The NMCT Trustees held their June meeting in Oxford this year, enabling them to visit the new conservation studios in the Bodleian's Weston Library and also to visit the Oxford Conservation Consortium, where various NMCT funded projects are underway.
At the Bodleian Library Virginia Llado-Buisan, the Bodliean's Head of Conservation and Collections Care, and her colleagues were generous in their welcome. Robert Minte showed trustees the Book of the Constellation of the Fixed Stars (1170 C.E), explaining the consierable conservation challenges it posed. Sabina Pugh discussed the conservation of Chaucer's Complaint of Mars which was awarded a grant in 2014.
The Trustees then walked to the Oxford Conservation Consortium where they were warmly welcome by Jane Eagan and her colleagues. In addition to seeing work underway on projects including Greek manuscripts from Magdalen College, awarded a grant in 2014, OCC staff and College Librarian colleagues gave illustrated talks on a range of completed conservation projects that benefitted from NMCT grants in the past. These included pre 1700 musical manuscripts from Chrst Church College, the Whitehall Rolls of Worcester College and MS 154, Aelfric and Aelfric Bata, Grammatical Texts (11th century).
It was a fascinating day and the Trustees are most grateful to colleagues at the Bodleian's Weston Library and the Oxford Conservation Consortium for giving their time so generously.
Sabina Pugh and Arthur Green discussing conservation of the Chaucer manuscript. Image courtesy of the Bodleian Libraries.
Jane Eagan with NMCT Chairman Lord Egremont (right) and Trustee, Norman James. Image courtesy of the Oxford Conservation Consortium.
