Deborah Bede, F.I.I.C.

Bradford, NH 03221

(603) 938-2310

Summary of Qualifications:

Thirty years of experience in textile and costume conservation.

Diploma in Conservation from the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (1982).

Museum experience at the Minnesota Historical Society, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the New Canaan, Conn. Historical Society.

Teaching experience at New York University, The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Pine Manor College, and Newbury College, as well as various lectures and workshops.

Archaeological field research and photography in Winchester, England.

Administrative and business skills acquired through business employment.

Professional Experience:

June 1999 – present: Principal, Stillwater Textile Conservation Studio, LLC.

December 1994 – May 1999: Textile Conservator, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul.

January 1991 – November 1994: Associate Textile Conservator [Head of the Textile Conservation Lab], Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

August 1990 – January 1991: Assistant Textile Conservator-in-Charge [Acting Head of the Textile Conservation Lab], Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

November 1988 – August 1990: Assistant Textile Conservator, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

December 1987 – March 1988: Consulting Costume Conservator, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

May 1985 – May 1999: Conservator in private practice.

January 1984 – December 1994: Associate Curator and Conservation Consultant, The New Canaan (Connecticut) Historical Society.

March 1983 – May 1985: Conservator, The Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc., South Salem, NY.

January 1982 – June 1982: Consulting Conservator, the Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc., South Salem, NY.

June 1981 – August 1981: Consulting Conservator, The Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc., South Salem, NY.

January 1980 – June 1980: Conservation Technician, Objects Conservation Department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

June 1980 – August 1980: Associate Conservator, The Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc., South Salem, NY.

September 1979 – June 1980: Conservator, Artweave Textile Gallery.

October 1978 – June 1982: Volunteer in Restoration, The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

September 1975 – June 1976: Volunteer Restorer, The New Canaan Connecticut Historical Society.

Education and Professional Training:

June 1982 – March 1983: Mellon Fellow in Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Costume Institute.  Supervisor: Nobuko Kajitani.

September 1978 – June 1982: The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Diploma in Conservation awarded June 1982.

M.A. Art History 1980.

September 1981 – December 1981: Intern, Textile Conservation Department, The Detroit Institute of Arts. Supervisors: Mary Ballard, Barbara Heller.

September 1980 – June 1981: Intern, Textile Conservation Department, The Victoria and Albert Museum. Supervisor: Sheila Landi.

June 1979 – August 1979: Intern, The Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc., South Salem, N.Y.  Supervisor: Karen Clark.

September 1975 – June 1978: New York University.

B.A. Magna cum Laude with Honors in Fine Arts awarded June 1978.

Major: Art History, Minor: Chemistry.

Phi Beta Kappa awarded June 1978.

Dean’s List 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78.

H.W. Janson Scholar 1978.

University Scholar 1978.

June 1971: High School Diploma, Woodstock Country School, South Woodstock, VT.

Professional development:

November 2002: Removal of Pressure-Sensitive Tape and Tape Stains, Elissa O=Loughlin and Linda Stiber Morenus, AIC Professional Development Workshop

August 2002: A Practical Approach to Looking at Weave Structures, Milton Sonday, Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

July 2002: Enzymes and Their Use in Conservation, Hal Erickson, Smithsonian Institution

April 2002: Introduction to Cleaning Systems Workshop, Richard Wolbers, Winterthur Museum

April 1997: Decorative Binding, Jill Jevne, Minnesota Center for Book Arts

May 1997: Four Perspectives on Textile Conservation, The Conservation Analytical Lab, Smithsonian Institution

June 1996: Color Measurement, Richard Harold, AIC.

May 1996: Boxmaking, Jill Jevne, The Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

June 1995: Experimental Design for Conservation Research, Chandra Reedy, AIC.

August 1992: Reweaving of Damaged Textiles, The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Mount Carroll, IL.

July 1987: Conservator’s Business Seminar (3 days), Art Conservation Laboratory, Raymond, NH.

February 1981 – June 1981: Tailoring, London, England.

September 1979 – December 1979: Weaving, New York, NY.

June 1979 – August 1979: Draping, Flat Pattern Design, The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

Publications and Presentations:

“Pressure Mounting Workshop” [organized and conducted], North American Textile Conservation Conference, Albany, November 2003.

“Conserving the Wright Brothers’ 1905 Flyer III”, [with Malcolm Collum], Joint Textiles/Objects Session, AIC Annual Meeting, Miami, June 2002.

“Conservation of the Wright Flyer III: Serendipity and Substantiation”, North American Textile Conservation Conference, Philadelphia, April 2002.

“Conservation of the Wright Flyer III”, Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums Conference, Smithsonian Institution, March 2001.

“Points of View: Looking at Quilts from Different Angles”, panel discussion at the American Textile History Museum, September 2000.

“Workshop in Textile Preservation”, Maine Archives and Museums Conference, September 1999.

“Color Measurement of Historic Textiles”, Midwestern Regional Conservation Guild, November 1998.

“Light Monitoring at the Minnesota Historical Society”, Environmental Workshop sponsored by the Upper Midwest Conservation Association, September 1998.

“Exhibit Lighting at the Minnesota Historical Society: Meeting Preservation Objectives While Enhancing Visitor Experience”, National Archives Annual Preservation Conference, March 1998.

Tech Talk: “Preserving Historic Quilts”, Minnesota History Interpreter, September 1997.

“Working with Long-term Exhibits Containing Textiles”, Symposium 97, Ottawa, September 1997.

Demonstration: “Color Measurement of Historic Textiles”, Symposium 97, Ottawa, September 1997.

“Textiles in Paintings”, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, September 1997.

“Water – What About It?”, AIC Annual Meeting, Textile Specialty Group, St. Paul, MN, June 1995

“The Conservation of a Group of Paracas Mantles” [with Christine Giuntini], La Conservation des Textiles Anciens, Angers, France, September 1994

“The Conservation of Style”, The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, February 1994

“Ethics” Discussion Group Leader, AIC Annual Meeting, Textile Specialty Group, Nashville, TN, June 1994

“Methodology of Color Measurement of Historic Textiles”, AIC Annual Meeting, Textile Specialty Group, Denver, CO, June 1993.

“Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Emulsions”, Adhesives in Textile Conservation Symposium, The Textile Conservation Group, NY, January 1993.

“The Ancient Andean Collection: Techniques and Conservation”, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, November 14 and 19, 1991.

“Conservation of an 18th Century Deccan Pecchavai”, AIC Textiles/Paintings Joint Session, Albuquerque, NM, June 1991.

“Color Changes in Textiles Displayed under Optimal Conditions”, Harpers Ferry Regional Textile Group Biennial Meeting, Washington, DC, November 1990.

“Beads Gone Bad: Glass Bead Decoration on Women’s Costume”, AIC Annual Meeting, Textile Specialty Group, Richmond, VA, May 1990.

“The Use of Adhesives in Textile Conservation”, The Textile Conservation Group, New York, January 1984.

Teaching Experience:

October 2001 – 2004: Visiting Lecturer in Conservation, Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

October 1995 and 1996: “Adhesives for Textile Conservation” [5 days per session], Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Mount Carroll, IL.

February 1994: Visiting Lecturer in Conservation, Conservation Center Training Program, The Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

November 1990 – 1995: “Textile Materials and Techniques”, yearly lecture to the Museum Seminar: “Preservation and Scientific Examination of Works of Art”, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

September 1990 – December 1990: Instructor, Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA.  Subject: Costume History, a semester-long course held once a week.

July 1990: “Workshop: Introduction to Textile Conservation Techniques” [4 days], Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Mount Carroll, IL.

May 1990: “Introduction to Textile Conservation” [2 days], Newbury College, Brookline, MA.

1983 – present: Lectures and Workshops given at various historic agencies.

Grants and Fellowships Awarded:

1998: Institute of Museum and Library Services Conservation Project Support for Conservation of the Textiles from the Ramsey House (St. Paul, MN).

1990: National Endowment for the Arts and Getty Grant Program grants for the Andean Textile Conservation Project, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

1983: National Museum Act Grant for the Seminar: “Fiber Microscopy for Textile Conservators”, instructor: Paul Tucker, North Carolina State University.  Initiated and organized the seminar, held at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, New York.

1982: Mellon Fellowship in Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Grants Reviewed:

December 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004: Institute of Museum and Library Services Conservation Project Support Reviewer

1994-1998: State Historic Preservation Office (Minnesota) grant applications reviewed

July 1993: Getty Grant Program Reviewer

December 1992: Institute of Museum Services Conservation Project Support Reviewer

Offices and Committees:

June 2003 – June 2004: Chair, Textile Specialty Group, American Institute for Conservation.

June 2002- June 2003: Vice Chair, Textile Specialty Group, American Institute for Conservation.

June 2000 B June 2001: Committee Member, Program Committee, American Institute for Conservation.

November 1998 B November 2000: President, Midwestern Regional Conservation Guild.

1995 – 1997: Textile Specialty Group Liaison to Research and Technical Studies Task Force, AIC.

1995 – 1998: Textile Specialty Group Liaison to the American Society for Testing of Materials.

June 1995 – April 2002: Steering Committee Member, North American Textile Conservation Conference.

March 1992 – present: Associate Editor (Textiles), Journal of the American Institute for Conservation.

August 1991 B January 2001: Textile Conservation Catalogue Committee.

May 1991 – June 1994: Committee Member, Program Committee, American Institute for Conservation.

June 1990 – June 1991: Chair, Textile Specialty Group, American Institute for Conservation.  Organized Textile Specialty Group program at the Annual Meeting, and co-organized Paintings/ Textiles Joint Session.

June 1989 – June 1990: Vice-Chair, Textile Specialty Group, American Institute for Conservation.

September 1990 – September 1992: Committee Member, Conservation Assessment Committee, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

June 1982 – June 1984: Co-Chair, Treasurer, The Textile Conservation Group, New York.

1981, 1983: Co-Secretary, The Textile Conservation Group, New York.

Memberships:

American Institute for Conservation, Fellow

The International Institute for Conservation, Fellow

The International Council of Museums

The New England Conservation Association

The Western Association of Art Conservators