Christopher Clarkson as a Teacher: His Contribution to Book Conservation Training in Italy

ABSTRACT

After the Florence flood experience, Christopher Clarkson went back to Italy on several occasions, being invited as a speaker to international conferences on book history and conservation. In the early 1990s, he took part in the preliminary outline of the educational plan for the due-to-open European School for Conservators - Restorers of Book Materials in Spoleto, Italy. As a full-time tutor of the course for eight years, the author recalls the School program structure and Chris's unique personality and attitude towards training students in the understanding of the historical context of book production and the qualities of materials used in conservation.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG

Aufgrund seiner Erfahrung mit der Flut in Florenz, kehrte Christopher Clarkson mehrmals nach Italien zurück und war als Referent zu internationalen Konferenzen zur Buchgeschichte und Restaurierung eingeladen. Anfang der 1990er Jahren war er an den Vorarbeiten zum Ausbildungsplan für die geplante Europäische Schule für Restauratoren und Konservatoren in Spoleto, Italien, beteiligt. Als Vollzeitdozentin des Kurses während acht Jahren, erinnert sich die Autorin an die Struktur des Schulprogramms, an Chris' einmalige Persönlichkeit und seine Herangehensweise, Studentinnen und Studenten das Verständnis für die geschichtlichen Zusammenhänge der Buchproduktion und die Qualität von Restaurierungsmaterialien zu vermitteln.

KEYWORDS:

• Book conservation training
• Book material studies
• ICPAL-Istituto Centrale per la Patologia degli Archivi e del Libro

SCHLÜSSELWÖRTER:

• Buchrestaurierungsausbildung
• buchspezifische Materialstudien
• ICPAL - Istituto Centrale per la Patologia degli Archivi e del Libro

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Assunta Di Febo

Assunta Di Febo worked for the Italian Ministry of Culture from 1985 to 2019. Initially, she was employed in the educational sector of the ICPAL (Istituto Centrale per la Patologia degli Archivi e del Libro) the Restoration and Conservation of Library and Archival Cultural Heritage (ICRCPAL) in Rome, Italy as a tutor in specialization courses and at the European School for Conservators-Restorers of Book Material in Spoleto, Italy. In 2002 she was responsible for the communication services in the same Institute. From October 2010 to December 2019 she was at the Center for the Book and Reading in Rome where she was involved in activities to promote reading with younger age groups.