Peter Waters

Dear Friends,

I am saddened to report that Peter Waters (retired Head of
Conservation, Library of Congress) has been diagnosed with a rare
cancer called "Mesothelioma," usually associated with exposure to
asbestos.  Peter thinks he may have been exposed back in the 1950s
when he spent time replacing the wooden handles of brass bookbinding
tools with new, non-charring, asbestos ones before the dangers of
asbestos were well understood.

I spoke with his wife Sheila today (one of the world's great
calligraphers), and while surgery and chemo-therapy are not options,
she is encouraged by the wave of energy that has returned to Peter
just this week now that the trauma of medical testing is completed.
They are pursuing homeopathic remedies at home to improve Peter's
quality of life, and Sheila asked that I let people know that his
spirits are tremendously improved as a result of reading by the
cards and letters of support.

If you have known Peter or been affected by the numerous
contributions he's made to book conservation over the years, please
take a few minutes to drop him a line.  A really important thing you
can do is share a little of the impact he's had on your career.
Peter's unassuming nature is such that he is really not cognizant of
the tremendous impact he's had on the profession, and it would buoy
up his spirits to learn about it from each of us who have benefited
from his work.  A flood of letters would be grand, and even one line
could brighten his day.

Hard Copy:

    Peter and Sheila Waters
    851 Boyle Road
    Fairfield, PA 17320  USA

Email:
    Sheila Waters <sheilawaters [at] adelphia__net>
    Julian Waters <waterslettering [at] erols__com>


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:74
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 27, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-74-001
                                  ***