David Saunders
Keeper
Overall leadership of the
Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
Department: Conservation and Scientific
Research
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8669
Email: dsaunders @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Responsible, as keeper of the Department of
Conservation and Scientific Research, for the work of three groups
of professionals within the Museum, conservators, scientists and
those engaged in the maintenance of the Museum’s main collections
database, Merlin.
Background and research interests are in the
scientific examination of artefacts, principally using
non-destructive imaging and spectroscopic methods, studies of the
deterioration of material, particularly pigments, and in preventive
conservation. Worked for twenty years in the Scientific Department
at the National Gallery in London prior to joining the British
Museum. Currently leading the British Museum’s participation in a
collaborative project to investigate the application of Optical
Coherence Tomography to the examination of museum artefacts, funded
by the Leverhulme Trust.
Outside the department, a member of the Web
project and Merlin steering groups and part of project team for the
new collections management centre to be built at the
Museum.
Current British Museum projects
A study of the effect of light on the
preservation of bank notes
The effect of different light sources on the
light-induced deterioration of pigments and dyes
Previous British Museum projects
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External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
Fellow of the International Institute for
Conservation (IIC)
Director of Publications and Council member
for IIC
Editor of Studies in Conservation
Member of the Board of Studies for the
Wall Paintings Conservation MA at the Courtauld Institute of
Art
Member of the Conservation Committee of the
Council for the Care of Churches
Member of the National Gallery Scientific
Consultative Group
Publications
D. Saunders, ‘Investigation of Pigment-Medium Interaction
Processes in Oil Paint containing Degraded Smalt’, with M. Spring
and C. Higgitt, National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 26
(2005), pp. 56–69.
D. Saunders, ‘The effect of painting
orientation during air transportation’, in ICOM
Committee for Conservation, 14th Triennial Meeting,
The Hague, I. Verger (ed.), (London, James & James,
2005), pp. 700–707
D. Saunders, ‘Recent applications of digital
imaging in painting conservation: transportation, colour change and
infrared reflectographic studies’, with A. Burmester, J. Cupitt and
L. Raffelt, in Tradition and Innovation: Advances in
Conservation, A. Roy, and P. Smith (eds.), (London,
International Institute for Conservation, 2000), pp. 170–176
D. Saunders, ‘Wavelength-dependent fading of
artists’ pigments’, with J. Kirby, in Preventive Conservation:
Practice, Theory and Research, A. Roy, and P. Smith
(eds.), (London, International Institute for Conservation, 1994),
pp. 190–194
D. Saunders, ‘Light-induced colour changes in
red and yellow lake pigments’, with J. Kirby, National Gallery
Technical Bulletin, 15 (1994), pp. 79–97