On April 13th and 14th, the Library hosted From Jikji to Gutenberg, the Scholarly Colloquium, a meeting of scholars, historians, conservators, and librarians from seven countries. The colloquium is part of a scholarly effort to promote understanding and awareness in the West about early printing with moveable type in Korea that pre-dates Gutenberg’s famous Bible. Jikji is the abbreviated title of the world’s oldest extant book made with moveable type, printed in Cheongju, Korea in 1377, preceding the Gutenberg Bible by 77 years.
The de-installation of gallery objects is often a process not typically seen by the public. This post offers insight into what is involved in order to successfully carry out such a large undertaking.
As a conservation technician for the Library of Congress, Conservation Division, I work with numerous and varied objects of significant value. This work involves extensive planning and creating custom housings for objects of value for the benefit of communities and researchers both now and for future generations to appreciate, learn from, and enjoy. The objects …