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The holiday season is upon us, and is our tradition we offer up some last minute gifts for that hard-to-buy-for conservator or preservation enthusiast on your list. This year it’s all about fiction and movies sine we read enough technical literature for our jobs. All work and no play…
Books
Homicide in Hardcover: A Bibliophile Mystery by Kate Carlisle. The description reads, “The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn’t be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.” Intriguing, no?
The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga. Written in 1995, the book follows a young conservator on her journey to Florence to help with the recovery of books affected by the floods of 1966 (a seminal year in the history of library conservation theory and practice). Along the way our heroine discovers more than just a rare volume of erotica.
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. Part of the Gabriel Allon series, the main character is an Israeli intelligence operative who also happens to be a paintings conservator. Don’t you think some of your colleagues may be secret undercover agents with mad spy skills?
Movies
National Treasure. What better way to represent conservators than one that is willing to squirt lemon juice on the U.S. Constitution in the name of discovering long lost treasure? And Nicholas Cage is just fun to watch, in my opinion.
Ghostbusters II. Admittedly not as good as the original but still a fun movie filled with ectoplasm and all around hijinks. Siguorney Weaver’s character, Dana Barrett, is a paintings conservator.
Holly Hunter also plays a paintings conservator in Home for the Holidays. Why do paintings conservators get all the character lines? Anyway, a light and funny film especially good for those of you traveling to meet family this year.
More
For more finds be sure to visit Conservation Online’s listing of books, movies and more, all with a conservation theme or character. If you have any to add, leave us a note.
Maybe I’ll get Homicide in Hardcover in an ebook format, just for the irony of it. Thanks, Beth!
Thanks for the share, I’ve read the Sixteen Pleasures and I must say I that I thoroughly recommend it too!
Ever since Jeff Peachey posted about the new Carlisle book, The Lies that Bind, about every 10 minutes someone in the bindery will whisper a little too loudly, “Peachey is a genius!”. Hilarious!
http://jeffpeachey.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/the-lies-that-bind/
Honestly, watching National Treasure in a roomful of archivists (they showed a clip at SAA a few years ago) is hilarious. People may have actually swooned when Nicolas Cage rolled up the Declaration of Independence.
Peachey is a genius. Thanks for the link Henry. Good reading and watching to all! If anyone has more recommendations, let me know. I’m always looking for good examples of conservation in pop culture.