Notes and Comments 161

and the Applied Arts’ (Stockholm, 1975), ‘Wood in Painting and the Decorative Arts’ (Oxford, 19?8), and ‘Conservation Within Historic Buildings’ (Vienna, 1980).

With the approval of the Council, Regional Groups with their own structure and bylaws operate autonomously in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Scandinavian countries, Austria, The Netherlands, Poland and Mexico. The former American Group has been independently incorporated, for legal reasons, while retaining friendly relations with the parent body. Other Groups are in the process of formation. These Groups form centres for the exchange of professional information between members and hold periodic meetings, whose proceedings are circulated. Membership of all Groups is available to all members of IIC on payment of the Group subscription.

There are four categories of membership: Fellow, Associate, Supporting Institution and Honorary Fellow. Fellows, who are conservators of standing, scientists in the field of conservation, or administrators with a special concern for conservation, are elected by ballot of the existing Fellows. Associateship is open to all who are involved in conservation. Institutional membership is available to museums and interested corporate bodies. Honorary Fellowship is awarded by the Council to senior Fellows who have rendered conspicuous services over a long period.

All members receive current issues of Studies in Conservation, Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts and the Bulletin free of charge. Supporting Institutions receive two copies of each issue of Studies and Abstracts. Back issues and other publications may be purchased at special rates. Annual subscriptions, payable on 1 July each year, are:

Fellows E22.00 (US $55.00) Associates E14.00 (US $35.00) Supporting Institutions E30.00 (US $75.00)

Further information may be obtained from: The Secretary, The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 6 Buckingham Street, London WCZN 6BA.

Forthcoming Map Curators’ Conference

DONALD MOORE

A growing awareness of the importance and urgency of finding better methods of conservation, storage and retrieval of museum and library resources led a few years ago to the formation of a new international group of map curators under the auspices of the organization called LIBER, standing for the Ligue des Bibliothiques Europiennes de Recherche. A highly successful conference was arranged in Paris in the autumn of 1980, where delegates from the countries of the European Community and one or two observers from elsewhere enjoyed a three-day meeting, based partly on the Bibliotheque Nationale and the Institut Giographique Nationale. Papers were given on a variety of practical topics, ranging from the reproduction of cartographical materials to the projection of global surfaces for flat record. A visit was arranged to a cartographic exhibition of impressive size, ‘Cartes et Figures de la Terre’ at the Centre Georges Pompidou.

Another conference is planned for 20-24 September 1982. This will begin with a whole-day visit to the Ordnance Survey at Southampton, where the most up-to-date techniques, including digital mapping, will be shown to the members. From there an

162 Notes and Comments

extensive tour is being arranged to visit a variety of centres in different places. There will be a stop at Cardiff to see the Nationaf Museum of Wales, with emphasis on its collection of geological maps, thence to the Glamorgan Archive Service, a Local Government organization serving the three new counties that represent the old Glamorgan. There will be a visit to Fonmon Castle, not far away, whose maps and archives are kept by the Glamorgan Archive Service. A journey of a hundred miles or so will bring the partv to Aberyst~~yth on the west coast of Wales where they will see the extensive map collections of the National Library of Wales and a special exhibition of Estate Maps. Both the National Library and the National Museum are this year celebrating the seventy-~fth anniversary of their respective Charters. The party will stay at the College of Librarianship Wales at Aberystwyth, which has undertaken the organization of the tour. At the College there will be facilities for members to give short papers on topics of their choice relating to the conservation and storage of maps. Other visits are intended in the vicinity. Finally, the members will leave for Oxford where they will see a University Library which is also a Copyright deposit library, The Bodleian. Again they will concentrate on the map section. The organizers are hoping to keep the total cost of the tour, including accommodation to about El50 per head, though this may well be affected by continued in~ation. Further details may be obtained from the fol1o~~ing: Chairman: Donald Moore, Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Maps, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3BU or the Secretary: Mlle Monique Pelletier, Conservateur en Chef, Departement des Cartes et Plans, Bibliotheque Nationale, 58 rue de Richelieu, 75084 Paris Cedex 02. Conference literature is published in English, French or German.

Conference literature is published in English, French or German.

New Packing Facilities at Christies

PAUL WH~TFIELD

In recent months Christies have greatly improved the packing facilities availab1e in their King Street, St. James’s, salerooms, and the new Packing Room will be welcomed by all museums making purchases there. Once the hammer has fallen the purchaser is responsibie for the goods acquired, and although Christies handle sold lots with the same care as that accorded to lots awaiting sale, many museums have become increasingly concerned about the practice of removing works of art from the auction rooms, either loose or wrapped in blankets, for ‘export packing’ at the shipper’s depot. For the Northampton Vases Sale in 1981 Gander and White were retained and each Greek and Etruscan vase, immediately after being sold, was placed in a simple box lined with foam plastic which had been constructed for it before the sale. The system operated excellently and many purchasers used these temporary cases for the immediate transport of their vases. This system can be employed in future sales of fragile items, and the risk of accidental damage be appreciably reduced.

Today, excellent packing facilities are available by prior arrangement for clients in the enlarged and re-designed Packing Room, and a range of packing materials is available free of charge for the use of clients or their agents as part of the service provided by Christies. Cases can be made to instructions, at normal commercial rates, immediately after a sale, and the packing of them can be undertaken on the premises by professional packers or museum employees. Thus the risks of transporting unprotected or inadequately packed works of art have been substantially reduced, whilst the service to purchasers has been enhanced.