George Mason University

             History & Art History Department

To contact us:

Department of  History & Art History

Robinson B 359

4400 University Drive

MSN 3G1

Fairfax, VA 22030

 

Telephone: 703-993-1250

Fax: 703-993-1251

 

Interns

             Each intern keeps a journal of their project in which to record all related activities. Interns should begin with cleaning their cast. To achieve the quickest and best results:

             a. photograph the cast

             b. vacuum

             c. brush gently

             d. use the eraser

             e. when finished, re-photograph

Throughout, each intern keeps an account in their journal of what they have done, for how long, and when. In the end, they will be able to include how long it took in the condition report.

             In addition, interns note in their journal, what they found out while cleaning the piece that is of special interest. For instance, one cast has a shop-label on it. They all have numbers, and some have more than one number, written at different times.

             During the time spent cleaning, interns should begin their research and sleuthing:

             a. In libraries

              b. On campus

             The interns should try to find out something of particular interest about the cast. For example, one of the casts has been given a head that doesn’t belong to it. How did that happen?

             In the end, a catalogue entry should be compiled.  Also, each intern should think of a site in some building on campus where the cast might be installed. 

             In addition to this process, interns have also assisted in installing and repairing broken casts. 

 

Participants in GMU’s plaster-cast project (through Aug. 2005):

Lara Ayad

Beverly Benito

LeAnn Brickey

Molly Brisendine

Sarah Frampton

Lisa Hargrove

Ellen McV. Layman

Anna M. Meeks

Diana Miles

Lucy R. Miller

Helen Watson Obiechina

Justin Paulat

William A. Pierce

Jennifer Seamster

Lindsay Simmons

Kristin L. Ware

Anna Zacherl

 

Andrew Zimmermann & Nick Xhiku, conservators

Ben Ashworth, art mover

Carol Mattusch, project director

 

For financial & technical support, we are grateful to:

University Life

Facilities

The College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Visual and Performing Arts

The Department of History and Art History

Center for History and New Media

Carol Mattusch

 

What we do...