Position at Cambridge

Research assistant: Database of Historic Recipes for Paint Making
University of Cambridge, Hamilton Kerr Institute

Full-time (Applicants preferring to work part-time will be
considered.) Beginning 3 January 2006 (or as soon as possible
after). UKP20,044 to UKP22,289 pa or part-time pro rata

The project: Database of Historic Recipes for Paint Making
Manuscripts containing Winsor and Newton's 19th century recipes for
artists' materials are being published using an innovative database.
This unique resource of 22,000 pages of paint formulations will be
invaluable for authenticity studies, scientific analyses, and care
and preservation of 19th century paintings. The main aims of the new
project include digital photography of the manuscripts, indexing
recipe content, and publishing the database on the Web.

The position: You will work on all parts of the project, to
different extents depending on your skills and interests. Initially
you will help setting up a system of digital photography, and then
help with photography (around four months, spread through the first
year). You will design and implement the project's network and
server. You will help in devising indexing strategies and protocols.
You will careful read and interpret the recipes, assist with
entering this data, editing the database, and managing quality and
consistency. You will help implement the web database (depending on
your skills). There are considerable opportunities for publishing
and presenting research based on this untapped unique resource. A
few weeks stay in London may be required.

The successful candidate: The priority is that you should be able to
demonstrate a good knowledge of historical painting materials.
Preferably you would have trained in conservation.  Excellent
English is required for comprehension of the nineteenth-century
manuscripts. In addition to this, experience in as many of the
following would be helpful: long-term data storage, photography,
digital imaging, image processing (preferably Adobe Photoshop),
databases (especially image databases), programming and implementing
web databases.

Employer: The project (in collaboration with Tate) is based at the
Hamilton Kerr Institute, a department of the Fitzwilliam Museum,
University of Cambridge. The Institute undertakes the conservation
of easel paintings for public and publicly shown collections.
<URL:http://www-hki.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/>

Further information:

    Mark Clarke
    +44 1223 354520
    mark<-a t->clericus< . >org

For information on how to apply, please contact

    The Administrator, Hamilton Kerr Institute
    Whittlesford
    Cambridge CB2 4NE
    +44 1223 832040
    Fax: +44 1223 837595
    hki-admin<-a t->lists< . >cam< . >ac< . >uk

Closing Date: Monday 12 December 2005, 10am. Emailed or Fax: ed
applications are welcome. Interviews are expected to take place in
Cambridge on Thursday 15 December, 2005.

Mark Clarke
22 Emery Street
Cambridge CB1 2AX, England
+44 1223 354 520


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:28
                Distributed: Tuesday, November 29, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-19-28-028
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