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Catching Our Breath, And Catching You Up On A Few Highlights From The Past Year, Or So… (February 2025)
It’s been a while, coming round full circle post pandemic and beyond, since our last formal newsletter was shared with you in March 2019. Time does just fly by, especially when we’ve been busy. The past few years have marked many more momentous turning points for our conservation studios, I felt compelled by the fresh start of the New Year to share a brief summary of our continuing and ongoing wild ride.
Reflections on a Momentous 2018 In Conservation Treatments and Disaster Recovery Projects (March 2019)
This past year was a marked turning point in many ways, I felt compelled to share a bit of a summary of our wild ride…
From the very start 2018 was off to a break neck hectic pace. The Fall of 2017 Napa/Sonoma wildfire disaster recovery projects and collection inventories were already crowding and taking over our two main studio locations in the western Richmond District of San Francisco. We had taken on nearly 45 individual projects by January, when the Thomas wildfire and mudslide consumed great swaths of Ventura and Santa Barbara.
Video
The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco
See inside beautiful Victorian homes of San Francisco.
Meet the owners and artisans who restored them. Hear their stories and experience San Francisco’s heritage. ACdR Conservation’s Elise Rousseau discusses the conservation, preservation and restoration of a historic mural in a San Francisco residence.
Video
The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco
See inside beautiful Victorian homes of San Francisco.
Meet the owners and artisans who restored them. Hear their stories and experience San Francisco’s heritage. ACdR Conservation’s Elise Rousseau discusses the conservation, preservation and restoration of a historic mural in a San Francisco residence.
Articles
ARTnews – The 145 Top Art World Professionals In The United States
ACdR was named one of the 145 top art world professionals in the United States in the annual issue of ARTnews “Top 200 Collectors” (October 2025). The article, “The 145 Top Art World Professionals In The United States” lists twelve categories from the diverse art and museum industries, including conservators. ACdR Art Conservation ~ SF was top of the short list for a second year in a row and once again in good company with thirteen other well established and esteemed professional colleagues from across the U.S.
ARTnews – The 135 Top Art World Professionals
ACdR was named one of the 135 top art world professionals in the annual issue of ARTnews “Top 200 Collectors” (October 2024). The article, “The 135 Top Art World Professionals” lists twelve categories from the diverse art and museum industries, including conservators. ACdR Art Conservation ~ SF was top of the short list in good company with thirteen other well established and esteemed professional colleagues from across the U.S.
Ana Ortiz on Textile Conservation
The following post was written by Ana Ortiz, Circulation Services Evening Supervisor for the William H. Hannon Library.
At the beginning of the year, I had the opportunity to audit a Textile Conservation course hosted within the William H. Hannon Library’s Archives and Special Collections, where I was able to participate in the cleaning, rehousing, and condition reporting for several sets of California mission-era liturgical garments donated by the Del Valle Family. As an MLIS student interested in archiving costume and dress, this class was an incredible hands-on learning experience.
Afternoon Visit to ACdR Conservation
by Nan Turner
Elise Yvonne Rousseau established her conservation studio over 20 years ago, first in her San Francisco apartment and later, as the business developed, in three separate specialized studios. Her new location consolidates all the services she offers under one roof. Elise and her staff of assistants and interns work to conserve, preserve, clean and repair an extremely wide range of textiles, including (according to her web site http://artconservationderigueur.com/): ‘Historic Objects, Period Furniture, Antiques, Decorative Arts, Sculpture and Ephemera from private and museum collections.’
Art Condition Reports, Demystified
By The Clarion List
According to the most recent Art Basel report, there were some 55 international art fairs taking place in 2000. In 2017, the number grew to over 260, with dealers making 46% of their annual sales at the fairs. This explosion has most art market professionals feeling like they are constantly on the road. Stephan Zilkens of Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker said, “I see the art market turning more and more into a traveling business. Every week there are new art fairs in the world and they try to become more and more important.”
Art Conservation de Rigueur
By The Clarion List
Art Conservation de Rigueur et Anoxia Abatement Solutions announces the expansion of our private practice. We are now providing Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery, Conservation Museum Assessment, Integrated Pest Management, Mold and Microbial Abatement and Remediation both in quarantined in-situ environments and remote. These complement the other complete conservation services we offer for the care and presentation of a wide variety of historic objects, antiques and contemporary textiles and decorative arts. Our new conservation studio offers a greater capacity to work concurrently on multiple projects and accommodate objects of a much larger scale. Our practice has served museums, historical and cultural institutions, private collectors, galleries, architects, and designers in the U.S. and internationally. Uniquely, we work in close collaboration with custom mount crafters, framers, curators, research historians, ASA appraisers and other specialized conservators to meet the specific needs of each client.
Conservation and Collections at Art Conservation de Rigueur et Anoxia Abatement Solutions
By Sheryl Birkner
CSA’s Western Region sponsored a rare look behind the scenes of a San Francisco conservator’s studio in July. Two sets of lucky guests were guided through the studio by Elise Rousseau, owner and principal conservator. Costume collector Lynn Meinhardt displayed items from her collection of which have been conserved by Elise and her ‘pre-program’ and graduate student interns.
