A Death

Antoinette King passed away quietly in New York City on February 21,
2014. She was 81 years old.  As a young conservator she trained with
both Margaret Watherston and Marilyn Weidner before coming to The
Museum of Modern Art in 1968 as the first permanent staff paper
conservator in 1968.  From 1968 until 1984 she headed Paper
Conservation at MoMA and in 1984 she was promoted to Director of
Conservation, the position she held until her retirement in December
1996.  From 1977 until 1997 Antoinette King was affiliated with the
Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York
University.  During those years she was a deep and lasting influence
on many young paper conservators.

The conservation of works of art on paper from the modern period was
uncharted territory when Antoinette arrived at MoMA.  She brought a
deep appreciation of the range of papers used by artists in the
modern period, especially ephemeral papers such as newsprint, to her
approach to treatments, an approach that influenced a generation of
paper conservators in the classroom and the field at large as well.
Among her numerous treatments, she always considered her work on
Picasso's studies for "Guernica" to be a highpoint.  Antoinette's
expertise was wide and her research and publications on collage were
particularly noteworthy.

Her tenure of 28 years at MoMA witnessed many changes in the museum
itself as well as the field as a whole and while at MoMA Antoinette
lobbied for the professional status of the conservation staff and
the introduction of conservation science within the department and
museum.  Her devotion to things modern extended also to film and
music, two passions that she pursued after her retirement.

Donations to the Foundation of the American Institute for
Conservation (FAIC) Professional Development Fund for Grants and
Scholarships may be made in her honor.

Submitted on behalf of Antoinette's many friends and colleagues in
our field,

Jim Coddington
Museum of Modern Art


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:35
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 18, 2014
                       Message Id: cdl-27-35-001
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