Christopher Clarkson, to whom the essays in this book are dedicated, was a giant in the field of book conservation and book history. His innate artistic talent and craftsmanship were without equal. He lived a life dedicated to the book, specializing in the period of the early codex to the Renaissance. This publication is an emphatic reflection of the great regard in which Chris was held by the conservation community and beyond. In Europe and the United States, his influence will forever be marked by the many innovative approaches and techniques he passed on to his fellow conservators and historians.
Chris inspired many in the field with his teachings and approach. As young students, we both attended the European School for Conservators-Restorers of Book Materials in Spoleto, Italy, where Chris taught numerous courses on historical bookbinding structures and conservation. He was deeply vested in the founding of the school and influential in its teaching structure.
Chris strongly opposed the practice of blindly applying a procedure or creating a facsimile of a historical book structure – he believed that a deep understanding of each individual book as an artefact in its historical context was fundamental to any conservation intervention. His broad understanding of the book as a three-dimensional object, along with his affinity for its historical context and the challenges that original materials and structures posed, left a remarkable impression on us. His dedication to the craft, the ease with which he could execute complex procedures, his profound knowledge of the history of the book, and his openness to investigate new treatment approaches was inspirational.
Chris, ultimately, provided instruction and training to two generations of students. Even in later years when, much to his dismay, he was unable to take on students in his private studio in Oxford, he was always available for calls and emails to talk through treatment challenges.
In this special volume, we collect a series of original papers and recollections honouring Chris.
Jedert Vodopivec Tomažič kindly agreed to include Chris’s last unpublished article and provided an interview with Chris by the National Radio of Slovenia from 24th November, 2008. Claudia Benvestito, Claire Dekle and Gwenanne Edwards, Hanka Gerhold, Cedric Lelièvre, Elodie Lévêque and Claire Chahin investigate historical materials and techniques for conservation work, as well as conservation designs developed early on by Chris. The contributions by Jacques Brejoux, the Clarkson Family, Nataša Golob, Nadine Dumain and Stuart Welch reflect the personal connection they had to him. Nicole Gilroy, Marinita Stiglitz and Robert Minte, Assunta Di Febo, Lilian Randall, Abigail Quandt, Jedert Vodopivec Tomažič recount the influence Chris had in their respective institutions. Silvia Pugliese, Georgios Boudalis, Nicholas Pickwoad, Nancy Turner, Mirjam Foot and Jiří Vnouček delve deeply into aspects of book history, reflecting their personal research. Our goal is for Chris’s legacy and work as a conservator, historian and archaeologist of the book to live on with these contributions.
Numerous editors dedicated their time to provide suggestions and corrections to the articles, making this publication possible. William Davis, Senior Photography Associate at the Folger Shakespeare Library, was indispensable for helping us with many image edits. We are indebted to Michael Gullick, who was willing to share his editorial work on six articles in this publication that were originally intended for a Festschrift, honouring Chris before his passing. We are grateful to Nicholas Pickwoad for all his help and suggestions he provided for the duration of the entire project. To conclude, we thank Renate Mesmer, IADA President, for initiating and supporting the idea of this special volume.