Talk: An Introduction to Book Conservation, seen through the lens of the Amersham Museum Bible

(Price including glass of wine or soft drink)

Location: Amersham Museum

Amersham Museum is marking Tyndale 500, the 500^th anniversary of the first New Testament in English, with a range of events and activities. With support from The Amersham Society, this includes commissioning the conservation of the early English bible in the museum’s collection. The work is being carried out by accredited book and archives conservator, Ann-Marie Miller ACR.

In this talk, Anne-Marie will introduce us to the discipline of Book Conservation and how she became a conservator. If you have seen the BBC’s “Repair Shop” or “Hidden Treasures of the National Trust,” you will have an inkling about how books are repaired but perhaps not the difference between restoration and conservation. Ann-Marie will explain the differences in approach and then explore the recent conservation work on the Amersham Museum’s 17^th century Bible. You will be able to see how the conservation work was performed and why this work is so important.

Ann-Marie Miller ACR is Director of Codex Conservation Ltd, a busy workshop that serves national museums, academic institutions, corporate archives, and collectors. Following an undergraduate degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art, she achieved her PG Dip and MA in Conservation at Camberwell College of Art. Now with over two decades of hands-on experience, Ann-Marie works as an accredited book and archives conservator and is a passionate advocate for preserving history and empowering the next generation of conservators.

Beyond her technical expertise, she’s a mentor, educator, and leader—providing teaching, collection care advice, and paid internships to nurture emerging talent. She is a Collections Assessor for the Association of Independent Museums and a specialist assessor and mentor for the Institute of Conservation Professional Accreditation Scheme. As a Freeman of the City of London and Liveryman of the Stationers and Newspaper Makers Company, she maintains deep connections with London’s heritage and book production community.

In 2020, Ann-Marie co-founded Impact Heritage CIC to support community collections to achieve funding, develop skills and create paid opportunities for emerging conservators. Already, five talented conservators have launched their careers through this initiative, gaining practical experience and working alongside volunteers to champion conservation practice.

Notes

The talk will be in the Museum’s Woodcock Room which is on the first floor, accessed by a platform lift. There is more information about accessibility in our access statement here: Please get in touch with any queries about accessibility, or any requirements that we might need to know about to make your visit as straightforward as possible.

Please make sure you have checked details before ordering tickets. It is necessary for the museum to charge a cancellation fee of £1 to cover credit card and administration costs.