Online course on care of baskets

MS225: Care of Baskets
Instructor:  Helen Alten
November 1 through 30, 2010
 Location:  online at <URL:http://www.museumclasses.org>

For More Information:
    <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org/
        training/trol_classes_ms225.html>

    **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped for
    email. There should be no newline.

    Baskets are an important part of nearly every world culture.
    Caring for baskets requires an understanding of why and how they
    deteriorate. Care of Baskets provides a simplified explanation
    of the chemistry and structure of basketry materials. Starting
    with an overview of the history and function of baskets and how
    they are made, Care of Baskets will cover guidelines for
    handling, labeling, exhibiting and storing baskets, including
    condition assessments and an introduction to integrated pest
    management. An overview of treatments used on baskets and how
    appropriate they are for the long-term preservation of the
    basket will help students make care decisions when consulting
    with conservators.

Course Outline:

    Introduction
    The biology and chemistry of materials used for basketry
    Basket Styles and Structures
    Documentation and Condition Report Writing
    Baskets and Their Environment
    Handling Basketry
    Treating Baskets
    Care of Baskets in Storage
    Care of Baskets on Exhibit
    Conclusion

The Instructor:

    Helen Alten, is the Director of Northern States Conservation
    Center and its chief Objects Conservator. For nearly 30 years
    she has been involved in objects conservation since she
    completed her degree in Archaeological Conservation and
    Materials Science from the Institute of Archaeology at the
    University of London in England. She has built and run
    conservation laboratories in Bulgaria, Montana, Greece, Alaska,
    Minnesota and West Virginia. She has a broad understanding of
    three-dimensional materials and their deterioration, wrote and
    edited the quarterly Collections Caretaker,  maintains the
    popular <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org> web site, and
    lectures throughout the United States on collection care topics.
    Helen Alten began working with people from small, rural, and
    tribal museums while the state conservator for Montana and
    Alaska. Helen currently conducts conservation treatments and
    operates Northern States Conservation Center in Charleston, WV
    and St. Paul, MN.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:22
                Distributed: Thursday, October 28, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-24-22-008
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