Conservator of Textiles
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg, Virginia
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is seeking applicants for the position of Conservator of Textiles. This is a permanent full-time salaried position and is eligible for benefits.
Responsibilities: The Conservator of Textiles is responsible for enhancing the protection and preservation of Colonial Williamsburg’s cultural assets by supervising the operation of the textiles conservation laboratory. Primary functions include proposing and carrying out conservation treatments, and researching and developing new approaches to conservation treatment. Condition assessments and treatments are carried out in accordance with exhibition objectives.
Additionally, the Conservator of Textiles oversees the conservation treatments and career development of laboratory staff (where applicable) as well as conservation technicians, interns, and volunteers.
Requirements: Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including professional presentations; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships; must be able to establish priorities, meet deadlines and work under pressure. Detailed knowledge of traditional decorative, fine, and folk art materials and technologies; knowledge of the effects of environmental conditions on materials and objects; detailed knowledge of conservation materials and experience in applying current conservation methodologies; highly developed manual skills; scientific knowledge to enable undertaking in-depth examination and analysis of objects, performing treatments and producing and following necessary literature and reports; demonstrable history of proposed, completed and documented treatments. All generally gained through graduate level study in conservation plus ten years conservation experience in recognized institutions — or the equivalent technical education and experience.
Preferred qualifications: Supervisory and administrative experience; familiarity with upholstery techniques used in the 18th and 19th centuries; membership in a professional conservation organization; history of publications pertinent to the area of specialization.
The Conservation Department of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is composed of an energetic team of conservation professionals who work in nine modern well-equipped labs. On-site analytical capabilities include: x-radiography, fluorescence microscopy, FT-IR, XRF, and SEM-EDS.
Colonial Williamsburg’s textile and costume collection includes more than 8,000 examples of clothing, needlework, quilts, carpets, and flat textiles from several continents and ranging in date from the 17th century to the present. Among the embroidered textiles are clothing, bed furnishings, samplers, raised-worked boxes, and mourning pictures. Household textiles include linen tablecloths, homespun sheets, and woolen blankets, as well as printed cotton bed hangings, chair covers, and carpets from Asia and Europe. An extensive assemblage of costume accessories comprises hats, shoes, stockings, handkerchiefs, aprons, gloves, and pocketbooks.
For further information and to apply online, please visit: http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/foundation/careers
Salary commensurate with experience. Successful candidate must have USA work visa. Colonial Williamsburg supports a drug- and alcohol-free workplace. AA/EOE
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