Centre to hold international conference, 6th-7th December 2012

The Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History has been hosting an international research network over the past two years, thanks to the generous support of the Getty Foundation.

The Research Network for Textile Conservation, Dress and Textile History and Technical Art History is holding an international conference on the topic of authenticity, with papers related to the three fields of textile conservation, dress and textile history and technical art history.

The conference will be held at the University of Glasgow on 6th-7th December 2012 and speakers from around the world will include specialists from, among many others, the following institutions:

• The National Archives
• National Portrait Gallery
• British Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• University of Texas
• Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon

The conference will provide a platform for the exchange of ideas on the concepts and workings of authenticity and replication with a view to understanding their role in the investigation and conservation of works of art and cultural heritage objects. Papers will provide insight into topics such as the ethics and practicalities of replication, the impact of different interpretations of authenticity on conservation and interpretative approaches, cultural heritage online and developing the audience’s understanding of history through the methodology of replication.

This conference will bring together professionals from across disciplines to consider these problematic yet fundamental issues in order to go some way in questioning, ‘what is the real thing?’ There will also be poster displays on a wide range of topics.

For further information on the programme and to register: www.gla.ac.uk/cca/researchnetwork