Leather and Related Materials Working Group Triennial Programme 2020-2023

Specific themes for investigation/ideas

• Conservation materials and methodologies: The development, the improvement or the assessment of conservation materials and techniques for leather and related materials.
• Development of new analytical approaches for the characterization of leather, skin and parchment, in particular non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques to gain information on the technologies and degradation.
• Preventive conservation: The development of strategies, guidelines on environmental conditions for leather, skin and related materials in museums, churches, libraries, archives and historic houses. Research and preventive conservation projects on the issues of low energy storage and display.
• Leather, skin and parchment technologies: Studies on the history and original technologies of leather artifacts of historic and artistic value from different countries, based both on scientific investigation and study of archival documents, technical sources and literature.
• Sustainable conservation practices related to climate control, integrated pest management and leather conservation treatments or materials, as well as approaches to achieve carbon net zero through our work practises.

Projects

• Newsletters and Communication: Publication of an annual newsletter based on submissions received, and direct communication through emails when new information (for example, workshops, job postings) come out or when an update on our Working Group activities needs to be shared.
• Triennial Conference in 2023. Encourage members to contribute papers that will address the Working Group and the conference themes.
• Interim meetings and post prints publications: Organisation of an interim meeting in 2022. Depending on the possibilities, the meeting may be organised in combination with another Working Group of ICOM-CC or other committee of ICOM. A full publication will be produced following the conference and the talk may be recorded and made available online.
• ICOM-CC Publications Online project: Assist with gathering information for the Online Publications Platform related to the Working Groups past publications, as well as any further work required to place publications generated in this Triennial online, as needed.
• Virtual discussion: Organise short events online for a small group of participants to discuss and exchange ideas on a specific topic.
• Videos on practical treatments: Create a page on the ICOM-CC website that gathers links to access existing and newly created videos. Encourage the creation of new videos made by Working Group members showing practical conservation treatments and sharing tricks and tips.
• Common and collaborative bibliography: reflection on the possibility of creating a common and collaborative bibliography on leather and related materials. Different topics will be defined and the project will be initiated on one of these specific topics.
• Workshop: organisation of a workshop either combined with the interim meeting or stand alone (eg. Leather manufacturing workshop, art historical practical workshop on gilt leather).