A death

Annette Low-Lange, our former fellow student, flatmate and colleague
died in Zurich late November last year. A merry, always busy, modest
and often radiant friend is gone after years of serious suffering.

Annette was born in Germany on 23 June 1964.  Well equipped with a
bookbinder's apprenticeship and a Higher Diploma from Camberwell
College, London, she went onto a remarkable and wide range of work
experiences.  During her studies, at the young age of 23, she had
volunteered to travel across then civil-war stricken Nicaragua in a
mobile library; it essentially meant travelling in a van visiting
towns and villages, with a view to encourage people to read.
Damaged books were also repaired and bound on the spot.

After having finished her studies she then worked at the Staats- und
Universitatsbibliothek Bremen for a while until she got married and
moved back to London.  From 1992 to 1995 she was employed at the
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, where she was working on several
important projects, most notably on the Heals Textile Sample Books
and on the Charles Dickens' Manuscripts; for the latter she did the
research on the history and the damage of the manuscripts, the
evaluation of possible treatment methods and also carried out some
of the devised treatment of the manuscript pages as well as the
rebinding of the volumes (also published in The Paper Conservator,
Vol. 18, 1994, p.5-10).

Due to the work of her husband she also spent three years in Hong
Kong and again eight years in London which she mostly dedicated to
her family and the up-bringing of their two daughters.  From 2005
she was involved in marketing and distributing bibliophile works of
the Japanese artist Katsumi Komagata whilst setting up a website for
his book arts.  In November 2006 the family moved to Switzerland and
Annette found further employment at the Staatsarchiv Zurich on a
part-time basis.  We all remember Annette for her incredible
patience, tenacity and dedication to her profession.  She continued
working up to four days before she died.

Finally we would like to commemorate Annette with quoting her
introduction to the "rose book" she made:

   "This is a very personal book, inspired by my daily visits to the
    magnificent rose garden in Regent's Park in London.  I had been
    suffering from a severe illness and was waiting for a liver
    transplant.  During this difficult period my daily walks in the
    rose garden gave me much strength and encouragement.  Each
    blossom, whether a new flower in full bloom, or near the end of
    its life, was beautiful in itself.  Where one blossom was
    nearing its end, another one would emerge to replace it. An
    abundance of life and life forces.  Sight, touch,
    smells--reminding me of what really counts is living and
    enjoying the moment.  As a symbol of life, and love, a rose can
    show us how precious and vulnerable, but also how powerful it
    really is.  I hope the photos and texts in this book can somehow
    convey the wonder and joy these flowers brought, and the
    gratitude I feel for a new lease of life that I received after
    my transplant.  And I would like to encourage everyone to go
    through the world with open eyes and open hearts, open to the
    wonders of nature and open to the people around us."


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:47
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-47-001
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