Lynne Harrison

Lynne Harrison is a senior conservator of organic artefacts and lead conservator for paintings, with a special interest in the conservation of Orthodox icons. Lynne undertakes all aspects of conservation of the museum’s organic artefacts collection including advice on preventive care, display, storage and loan.

She works in the Egyptian organic studio and supervises junior staff and students, participating in training and skill-sharing activities with section colleagues.

Lynne is conservation contact for paintings, icons and painted surfaces.

Lynne attained a BA(Hons) in Fine Art Painting and a Postgraduate diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London (1995).

Before joining the British Museum in 2003 she was previously employed as a freelance paintings conservator in Cyprus and the UK.

Contact

conservation@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7323 8252

Current projects

• Research project – conservation and re-mounting of ancient Egyptian portraits belonging to the British Museum. A collaborative project with conservation, curators and external colleagues.

• Supervisor of a student research project – British Museum supervisor for a Courtauld Institute of Art student studying materials and techniques for the 'Shield of Parade' (1863,0501.1)

• Research project – Establishing an approach to the care and conservation of Orthodox icons at The British Museum – principle researcher in project involving curatorial, scientific and conservation input and contributions to the Icons Online research catalogue.

• Research project - Study and conservation of two Indian oil paintings on paper – principle researcher in collaborative project with WAPS conservation and scientific research.

• Mediaeval Gallery refurbishment – collaborate in the assessment and conservation of organic objects for permanent display

• Store survey – collaborate in survey of museums reserve collection storage areas.

Previous projects

• Conservation project – Collaborative treatment on a 19th century Ethiopian church painting for an exhibition display.

• Conservation project – Egyptian storage basement 85 decant collaborative project including condition assessment and first aid treatment to facilitate movement of organic objects to new storage facility.

• Conservation project – 21st Dynasty coffin – treatment to stabilise deteriorating mud plaster and painted decorative surface.

• Research project – Corroding lead on Japanese lacquered objects – collaborative research project with Metals conservation.

• Exhibition Word in to Art – led conservation treatment of a group of contemporary Middle Eastern paintings for display and loan.

• Japanese galleries refurbishment – led collaborative project to assess and conserve Japanese organic artifacts for permanent display.

• Ethiopian icons – conservation of the museum’s collection for storage and display.

• Painted Egyptian shroud and Ethiopian painting – collaborative project between paintings and textiles conservators to conserve two painted textiles.

• Trustees oil paintings collection – Condition survey and treatment recommendations

• Qing lacquer catalogue – collaborative work to conserve lacquered surfaces on Qing ceramic for catalogue publication.

Membership of professional bodies

• Accredited paintings conservator (ACR) with the Institute of Conservation (ICON)

• Member of the Institute of Conservation (ICON)

• Member of the International Institute of Conservation (IIC)

• Member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM)

Recent publications

L. Harrison, 'An Icon of St George: preparation for a portrait of a saint', with C.Cormack, C.R. Cartwright and J. Ambers in Preparation for Painting: The Artist's choices and its consequences. Contributions to a two day interim meeting ICOM-CC, 31 May – 1 June 2007, (2008, forthcoming)

L. Harrison, ‘Painted textiles and canvas paintings: a collaborative approach to lining and mounting’, with P. Cruickshank and H. Delaunay, The Conservator, 30 (2007)

L. Harrison, ‘Orthodox icons at the British Museum: an approach to ethical conservation practice’, with J. Ambers, C. Cartwright, R. Stacey, in Icon: Approaches to research, conservation and ethical issues, [CD-ROM]. (Athens, Benaki Museum, 2006)

L. Harrison, 'Orthodox icons at the British Museum: an approach to ethical conservation practice,’ with J. Ambers, C. Cartwright, R. Stacey, in Icon: Approaches to research, conservation and ethical issues, Archaeology and Arts Magazine, S. Stassinopoulos and A.Lambraki (eds.), (Athens, 2006), pp. 131-133

L. Harrison, 'Sacred to Secular: the care and conservation of Orthodox icons at the British Museum’, with J. Ambers, C. Cartwright, R. Stacey, D. Hook and C. Entwistle, in D. Saunders, J.H. Townsend, and S. Woodcock (eds.) in The Object in Context: Crossing Conservation Boundaries (London, International Institute of Conservation, 2006), p. 317