Photo: Bill Ginell

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and First Interstate Bank of California have established an emergency loan fund to assist historic properties damaged in the January 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake. The Getty Conservation Institute and the Los Angeles Conservancy are providing the professional conservation expertise to develop and implement this emergency program.

All historic buildings damaged by the quake—including commercial, residential, institutional, and religious—are eligible for the low-interest loans. Owners of historic properties can borrow up to $20,000. The funds can be used for architectural and engineering services and the cost of materials and labor necessary to stabilize the building. In order to obtain the loans (which will have an interest rate of no higher than 4 percent for the first year), the borrower must agree not to tear down the building for one year unless ordered to do so because of imminent public-safety concerns of the local government. Notification prior to demolition must be provided to the National Trust.

Meeting of the Conservation Imaging Consortium

The fourth meeting of the Conservation Imaging Consortium convened on February 24 and 25, 1994 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hosted by Henry Lie, Director of the Straus Center for Conservation, Harvard University Art Museums, forty individuals representing conservation laboratories, museums, academic departments, and industry gathered to present work, share ideas, and discuss future directions for the group. The meeting included formal presentations and discussions on electronic infrared reflectography (IRR), arguably the most mature application of electronic imaging in conservation to date. Topics addressed included the electronic archiving of digital images, methods of their capture and processing, techniques for assembling—electronically—partial images together, and comparative analyses of equipment and standardized procedures.

The Conservation Imaging Consortium, an initiative of the Getty Conservation Institute, gives members an opportunity to discuss their imaging activities and other conservation imaging projects, and to learn about technical developments from experts working in industry and academic organizations. Recognizing that many institutions face budgetary restrictions, the Consortium members seek to maximize combined resources by working on compatible systems, sharing technical information and experiences, and coordinating research and development.

CORRECTION: The Imaging Technology Workshop reported on in Volume VIII, Number II, of Conservation was incorrectly described. The workshop, held on May 26, 1993, at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was actually the second day of a three-day event entitled "Computer Technology for Conservators—The 2nd Wave." As a result of almost two years of planning, Rob Stevenson staged this successful event in conjunction with the International Institute for Conservation—Canadian Group's 19th annual conference. Mr. Stevenson will edit the publication of the proceedings, planned for late May 1994. These proceedings will be available through IIC-CG Publications, P.O. Box/CT 9195, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G3T9, Canada.