CCI2014050702

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A Ccmparative Investigation of Methods for the Consolidation of Wet Archaeological Leather. Application of Freeze-drying to Polyethylene Glycol Impregnated Leather,

Jan Wouters,

Konk. Inst. v.h. Kunstpatrimonium,    Brussels    61

Dutch Goldleather, It's Japanese Applications Isabel Tanaka-van Daalen    70

Preventing Metal Catalysed Degradation of Leather, Sherri Sanders    79

Lidl.os and gentleman

Am dlrector of this institution I welcome you to the i'.Mil rai Laboratory and wish you an interesting meeting .md a good stay in Amsterdam. For those of you not familiar willi our institution, just a few words about it.

'11 m C.L. is one of about 30 institutions spread over the w u Id with the same task: to check applications of the many l«»MMlbilities that the natural Sciences, technology and liiiman Sciences have to offer to the investigation and • i u inervation of our cultural heritage.

'iho Central Research Laboratory is central in the sense I hal it is at the service of anybody responsible for or lnlerested in these tasks in the Netherlands. It is central In the sense that we try to gather and to work through Information about research and conservation projects going on elsewhere and to pass this information on to whoever may Im interested or may need it. We try to be involved in nnt ional and intemational workinggroups on conservation tesearch, where we try to contribute with our own - al-I hough limited - research, and our knowledge or Professional experience. Three members of the staf of this institu-Ilon are coordinators of ICOM-workinggroups: T. Stambolov, conservation of leathercraft and related objects,

.1. Hofenk-de Graaff conservation of textiles, E. van de Wetering, History and Ethics of conservation. On a national lovel we also try to investigate what conservation problems Ihere are in the field by means of workinggroups: we have a workinggroup on problems concerning conseryation in and on historie monuments, another looks into problems that the archiyes in this country may have, another investigates the problems of book conseryation and still another one on materials for contemporary artists. This is a way to keep informed about problems and to organize our research accordingly. So much about the C.L. change hats. For it is also as a member of the ICOM-Corrmittee for Conseryation directory board that I welcome you to this meeting. And again, as some of you may not be familar with IGOM let me give you sonę information on what it is and how it works.

Although the Intemational Committee for Conseryation can give little or no financial support to the activities of its specialized workinggroups it strongly recommends and encourages this sort of meeting. As a member of such