Catherine Higgitt
Head of Science Group
Head of Science Group and organic
analysis
Department: Conservation and Scientific
Research
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8279
Email: science @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Catherine joined the Museum in January 2007 as
Head of the Science Group after seven years in the Scientific
Department of the National Gallery, London. Catherine specialises
in the analysis of organic natural product materials encountered in
painted surfaces (e.g. binding media, varnishes, adhesives,
dyestuffs etc) using a combination of spectroscopic and
chromatographic techniques (primarily FTIR microscopy, GC-MS and
HPLC).
The classes of materials analyses she
undertakes include oils, resins, waxes, proteins and organic
colorants but also modern synthetic polymers used in conservation
treatments. She has also studied the ageing and deterioration of
such materials and their interaction with metal-containing
pigments.
Catherine hopes to extend her work to include
the wider range of organic materials encountered in the British
Museum collection and complement the existing organic specialists
within the Science Group.
Before joining the National Gallery, Catherine
spent one year working as the first scientist employed at the
Historic Scotland Conservation Centre in Edinburgh. She holds a PhD
in Organometallic chemistry from the University of York.
Current British Museum projects
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Previous British Museum projects
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External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Member of the International Council of Museums – Committee for
Conservation, (ICOM-CC)
Member of International Institute of Conservation of Historic
and Artistic Works, (IIC)
Member of the Institute of Conservation, (ICON)
Publications
Most recent publications
M. Spring, C. Higgitt and D. Saunders, ‘Investigation of
Pigment-Medium Interaction Processes in Oil Paint containing
Degraded Smalt’, National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 26
(2005), pp. 56-70
J. Kirby, M. Spring and C. Higgitt, ‘Insight
into the Technology of Red Lake Pigment Manufacture through Study
of the Dyestuff Substrate’, National Gallery Technical
Bulletin, 26 (2005), pp. 71-87
C. Higgitt and R. White, ‘Analyses of Paint
Media: New Studies of Italian Paintings of the Fifteenth and
Sixteenth Centuries’, National Gallery Technical Bulletin,
26 (2005), pp. 88-104
C. Higgitt, M. Spring and D. Saunders,
‘Pigment-medium Interactions in Oil Paint Films containing Red Lead
or Lead-Tin Yellow’, National Gallery Technical Bulletin,
24 (2003), pp. 75-95
M.J. Plater, B. De Silva, T. Gelbrich, M.B.
Hursthouse, C.L. Higgitt, D.R. Saunders, ‘The characterisation of
lead fatty acid soaps in ‘protrusions’ in aged traditional oil
paint’, Polyhedron, 22 (2003), pp. 3171–9