM.


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A Time of Consolidation

Where the previous two decades served to establish oundationsand processes, the 1980s were an important time or strengtheningthe programmes and courses in place, while introducing new

initiatives like the regional programmes.

The church of Debra Berhan Selassie, Gondar, Ethiopia.ICCROM took part in a series of missions from 1979-1982.

J. Malliet, 1985. As part of the Mortars ResearchTraining Unit (RTU) activities, hydraulic grout wasinjected into the Campidoglio Towers in Rome.

C. Erder, 1983.

Cevat Erder becomes

Director.

ICCROM holds an

international symposium

on the study of mortars,

the result of intense

and long-term research

directed by Giorgio Torraca.

Technical Assistance

Programme launched.

Regional Programmes

launched with PREMA

(Preventive Conservation

in African Museums)

being the first.

1981 1982 1985

In 1985, I was appointed Scientific

Advisor, but amily problems limited mystay in Rome to two years. Nonetheless,the experience I gained in those yearsproved to be invaluable or my uturecareer as an independent consultant andlecturer at various Universities in Europe,North and South America. O the manythings I learned, the significance o theminimum intervention principle inany conservation project stands out asthe axiom that Dr Cevat Erder, thenDirector, most strongly advocated. From

my colleagues, I learned the importancethat interdisciplinary collaboration hasin conservation. Te support providedby Marie Christine Uginet (a ellow catlover) at the library and the cheerulhelpulness o the staff, in particular,Enrico Carra and Mesdames ElenaFiorini, Liliana Vecchio and MnicaGarca, are among my ondest memories.

A. Elena CharolaFormer ICCROM staff

Attending the 1983 ArchitecturalConservation Course at was akeystone in our work in preventing the

World Heritage Site o Antigua Guatemalarom alling down afer 200 years o beingabandoned. Working with a handul omulti-disciplinary experts, we were able tosave Antiguas monuments; work on thecitys building permits and the restoration oart. It was enlightening or me in setting upchildrens programs in Historic Preservationto plant the seed or uture restoration efforts.I thank our mentor, Bernard Feilden and allo the staff .

Elizabeth Bell

Owner and Manager of Antigua oursGuatemala

Participating in an course hasdefinitely changed my lie! Tere I metmy husband Gerry Barton, also attending

the 1980 course Scientific Principles inConservation, me rom Germany and herom New Zealand. Six months afer thecourse I joined him in New Zealand. Wegot married in 1982 and have two children.Te course was the starting point to verysuccessul careers or both o us in the fieldo ethnographic conservation and we arestill both working in that area. We have livedand worked both in New Zealand and inGermany and are now based in New Zealandwith our own private conservation business.

Sabine WeikConservator, Germany and New Zealand


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S. Weik and G. Barton, 1980, at Villa Giulia, Rome.Photo courtesy of S. Weik.

The opening ceremony of the ConservationCollections Management National Course (PREMA),held in the National Museum of Ghana, Accra, 1989.

B. Feilden and J. Jokilehtoin Taishan, China, 1988,while on a monitoringmission for WorldHeritage sites.

A. Tomaszewski, 1988.

ICCROM wins the Aga Khan

Award for Architecture for

the conservation of the Al

Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

First PREMA University

Course begins in Rome.

The Gaia Project is established,

a joint initiative of ICCROM and

CRAterre-EAG for the study

and conservation of earthen

architecture.

ICCROM Newsletter is published

in Spanish from 1987 until 1990.

Andrzej Tomaszewski is

appointed Director.

Plenderleith celebrates his

90th birthday.

The first Wood Course takes

place in Trondheim, Norway.

1986 1987 1988

With , or the first time, responded to the challenge o a regionand its 46 countries! It developed asynergetic system o actions in training,communications and technical assistance.It innovated with the first extra-budgetary unding involving national,regional, and international institutions,both private and public. With , experimented by opening itselto other audiences to consolidate the

work o museum proessionals: decision-makers, the public, young people and themedia; by creating a diploma guaranteedby two amous universities, to contributeto the recognition o conservation andits proessionals in museums; by trainingtrainers and revolutionizing their teachingmethods; and by imposing a systematicsel-evaluation process twice a year onparticipants, teachers, decision-makersand financial supporters. On arrivingat as a resh graduate, totally changed my way o being andthinking. It introduced me to wisdom,humility, listening. taught meconcrete equality; it offered me deepemotions, extraordinary encounters,the best o riends. And better still, aninalterable confidence in others and animmense reserve o energy and joy. Tiswork designed the landscape o my lie.For all those I met in the process, I aminfinitely grateul.

Catherine Antomarchi

Collections Unit Director, ICCROM

In 1982 I participated with 14colleagues rom 12 countries in theScientific Principles o ConservationCourse directed by Giorgio orracaand coordinated by NicholasStanley-Price, later Director-General. Tese our months werethe most stimulating time in myproessional lie! Our teachersincluded distinguished proessionals,and we especially learned rom each

other. Afer the intense workingenvironment came evening andweekend parties at the oreignacademies in Rome - wonderullocations where este allItaliana weremore than welcome.

Gabriela Moroder-Krist, Head,Institute of Conservation andRestoration, University of Applied ArtsVienna, Austria, ICCROM CouncilMember 2002-2009


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A. Cepero, Cuba, and L. Masschelein-Kleiner,Belgium, during the 1999 General Assembly:visit to Palazzo Farnese, Rome.

Long-time collaborator C. Giantomassi in Bajia,Tibet, 1996.

. A view of the Audiencias (audience hall), Tschudin, Peru, showing bas-relief surface decoration.

online.

ogramme

heritage

22 Pacific

ment ondrafted

The Integrated Territorial

and Urban Conservation

(ITUC) Project begins.

The first PAT (Pan-American

Course on the Conservation

and Management of

Earthen Architectural and

Archaeological Heritage) is

held in Trujillo, Peru.

AFRICA 2009 (Conservation of

Immovable Heritage in sub-

Saharan Africa) is launched.

Project Terra, a continuation

of the Gaia Project and the

success of the PAT 96 Course,

is established.

An agreement is signed

between ICCROM and

the National University of

Benin creating EPA (Ecole du

Patrimoine Africain).

The last traditional ARC and

MPC courses take place.

The first Conservation of

Urushi (Japanese Lacquer)

Course takes place.

GRADOC seminar on graphic

documentation systems in

mural painting conservation

is held at ICCROM.

The last traditional SPC

courses take place.

1995 1996 1998 1999

I Sassi di Materaand the ARC courses (1994 1998)Starting in 1994, the conservation strategies and rehabilitation of the Sassi di Matera, Italy, became a subject of special

interest within the framework of ICCROMs ARC courses. After the Sassiwere included on the World Heritage List in 1993,

contacts were made for course purposes with the relevant authorities. As a real-life conservation lab that contained

challenges from the smallest to the largest scale, the Sassiwere ideal for connecting the course aims with a real situation,

allowing for a confrontation of skills. Among the courses principal aims while in Matera were to support local authorities

in selected problem areas and contribute to raising awareness within the local community. Over the years a methodology

was developed in order to unite the efforts of local professionals with those from different countries and cultural regions in

addressing safeguarding problems. In 1998 the course produced a summing-up report on the State of Conservation of the

site, which was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as a contribution to the then highly-relevant discussions on

monitoring and reporting procedures and their formats.

Andrea Urland, former ARC Course Coordinator and ARC Programme Manager

In 1997, I participated in the first Urushi Course held in okyo, Japan, my nativecountry. Needless to say we all learned a great deal, but there is more to courses than the subject matter. Te wonderul diversity o the participants andthe opportunity to share the culture o Japan [with a] group o ellow proessionalsmade the course an experience I will never orget. We explored okyo througheating local ood, shopping, visiting museums and a local urushi specialistsworkshop. Trough the eyes o my international colleagues I gained a new vision omy home country, and when we parted ways at the end o the course, this networko ellow proessionals rom around the world would remain with me.

Hiroko KariyaConservator, Japan

I am a participant o the programme,having taken the course in 1999 in

rujillo, Peru. Te experience was sosignificant that when I returned tomy home country, I began to act as aacilitator on the subject o earthenarchitecture techniques, habitationso social interest and above all, theconservation o architectural heritage.o this day I have sensitized and trainedmore than a thousand people, amongthem bricklayers, assistants, students,architects, engineers, communities, etc.I have remained in contact with - andhave had the integral support o -Alejandro Alva and Hubert Guillaud,both treasured riends.

Raymundo Rodrigues FilhoArchitect-Conservator, Brazil


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New Challenges

In a changing world, has always sought to remain at the oreront o trends and in linewith emerging topics o global importance. With the new millennium came increasing concernor globalization, climate change, risk and disaster management, sustainable development, andrapidly-evolving technologies. has responded by expanding its regional programmes,reintroducing international courses in Rome, sharing knowledge through conerences, producingquality publications, and exploring new rontiers through initiatives such as the programme

on the conservation o sound and image collections.

Nicholas Stanley-Price is

appointed Director-General.

The responsibilities of PREMA

are transferred to Africa.

Programme for Museum

Development (PMDA now

referred to as CHDA) begins

operating in Mombasa, Kenya.

Membership of ICCROM

exceeds 100 Member

States.

ICCROM (ITUC) - UNESCO

World Heritage

Risk Preparedness

Workshop takes place

in Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic.

The Internship and

Fellows Programme is

established.

The first Sharing

Conservation Decisions

(SCD) Course is held in

Rome.

ICCROM Newsletter is again

published in Spanish.

The first Forum takes place

in Rome, the theme is Living

Religious Heritage.

The first course on

Architectural Records,

Inventories, and InformationSystems for Conservation

(ARIS) begins in Rome.

The ATHAR

(conservation of

heritage sites in

the Arab region)

and CollAsia 2010

(conservation of

heritage collections

in Southeast Asia)programmes are

launched.

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

I attended the 2001 - World Heritage Risk PreparednessWorkshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was excellent, andimportant or the Caribbean countries in attendance. Te lectures presented bys experts laid a solid oundation, while interactive projects challengedstudents to creatively solve problems and build confidence together and regionally.I was pleased when asked to share the Cayman Islands National MuseumsEmergency Management Plan, which I discussed with others so that they coulduse it to develop similar plans in their countries. is truly a leader incultural heritage preservation concepts and action throughout the world.

Margaret Leshikar-DentonCayman Islands National Museum

The archaeological dance created by the Department ofFine Arts, Thailand, is influenced by the art and sculpturesof archaeological remains. It is performed at the NationalMuseum on special occasions. 2008.

ATHAR Course participant at the Citadel in Amman,

Jordan, 2008.

N. Stanley-Price, 2001. Sharing Conser vation Decisions Course participants

visiting the Opificio delle Pietre Durein Florence, Italy, 2002.


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After the Second World War, it was said that ICCROMwould participate in instilling peace and progress. Today, in a less

optimistic and more uncertain context, one could say less lyrically that ICCROMcontributes to making a better world

through its work to conserve the heritage that linked the civilizations of the past and whose disappearance would

compromise future development of our societies. Thus, for each of us who has been at ICCROMat one time or another,

it is vital to support this remarkable organization and make it better known wherever we may be.

Jean-Michel Dubois-Verdier, former Legal Counsel of ICCROM

The first Reducing

Risks to Collections

Course takes place

in Rome.

Mounir Bouchenaki

becomes Director-General.

The 50th Anniversary of the

Resolution of the UNESCO

General Conference on the

creation of ICCROM.

The Conservation of Built

Heritage Programme begins.

The first course on

the Safeguarding of

Sound and Image

Collections (SOIMA)

takes place in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil.

The first course on the

Conservation of BuiltHeritage (CBH) takes

place in Rome.

ICCROM returns wall-

painting fragments stored

in its lab to the Eremitani

Church in Padua, Italy.

The LATAM Programme

for conservation in

Latin America and the

Caribbean is launched.The Library catalogue

now has 100,000 entries.

The AFRICA 2009

programme concludes.

ICCROM celebrates 50

years of operations.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

I was an intern at the Office o theDirector-General, assisting in theorganization o the 2007 Forum onPrivatization and Cultural Heritage.My experiences still have a majorinfluence on the development o mycareer in heritage conservation. I keepwonderul memories o my time at

, working with very helpuland open colleagues. Te internshipwas a unique opportunity or inspiringencounters with internationallyrenowned proessionals. Grateul andproud to have been granted thispossibility, I cherish the memoriesrom that time, as I continue mypersonal engagement and dedicationor the preservation o culturalproperty. Wishing the best osuccess or the next 50 years!

Kerstin Stamm, PhD student,Germany

I have participated in several cultural heritage coursesto discuss the challenges acing World Heritage witha view o ormulating strategies or its developmentand exploitation. During a hands-on managementcourse or heritage proessionals rom Arica organizedby 2009 in Mombasa, I was among theproessionals who created a management plan or oneo the most important historical buildings in the Oldown o Mombasa, the Leven House. I have carriedout research on preservation o historic cities withparticular emphasis to Mombasa Old own as part omy Masters Degree in Heritage Studies courtesy o an

scholarship at the University o Zimbabwe.In this research, I established some o the challengesacing the National Museums o Kenya () inthe presentation o the town as a tourist resort. Itis apparent that conservation decisions o such acosmopolitan townscape cannot be dictated to theinhabitants but should be made by all o the variousinterest groups. I am now imparting knowledgegained through the training in teaching architecturalconservation at the University. has a majorrole to play in the capacity building o Arican HeritageProessionals and in the world.

Kariuki Kamaru, Lecturer/ArchitectJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture andechnology, Kenya

AFRICA 2009 Rock ArtConservation Courseparticipant, Namibia, 2006.

M. Bouchenaki and G. de Guichenreunite with former ARC 93 participant,G. Deivanayagam, in India, 2008.

Women of Nankani,Burkina Faso, decoratingtheir houses during thefestival of revitalizationof traditional knowledge. AFRICA 2009

SOIMA Course participants, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2007.


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Messages from Friends and Family

As one colleague likes to put it, collaborators, course participants andothers who pass through the doors of this organization undergo a process ofICCROMization. We are an ever-expanding family whose ties span decades,

world regions and institutions. Here are some words from former staff, presentpartners and long-time resource people.

It was 1976 when I arrived at as Coordinator o the Mural PaintingCourse and Projects. Rome was at thecenter o a seminal moment in the historyo conservation. Te Istituto Centrale delRestauros legacy, the teachings o CesareBrandi and Giovanni Urbani, and the vastexperience o Paolo and Laura Mora, hadcoalesced on the scientific and art historicaloundations o laid by Harold

Plenderleith, Paul Philippot and Giorgioorraca. Tese currents combined to provideone o the impetuses or the emergence otodays cohesive international approachto the preservation o the worlds culturalpatrimony.

he conservation giants o and the Istitutonot only shared their vastexperience, philosophy, and methodologywith s course part icipantswho came rom all over the world, butalso provided an incredible learning

opportunity or s sta. was the only internationalorganization in the field o conservationwhich possessed both a ull time proessionaltechnical staff and independent unding.

Tus, could bring to conservationissues and problems and an unsurpassedlevel o expertise, combined with unrivalledreedom o action.

he experience gained over thenext eleven years there was unique andinvaluable and almost wholly responsibleor any success I have had in my career.Without the experience I alsowould never have been selected to the

Vaticans technical oversight committee orthe restoration o Michelangelos rescoesin the Sistine Chapel. My proudest moments came when one o my ieldprojects, he Conservation and Restorationo the Fire Damaged Painted Dome o theAl Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was awardedthe 1986 Aga Khan Award or Architecture.

As one o hundreds o conservationproessionals touched by Isalute and congratulate it on its itiethanniversary.

hank you !

Paul M. SchwartzbaumChief Conservator/echnical Director for International projectshe Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.On the right, I. Awwad, Resident ArchitectAl Aqsa Restoration Committee; on the left,P. Schwartzbaum, Chief Conservator/Restorerat ICCROM in 1984.


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My participation in ARC 82 literallychanged my lie.One o the youngest course participantsthat year, I arrived in Rome with areasonable conservation education butlittle practical experience in the ieldnor knowledge o the world. here I wasintroduced to a remarkable group ocolleagues rom parts o the planet that Ihad previously ound diicult to locate ona map, to many o the mentors who wouldshape my career, and to a city that I cameto love and eventually to call home ormany years. I was humbled by what I didnot know but also empowered to learn and

to evolve as a person and a proessional inan environment that was creative, dynamic,inclusive, and incredibly human.

At the conclusion o the Course, Iwas ortunate to receive a scholarship towork or a year with Dr Giorgio orracain one o s research trainingunits. I learned about research design andscholarship, about teamwork, and about thenecessity o connecting theory and scienceto ield practice. Our ield work on theproject was directed by Paolo and Laura

Mora, two exceptional conservators andteachers who continued to provide me withimportant guidance throughout my career.

I remained at thereater oralmost ten years, irst as a consultant andeventually as a sta member responsibleor the development and teaching o thelaboratory curriculum o the Courseand or general course coordination withJukka Jokilehto and Alejandro Alva. Itwas an extraordinary, ormative timein my lie marked by constant learningand the development o many signiicant

relationships that endure to this day.I let in 1992 and worked

or several years at English Heritagebeore taking up my present positionas Associate Director, Programs, at theGetty Conservation Institute () in LosAngeles. Without a doubt, it was my yearsat that provided the oundationor all that ollowed. I was privileged to betaught by some o the best conservationproessionals o their generation, to ormenduring relationships with colleagues

rom all over the world, and to experienceirsthand what can be accomplishedwith limited resources when there iscommitment to a common purpose.

In many ways, my current positionat the has allowed me to close thecircle. he Getty has a long history ocollaboration with . I have been ableto build upon that history to strengthenties between our institutions and we arenow partners in a number o internationalinitiatives including the InternationalStone Course in Venice, the initiative or the conservation o mosaicsin the Mediterranean, and the Courseon recording and documentation or builtheritage. I am convinced that much can begained by combining the strengths o anintergovernmental organization with those

o a private philanthropic enterprise, and itis a pleasure to work with trusted colleagueswho share similar values and are committedto advancing and developing the ield.

As celebrates its fifiethanniversary, I am sure that I am not alonein acknowledging the significant role it hasplayed in my personal and proessional lie.No matter where I travel, I consistently meetex-participants o s courses who worktirelessly on behal o our shared culturalheritage and have become leaders in the

conservation field. In a world increasinglytroubled by violence, environmental neglectand divisive politics, it is more importantthan ever that intergovernmental institutionssurvive to provide opportunities or peopleto come together, to share knowledge andexperience, and to work toward commongoals. I look orward to working with or many years to come and wish it a long andruitul lie.

Jeanne Marie eutonicoAssociate Director, Programs

he Getty Conservation Institute

The ICCROM ARC Lab, 1989. From left toright: Y. Schaefer, J.M. Teutonico, G. Rizzi,D. Sapere, T. Tuomi and D. Montagna.


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It was 1986 when I discoveredICCROM and the long process o myICCROMization beganI had been invited to lecture or theScientiic Principles in ConservationCourse () on ceramics and glass. Atthat time, one could teach in French withsimultaneous translation. I that had notbeen the case, I would never have haddared to give a course in this prestigiousinstitution, which I knew rom itspublications and international inluence.he aura and immense reputation oits directors and managers were alsoa ormidable challenge. I had worked

enormously hard, prepared a long stringo slides, and spent some sleepless nightsworrying: I would be acing proessionalsrom around the world when I was usedto a primarily French student group. SoI arrived already t ired. hese were myimpressions.

First impact: I ound simple, evendilapidated rooms, limited equipment.Nothing ostentatious or luxurious, nooverload o international bureaucrats.

First surprise: the extraordinary

richness o this multicultural audience attentive, participatory, welcoming andcohesive. hat woke me up despite myatigue.

First shock: s considerable leadin the ield o conservation-restorationcompared to what we were teaching atthe university, and the sudden eeling obeing rather behind in both orm and

substance: preventive conservation as aglobal approach and not merely normative,public awareness-raising, the multiculturaldimension o the stakes involved inheritage conservation, sel-study kits orinteractive didactic methods, and so orth.

First emotion: the incredible availabilityo sta to all the part icipantscoming through. How do they keep up thislevel o curiosity and quality o welcome?For me, this encounter was a rare moment.For them, it is an everyday occurrence thatnever seems to be a burden.

Ater this irst experience, I hadnumerous opportunities to work with

institutional engagements suchas , then individual ones such asparticipating in the programmes o SharingConservation, Risk Management andseveral extremely productive brainstormingsessions. Following each time at ,I was energized and renewed, and onreturning to the Sorbonne, I shared thenew orientations that came out o theseexchanges. For a long time, I was justtrying to keep up with ; today Ihope to be keeping pace with ,

because the greatest lesson I learned isto look ar ahead, look at the big picture,work as a team and anticipate the uture.

Ive learned two deinitive lessonsater more than twenty years o workingtogether: one always leaves withmore than one has brought, and so muchthe better i one leaves more tired thanwhen one came, it is always worth thetrouble.

Major challenges await us, and is more than ever the ulcrum we needto gather conservation proessionals

throughout the world around crucialissues.

Happy Anniversary!

Marie BerducouParis Sorbonne University

M. Berducou, lecturing during the2004 Sharing Conservation DecisionsCourse in Rome.


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Te Strength o an Institutional ApproachBrussels, December 1984. At theinternational colloquium on Earthconstruction technologies appropriateto developing countries, terrepresented a highly technical 360-pagedocument entitled, Earth constructionprimer. wo oicials rom ,Alejandro Alva and Jeanne Marieeutonico, came to see us to give theirreactions to the two pages that had todo with conservation, and volunteeredto rewrite them. Ater this irst act ocooperation, invited terre torun courses on Contemporary Earthen

Architecture, and commissionedterre to provide training on EarthenArchitecture conservation.

Rome, October 1987. hree years laterwe reactivated the InternationalCommittee on Earthen Architecture byjointly organizing the 5th internationalmeeting o experts on the conservationo Earthen Architecture. It was thenthat meetings o this committee weretransormed into a series o conerences, the most recent o which

was organized in Bamako, Mali in 2008and attended by more than 450 peoplerepresenting 64 dierent countries. Itwas also at this time that the decisionwas made to create a completely newinternational course on the conservationo Earthen Architecture, which we calledthe courses, through which we wereable to train hundreds o specialists. Butthat was not the ull extent o our ambitionbecause we also had to set our utureinitiatives in an institutional ramework.In 1989 an agreement was concluded or

the establishment o the Gaia Project. Agreat deal o work was done under thatproject, and this naturally led to otherpartnerships, one o which was with theGetty Conservation Institute (), toorganize the irst regional .

rujillo, November 1996. he Pan-American Course on the Conservationand Management o Earthen Architectureand Archaeological Heritage, 96,was ollowed by 99. o organizethese courses, we did away with all o

the traditional teaching and educationalengineering tools. Everything wasexamined rom scratch and replaced usinginnovative concepts. Cooperation with the

was so intense and satisactory that in1998 a ramework agreement was signedto ormalize Project erra. Drawing on thecombined strength o the three institutionswe were able to put into place a strategicaction plan addressing simultaneously i)research and development, ii) educationand training, iii) planning and application,and iv) inormation and valorization.

Paris, March 2000. Other cooperationventures were also put in place between and terre, particularly throughthe 2009 programme in conjunctionwith World Heritage Centre, inwhich 44 Arican countries took part.

Stepping back to look aresh at thiswhole adventure we can see immediatelythat it is ar rom inished. It began and wasrun steadastly and without great publicityby one oicial rom , AlejandroAlva, who succeeded in implementing abrilliant and extremely powerul, eectiveand productive institutional cooperationstrategy.

hanks and Happy Birthday .

Hugo HoubenCRAterre-Ensag

From left to right: H. Houben, R. Moralesand A. Alva Balderrama at El Brujo, Peru,during the PAT 96 Course.


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ICOM and ICCROM

Te longstanding relationship between theInternational Council o Museums ()and started at the very beginning os history.

On the occasion o the Fifh Session o theInternational Committee or Monuments o in 1953, a subcommittee was createdto define the unctions o the uture ,at that time called the International Centreor the Study o echnical Problems related tothe Conservation o Cultural Property. TeChair o this subcommittee was the then Director Georges Henri Rivire. Key members

were Harold Plenderleith, the first Director,who in 1965 was nominated honorary membero , and Council Member, FrdricG. Gysin. On the occasion o the Ninth General Conerence held in NewDelhi in 1956, Frdric G. Gysin, representingthe Swiss Delegation, proposed the creation othe Rome Centre. Tis resolution (Res. 1.4.53)was adopted together with its Statutes.

he working relationship between thetwo institutions is marked by a strongcommitment. Since the creation o bothorganizations, a representative o isalways an ex-oicio member o Council and the Director-General o

is always an ex-oicio membero the International Committeeor Conservation (-). In act, theSecretariat o -, which is the biggestInternational Committee o , has beenhosted or many years at .

Te strong and positive partnershipbetween and was urtherreinorced and broadened in 2005 to includethe Getty Conservation Institute () orthe training component o the MuseumsEmergency Programme (): eamwork or

Integrated Emergency Management ().

Cristina MenegazziICOM Programme Specialist

Over the past ten years or more,ICCROM has played a key role as ICOMs

principal partner for training in heritageconservation and ethical museologicalpractice. However, the preparation ofplanned responses to catastrophic eventswhich have affected so much of theworlds museological heritage, throughthe development and implementationof the Museum Emergency Programme(MEP), is the convincing result of theexponential growth of this relationshipin providing museums with the tools andskills necessary for self sufficiency in times

of need.

ICOM salutes the 50th Anniversary ofICCROM, and ICOM looks forward to our

continued partnership over the next fifty.

Alissandra CumminsPresident, ICOM

Participants of the Teamwork for IntegratedEmergency Management (TIEM) Course,Bangkok National Museum, Thailand 2005.


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ICOMOS and ICCROM

Te present-day international amily relatedto the conservation o the cultural heritagehas been created under the auspices o, the mother organization. and are two o the children,created one in 1956, the other in 1965.During the Venice Conerence in 1964, aresolution was passed recommending thecreation o as a non-governmentalorganization, intended to complementthe intergovernmental Rome Centre(today ). It was also specificallyrecommended that the Rome Centre,jointly with and , assist in its

establishment (Resolution 2: Monumentor the Man, ). From the start,there was thus an administrative link, bothbeing present in each others representativebodies. Furthermore, it became a commonpractice to collaborate in the organization ointernational conerences and workshops onspecific themes, such as the Nara Conerenceon Authenticity in 1994.

Over the years, most o s builtheritage staff members and consultingexperts have been members o ,

thereore wearing two hats on manyoccasions. We can recall that Pro. PieroGazzola, the ounding President o, was also one o the most activecollaborators o the Rome Centre partlybecause o his role as the representativeo the Italian Government in the Council,partly as a proessional and as a lecturer tothe international courses. Several

Directors have been active in as well,e.g. Sir Bernard Feilden, who was Presidento , and Andrzej omaszewskiPresident o the raining Committee(). In 1972, and wereboth nominated Advisory Bodies tos World Heritage Convention, eachcovering a specific role, urther reinorcingjoint activities. While has beeninvolved especially in the evaluation onominations and monitoring, hasmainly worked on training and technicalcooperation.

Jukka Jokilehto

Special Advisor to the Director-General ofICCROM; former World Heritage Advisor toICOMOS, former President of ICOMOS CIF

In just a half century, ICCROM has

transformed the world of heritageconservation and led us to ourmaturity. Through steadfast training ofinternational specialists, the alumni andalumnae of ICCROM have gone forthinto the world and multiplied. The seedsplanted by ICCROM have blossomed intoa global network of heritage trainingcenters and institutions, and today astrong cadre of heritage professionals ispreserving the memory of humanity inevery country. Since our founding in 1965,

ICOMOS has always looked at our oldersibling as our permanent partner and

friend. As we both continue to evolve, we

look forward to another half century ofclose collaboration and solidarity.

Gustavo AraozPresident, ICOMOS

Congratulations to ICCROM on its 50th birthday!

ICOMOS

C. Erder, former Director of ICCROM (right), receivingthe Gazzola Prize for his distinguished work in thefield of conservation at the 14th ICOMOS GeneralAssembly in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 2003.


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raining, inormation, research, cooperationand advocacy. Tese are the five pillars os activities through which it ulfilsits mandate. However, since sbeginnings, training has always been seen asthe undamental tool or the developmentand strengthening o the conservationdiscipline on a global scale. Although theormat and ocus o the training activitieshave evolved with time, responding tochanging needs and possibilities around theworld, this is still one o s strongestassets. And it is mostly through trainingthat we continue to make a difference,although dissemination o inormation,

research, cooperation and advocacy are alsoundamental elements o our work.

How can make a differenceand still be relevant in a world where vastnumbers o conservation and researchcentres, and especially training courses andprogrammes have emerged over the last 50years? What is the role o an internationalconservation centre in an ever-moreglobalized world? Such sel-examination isessential within any organization in order toensure it can continue to provide adequate

responses to real needs, and this is all themore true in the context o a deep economiccrisis.

In the ollowing pages we will show what is doing (and why), and how thishas an impact in the conservation world.s activities have always been limitedin scope, due the size o the organizationand its budget constraints. Tus, all o our

programmes are created to target areas inwhich we can have the highest impact withthe available resources. strives torespond to and anticipate needs, making themost o existing means and possibilities whileat the same time avoiding the duplication oefforts.

Member States are entitled to the best andhave the expectation that the proessionalsresponsible or conservation o heritagein their respective countries would makea difference afer spending time involvedin one o s activities. Te concepto multilateralism, which was at the hearto the creation o , is what makes

training, and all o our other activities, sospecial. Needless to say, this is the onlyintergovernmental organization with 126Member States meeting every two yearsto specifically talk about conservation ocultural heritage.

1. An overview of some of ICCROMsactivitiesA space or learning, discussion and sharing

International courses have long beenthe flagship o s activities, and

Member States expect not only qualityoutput rom staff in this respect, but thatcourse participants will make a differencein conservation upon returning to theirrespective countries.

Conservation proessionals come to courses in relatively small groups.In each course, one can find a mix oarchaeologists, architects, art historians,conservators, engineers, museologists,planners or conservation scientists, mostlycoming rom public institutions, thoughnot always. Tey ofen have responsibilities

in decision-making linked to conservationand are ofen involved with training. Teseparticipants come rom every possibleregion o the world and all are united byone same ultimate goal: how to better careor our heritage. Participants bring to thecourses not only the richness o their culture,heritage and different ranges o expertise,but also and perhaps more interestingly,multiple ways o understanding and definingheritage, including different approaches toconservation.

Interaction is imperative with lecturers,who are chosen both or their recognizedexperience and capacity or communicatingtheir knowledge. Troughout the courses,

Making a Difference

ICCROM staff

Classroom discussions during the SharingConservation Decisions Course, Rome, 2008.


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experiences are shared, compared andcontrasted. Te result is a recognition o thediversity o heritage, and hence the diverseapproaches to conservation. Participantsalways benefit rom reerence materialsprepared or courses, as well as the learningvenues, which invariably offer possibilities orvisiting past or ongoing conservation projects- extremely rich sources o exercise.

Tis type o setting and approach totraining is unique and difficult to findelsewhere. Formal and regular academicinstitutions may offer some spaces to alimited number o oreign students, butthe ocus is ofen directed towards national

conservation practices and policies. Large-sized international conerences are other oraor discussion, but there are ofen limits tothe exchanges due to the short duration othese meetings and the lack o representationo conservation proessionals rom numerouscountries, ofen due to economic reasons. Te courses also differ rom workshopstaking place in bilateral cooperation settings,where the experience is normally limited tothe two countries involved.

courses represent not only a time

to learn and share, but also a much-neededtime-off or conservation proessionalsrom accelerated daily tasks and schedules,in order to reflect on the theoretical andpractical aspects o conservation.

By the end o their stay, participants tendto have a broader vision o conservation, aswell as enhanced tools and methodologieswhich allow them to solve problems atvarious strategic levels.

Considering that group size is purposelylimited to increase quality interaction andlearning, participants are ofen selected

on the basis o their ability to share anddisseminate inormation, with a sort o rippleeffect, afer the course is completed.

Parallel to the courses, launchedthe internship and ellows programme.Te internships allow young conservationproessionals to gain insight into theplanning, organization and implementationo activities at an international level.

On networking and sharing o inormation

Publishing and disseminating inormation

are accepted as ethical and moral duties othose working with cultural heritage. Newtools and media make communicationeasier than ever beore, and even so, this

remains one o the weaker elements o theconservation discipline. thereorebelieves it still has an active role to playin ostering the exchange and sharing oinormation.

One o the major ways has donethis is by ounding and maintaining oneo the worlds most important specializedlibraries on heritage preservation. Tecollection, now containing some 84,000 items

in more than 60 languages, is accompaniedby an online database giving access to morethan 102,000 bibliographic reerences.

For decades, the Library hascarried out a programme o indexing and,where possible, abstracting conservationarticles. In act, until recently no other libraryin the world has carried out indexing acrosssuch a broad spectrum o conservationliterature and languages. Tese indexedbibliographic reerences are shared withthe Bibliography o the ConservationInormation Network (). Abstracting at

the Library has received generous supportrom (Abstracts o InternationalConservation Literature) during a recentour-year period.

In the 1980s transerred itscomputerized catalogue into the -database program reely available rom. Tis technology was viewed as agodsend at the time, particularly amongstlibraries with moderate resources that couldnow have access to a ree, inexpensivelymaintained database. As new bibliographic

standards and user expectations have evolvedsince that time, the Library is migrating itsdatabase towards a new platorm, based onthe Open Source movement and the

Many will share what has been

said by some of those who have

taken our courses in the past:

what an experience of a lifetime! Iagree with the sentiments of othersabout the course, the people, Romeitself - enjoy (and dont panic if youdont all agree). One of the real lessonsI gained from the course is that therecan be more than one right answeror approach: its something I remindmyself of often working back home inNew Zealand.

Robyn Burgess, New Zealand

Professionally, my approachto conservation has changedtremendously; its now fully rootedinto the significance of places forpeople. Personally, my curiosity hasbounced and my sensitivity to theworld augmented a lot. Now whenI hear about lots of countries in the

news Im able to say: I have a friendthere!

Jean Laberge, Canada

Documenting collections during theCollAsia 2010 Textiles ConservationCourse, National Museum of Ethnology,Leiden, Netherlands, 2005.


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standard maintained at the Library oCongress. Our goal will be to eventuallymake our experiences available to otherlibraries in our Member States who are acingsimilar challenges by posting details o thisproject on the web.

In addition to the Library, preserves the memory o its owncontribution to the heritage field throughthe activities o the Archives Service, createdin 2002 to manage its inactive records. Teinstitutional records kept in the Archives area valuable resource or us in guaranteeing thesaeguarding o its historical memory and toassure the transparency o its administrative

actions. Researchers value the Archives asa primary source or topics and areas in theconservation field where has beeninvolved.

Presently, the Archives are in the processo designing and implementing a recordsmanagement system, which deals withs active and semi-active records,both hard-copy and digital. Tis workis being done in collaboration with thenter project (International Research onPermanent Authentic Records in Electronic

Systems).In order to communicate and disseminatethe findings o its various activities, publishes texts that are recognized asundamental and authoritative contributionsto heritage preservation. Tese play a keyrole in proessional development amongconservators and will continue to be a

vital resource or uture generations. Astechnology evolves, we continue to reacha wider and more diversified audience

by sharing knowledge both on paper andelectronically via our website. ispresently planning its second generationo web

iccrom newsl35-2009 en

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