The Department of Conservation has been established since 1973, however it had grown from the course that was founded by William Wheeler in 1946 as a part of the Restoration and Carving courses to train specialists for the restoration of London’s architecture, monuments and treasures damaged during the war and since then the Conservation Department has been one of the oldest training programmes in the UK. The school’s academic profile (including fine art and historic carving) places us uniquely to provide students with the skills essential to developing the aesthetic awareness necessary for the practice of conservation. These are closely integrated with the appropriate technical and theoretical knowledge demanded by the profession.
The courses and training opportunities offered centre on the conservation of objects made from wood, stone and other sculptural materials, together with gilded and painted decoration and a variety of associated polychromy. Items accepted for treatment span from the 14th century to the present day, and are frequently sourced from leading public and private institutions such as English Heritage, Leeds Castle, Eltham Palace, St Paul Cathedral, Rochester Cathedral, Royal Institute of Architects, Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster and many more.
The Conservation Department is currently involved in collaborative projects with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Gallery, Rochester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. All research projects make use of analytical techniques that are taught in collaboration with the Materials Department at Imperial College.
Thanks to a generous donation from a private benefactor the City and Guilds Conservation Department owns a laser (Nd:YAG Q-switch) and is the only place in the UK where the laser cleaning technique is a part of the course syllabi. Recently the department has acquired an FTIR spectrometer, thanks to the Foyle Foundation; this is an essential instrument for the technical examination of art materials.
The Conservation Department has a very generous ratio of staff to students, generally a maximum of one to six. All tutors are highly experienced professionals with many years of experience in conservation who combine their professional projects with teaching at City and Guilds Art School on a part-time basis. This practice creates a vibrant environment where students have the opportunity to interact with the world of practical conservation.
The conservation students represent a diverse international community across a wide range of age groups, cultural and professional backgrounds. The Department is both nationally and internationally renowned for its preparation of conservators for the world of skilled practical conservation and for the care of historic property. Our graduates enjoy one of the highest rates (up to 90%) of employment in the professional field. The department alumni list includes conservators in all the major museums in the UK some of whom occupy senior positions. Many more of our graduates are employed throughout the private sector.
