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  • FAIC Oral History Interview: Session 1

    Well, this is day one of our sessions for the AIC oral history file. And the obvious thing to start with is where and when you were born. On a farm in Northern Jutland in Denmark. And do you want my birthday too? Well, it would be helpful. On the…

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  • FAIC Oral History Interview: Session 2

    Well, this is day two, it’s July 17th, 1985, and this is an interview with Karen Finch. Actually, I wanted to pick up on what we were talking about yesterday, and the Royal School of Needlework. I was wondering if the people like yourself were considered apprentices, or were you…

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  • FAIC Oral History Interview: Session 3

    Where did we get to yesterday? Well, yesterday we got to when the committee was set up to get the palace. No, the committee was set up to get charitable status for a National Institute for Textile Conservation. That’s right, excuse me. Yes, and the offers of space came from…

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  • FAIC Oral History Interview: Session 4

    Well, this is our last session, and I’m going to change the subject from last week’s adventure on the roads, to the Centre’s moderate position on the use of adhesives. I was wondering how you felt, because in conferences, the Centre does put across this moderate view that they will…

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  • FAIC Oral History Interview: Introduction

    In 1974 Rutherford John Gettens, one of America’s pioneer conservation scientists who worked at the original technical laboratory of the Fogg Art Museum, spoke at the American Institute for Conservation meetings in Cooperstown, New York: “To come to the point quickly, I think we should begin to think about collecting…

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  • A Life Journey: Interview 4

    Today I thought we could talk about your education, and first of all I thought I’d ask you about your education in Jutland, from when you were a little girl. Well, my family have always been great believers in the folk high schools, which were begun by a priest of…

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  • A Life Journey: Interview 5

    So Karen in the last interview, you told us that it was the most marvellous experience to go to the Copenhagen Art school. Yes. Well I think I loved every minute of being there even though it was wartime and it was dangerous sometimes to be in Copenhagen. Of course…

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  • A Life Journey: Interview 6

    I wanted to ask you about the time you were at home with Katrina round about 1948, and you started working at home. Can you tell us about that? When Katrina was born I still wanted to be involved with working and thought it would be nice to work at…

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  • A Life Journey: Interview 7

    So Karen, looking back on your long life, in Denmark and here, what would you say your greatest achievements have been? What are you most proud of? My daughter, because she is really wonderful. And also she married the nicest man on earth. And I’m very happy living with them…

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  • A Life Journey: Interview 8

    So tell us about the picture we’re looking at now. This is Meldgaard. Well yes, it’s been in the family for a while and as you can see I lived in the part of Jutland that’s known as moraine country. Sorry, can you say that word again? Moraine country, that…

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