Judging a book by its cover: Advocacy for Conservation

Last summer, roving radio reporter  Liam Geraghty  came to the Chester Beatty to speak to the Conservation team for an episode of his podcast,  Meet Your Maker. In his programme Liam interviews makers, creators, composers, authors and builders of the cultural landscape, so we were delighted when he got in touch with us.

Increasingly, Conservation generates interest from both the media and general public, and over the past year we have found ourselves in the press several times. Being interviewed can be nerve-wracking—nobody wants to sound silly or be quoted out of context—but we have found our interviewers to be kind, thoughtful, and fascinated by the work that we do.

Chester Beatty: Honorary Irishman - RTE Promo from New Decade TV & Film Ltd on Vimeo.

Late in 2018, RTÉ 1 aired a documentary about Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, the formation of his collection, and its care at home in Dublin Castle today, as part of events to mark 50 years since his gift to the nation of Ireland. Honorary Irishman (aired RTÉ One, Fri 28th Dec 2018) combined interviews and footage from all departments of the Chester Beatty. Through filming in the conservation studio, as well as interviews with members of staff from across the museum, the intrinsic value of conservation and preservation to all activities within the Chester Beatty was clearly demonstrated. 

Similarly, social media provides a valuable platform through which to share our work, and forge links with colleagues across many disciplines, and miles. The Chester Beatty’s newly redesigned website at last provides access to the collections online for remote access, whilst accounts on Instagram and Facebook keep visitors up-to-date whilst also raising awareness of a wide range of matters related to the preservation of our shared cultural heritage. I have found Twitter to be a helpful forum for discussion and exchange, and I recently had my first meeting with a researcher I met through shared images and conservations on this platform!

In my opinion, advocacy for our profession remains an essential duty for the practicing conservator. Sharing our experiences to convey the relevance of the cultural heritage we preserve to a non-specialist audience, or offering them as a building block for further research, will hopefully continue to add value to our profession and to the objects we care for.

It was a pleasure to speak to Liam for the latest episode of Meet Your Maker, and I hope you will enjoy listening to it too.