Icon Emeritus member Julie Dawson IIC has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Plowden Medal for Conservation, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of archaeological artefact conservation. The award was presented at a reception at the Queen’s Chapel, London on Thursday 26 January.
Established in 1999 to commemorate the life and work of the late Hon. Anna Plowden CBE (1938 – 1997), the Plowden Medal was endowed by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, of which she was Vice-President. It is awarded annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the conservation profession.
Based at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge for almost four decades, Julie’s achievements resonate far beyond. She has had an outstanding career as a conservator, scholar of ancient Egyptian materials, and tireless standard-bearer for the care of cultural heritage.
Upon retiring in May 2021 from her role as the Fitzwilliam’s Head of Conservation and Scientific Research – a now-blossoming department she founded and nurtured from the ground up - Julie was awarded a prestigious, 2-year Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship. She continues her seminal research on ancient Egyptian artefacts, contributing actively to the field.
A hallmark of Julie’s career has been the integration of conservation with all collections-based activities in her museum - from research to displays and public programming.
Julie has been a particularly ardent champion of conservation-led research, pursuing this approach spectacularly in her own work and also creating opportunities for other conservators.
Julie has pioneered innovative, minimally invasive treatment and investigative techniques and, through consultations with specialists outside the field of conservation - engineers, medics, and craftspeople, to name a few –has pushed the boundaries of technical research.
As lead of the Conservation and Collections Care Group of the University of Cambridge Museums consortium, she encouraged joint initiatives and development of a strong support network.
She has served as an External Examiner for UK training programmes, as an Icon Accreditation assessor and, for five years, as a Vice-Chair of the Professional Accreditation Committee.
Julie’s open-mindedness and collaborative approach have led to numerous publications.
She has also organised conferences, workshops and practical sessions which have had a lasting impact in the field. The ‘Decorated Surfaces on Ancient Egyption Objects’ conference she hosted in 2007 was instrumental in the formation of at least two major, multinational research initiatives: the J. Paul Getty Museum’s APPEAR Project on Roman-Egyptian mummy portraits and The Vatican Coffin Project on ancient Egyptian polychrome coffins.
Julie also has a long record of making conservation accessible to public audiences through innovative displays, workshops, talks, blogs, and short films. Julie co-curated the Fitzwilliam’s highly acclaimed, 2016 ‘Death on the Nile: Uncovering the afterlife of ancient Egypt’ exhibition, showcasing the museum’s research and featuring a live conservation studio.
The Egyptian Coffins Project (www.egyptiancoffins.org) also created an award-winning ‘Pop-Up Museum,’ bringing cutting-edge research to culturally underserved communities in the UK and in Egypt. A related initiative facilitates a peer-to-peer training network to support Egyptian conservators and curators in disseminating their research and practice to as wide an audience as possible.
Throughout her career, Julie has been fully committed to the development of the conservation profession. She has sought to increase access into the field, including for those who may enter through non-traditional routes. She has created work and training opportunities for conservators at all stages of their careers and helped develop apprenticeships through the UK’s Trailblazers scheme.
Julie said:
“I am astonished, delighted and deeply honoured to be the recipient of the 2022 Plowden Medal. The awarding of this accolade is a landmark moment each year in acknowledging the role and importance of conservation and in raising its public profile. It is wonderful for our profession to have such long-standing support and advocacy from the Royal Warrant Holders Association.
Award of the 2022 Medal singles out my work but, above all, it is testimony to the collaborative spirit of all these colleagues who, over the years, have been so generous with their time, ideas and experience.
In my long career I have been privileged to work with and learn from expert, passionate and committed practitioners from across the whole range of conservation and heritage science. Award of the 2022 Medal singles out my work but, above all, it is testimony to the collaborative spirit of all these colleagues who, over the years, have been so generous with their time, ideas and experience.”
Julie was presented with a new medal designed by QEST Scholar Alexandra Pengelly. It was produced by Royal Warrant holder, Mappin & Webb Ltd, with QEST Apprentice Sam McMahon and the box was produced by Royal Warrant holder, Zone Creations.
Applications for the 2023 Plowden Medal are now open until 19 May. For more details and a nomination for visit: www.royalwarrant.org/plowden-medal
About The Plowden Award for Conservation
Established in 1999 to commemorate the life and work of the late Hon. Anna Plowden CBE (1938 – 1997), the Plowden Medal was endowed by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, of which she was Vice-President. It is awarded annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the conservation profession.
The award covers all aspects of conservation be they practical, theoretical or managerial – and is open to those working in private practice or institutions.
Previous winners: Garry Thomson CBE (1999), Dr Jonathan Ashley-Smith (2000), Donald Insall CBE (2001), Dr David Leigh (2002), Clare Meredith (2003), Christopher Clarkson (2004), Carole Milner (2005), James Black (2006), Dr Vincent Daniels (2007), David Pinniger (2008), Professor Nicholas Pickwoad (2009), David Watkinson (2010) Kate Colleran (2011), Professor May Cassar (2012), Jonathan Betts MBE (2013), Dr Jim Tate (2014), Nancy Bell (2015), Sarah Staniforth (2015), Ksynia Marko (2016), Professor Sharon Cather (2017), Alan Derbyshire (2018), Caroline Bendix (2019), Katy Lithgow (2020) and Stephen Clare MBE and Professor Jane Henderson FIIC (2021).
www.royalwarrant.org/plowden-medal
