Timothy Vitale, a conservator and researcher, died last week. Knowing Tim was to know something about what it means to be a conservator: asking questions, learning, innovating, inventing, adapting to new information, thinking clearly and independently, collaborating, and striving for improvement.
Tim entered the profession in northern California through picture framing and as a museum preparator in the mid-1960s. Graduating from San José State University with a degree in art history and chemistry, Tim joined the class of 1977 at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation earning a M.S., with a focus on paper conservation with Anne Clapp and Konstanza Bachmann and photography with José Orraca. Following graduation, Tim worked with Roy Perkinson at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston before being appointed Head of Paper Conservation at the Intermuseum Conservation Association in Oberlin, OH, where he worked until 1982. He then served for a year as Chief of the Preservation Branch at the National Archives before joining the Smithsonian's Conservation Analytical Laboratory as Chief of Paper Conservation. Tim had ten highly productive years at C.A.L., resulting in a number of groundbreaking papers and workshops often produced through collaborations with conservators, scientists, and occasional research fellows. In 1993 Tim returned to northern California to establish a private practice in paper and photograph conservation. As a private conservator, Tim took on a multitude of research challenges primarily focused on new and emerging tools for imaging. His exacting approach, deep knowledge, and commitment to the field led him toward work on an array of projects that were ahead of their time and which remain valuable today, including the Albumen Photography Website (2000), the Video Preservation Website (2007), and major contributions as an author to the landmark book "AIC Guide to Digital Photography and Conservation Documentation" (2008). Researching works by artists James Coleman and Vito Acconci, Tim was a group leader for TechArcheology (2000), frequently cited as a foundational project for establishing the discipline of time-based media conservation. Forward thinking was Tim's sustenance and marked all aspects of his career, especially in his service to the profession. He was a founding officer of the Book and Paper Group (1981-1985), arguably the first specialty group formed within the American Institute for Conservation. Later, Tim served as a founding officer of the Electronic Media Group, AIC's newest specialty group, serving in various capacities that included Chair and Program Chair (1997-2007). As founding editor, he was instrumental in the formulation of the Book and Paper Group Conservation Catalog (1984-1988). The BPG Conservation Catalog was highly successful and, emulated by other conservation specialties, eventually migrated to a wiki format hosted by AIC where it currently thrives. An idealist, a visionary, and deeply generous, many of Tim's greatest accomplishments, including his substantial service to the field, were achieved as a volunteer. He was a marvel when it came to freely sharing his knowledge. A teacher and role model for many, Tim's gift was intrepid individualism, and an always-fearless curiosity. Thomas Edmondson & Paul Messier ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Archives through August 2016 at http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/ Archives from September 2016 onward at https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
