Many of you will have known Jen as a quiet, smiling conservator, skilled at practical work with a passion for natural history collections.
Debbie Harris ACR studied conservation with Jen at Lincoln, and fondly remembers their time together.
“Jen and I became good friends in 1991 on the BTEC ND in Conservation at Lincoln College of Art and Design. She instantly excelled in object practical sessions. Ethnography and natural history were key interests for Jen.
We both enjoyed learning the techniques required to mould, gild and marble in preparation for historic interior projects. We loved volunteering to work upon a church interior on our weekends, awkwardly gilding at height on the scaffold, away from the comfort of the college bench.
My most memorable student placement was at the Museum of Science and Industry, in 1995. I experienced Manchester through Jen’s lens, with more than one trip to the infamous Haçienda nightclub. In recent years, time spent together was more sedate, at an exhibition or utilising courier trips and Icon events to catch up. She was the dearest of friends. She was resilient and fiercely independent. Her loss will be felt deeply by all who knew her.”
With the intention of studying wall paintings conservation, Jen went on to study a BA in History of Art at the University of Manchester. It was the start of a long relationship with the university and Manchester, with Jen joining Manchester Museum Conservation Team in 1999.
Her former colleagues, Sam and Bob wrote
“Jen worked at Manchester Museum for over 25 years She was a cherished colleague and one of the most conscientious, dedicated and knowledgeable museum conservators we have known. She had a passion for her work and was always a fierce collections champion. There are many objects in the museum (such as April, the Tenontosaurus) that will reflect her care and tenacious attention to detail for many years to come. She supported and collaborated with colleagues across all departments in the museum with her quiet presence, her kindness and her smile, which we miss in the museum every day.”
Outside of work Jen was active in Manchester’s music scene, DJing and going to gigs, especially in the Northern Quarter. At weekends she spent time running, cycling and walking her two dogs, often away overnight in her campervan.
Networking was important to Jen and a love of natural history led her to Join NatSca and the Guild of Taxidermists, where she’d been an active member, advising other museums on the care of their natural history collections. A valued member of the North-West Conservators Group, Jen will be greatly missed both in the North West and by the wider profession.
Personally, I’ll remember her as one of the first conservators I really got to know in the region. We laughed a lot, training together on one of Simon Moores spirit preservation courses in Oxford in 2006. The whole Bolton Museum team looked forward to her annual visits to condition check Manchester Museums’ taxidermy on loan.
