Olga Negnevitsky

Textile Restoration and Conservation

for Museums and Private Collectors

 

Starting from the end

After taking early retirement from the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, I was invited to join the Tower of David Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem as an exhibition conservator.

This role offered a uniquely rich and varied professional experience, involving a wide range of materials, collections, and interdisciplinary collaboration. I was responsible for the full exhibition process—from receiving and documenting objects through professional photography, conservation treatment when required, and coordination with specialized conservators for materials outside my expertise.

I worked closely with curators and designers throughout all stages of exhibition development, oversaw the conservation care of displays during their public presentation, and managed the deinstallation process, including the safe return of objects to their owners.

This comprehensive exhibition work also enabled me to expand my independent practice, carrying out conservation and restoration projects in my private studio for museums and private clients alike.

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS:

Objects Conservator,  The Israel Museum, Jerusalem                1999 – 2013

Textile Conservator, Judaic Textiles,

1. Nahon Museum of  Italian Jewish Art, Jerusalem         1993 – 2008

Conservator, Archaeological Textiles, Israel Antiquities Authority              1993-1998

Teacher, Tapestry Weaving,  Beit Shmuel Center, Jerusalem.           1991,92,98,99

Director, Steinitz Textile Conservation Workshop, Tel Aviv-Jaffa.             1991-1992

Conservator, Archaeological Textiles, Israel Antiquities Authority               1990-1991

Conservator, Judaic Textiles & Costumes, Eretz Museum, Tel Aviv            1990-1991

Conservator, Tapestries & Textiles ,Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.       1981-1990

Teacher, Tapestry Weaving, Moscow Cultural Center            1984-1989

Electrical Engineer, Software Division,  Moscow Research  Institute for Electric Engineering                1976-1981

Electrical Engineer, Moscow State Institute for Theater Design.         1974-1976

 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

 Moscow Technical College, Department of Artistic Weaving. Diploma 1981

Moscow Art University, Faculty of Decorative & Applied Arts. Diploma 1980

Moscow Institute of Electronic Engineering. Diploma, B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E.1974

 

FIELDS OF EXPERTISE:

Organization and management of textile conservation workshops, equipping, training

of personnel , team directing, photography, documentation of conservation processes

 

Textile Conservation (cleaning, preparation and natural dyeing of materials for conservation and restoration,     photography, restoration of missing sections, etc.):

Russian icons on textile, 17th-18th century European Gobelins and Tapestries,

16th-18th century embroideries and embroidered carpets and tapestries, (Caucasian, Persian, French), 17th-20th century Antique furniture upholstery, 18th-19th century

Judaic textiles and costumes, 16th-20th century. Archaeological textiles, from the 4th millennium BCE and beyond.

 

Artistic Hand Weaving (tapestries)

FELLOWSHIPS AND CERTIFICATIONS:

USSR Ministry of Culture, Dept. of  Fine Arts and Protection of

Relics and Monuments. Certified as “Senior Textile Conservator”     1987

Russian Restoration Research Center, Moscow. Second Fellowship     1986

Lithuanian Restoration Research Center, Vilnius, Fellowship         1983

USSR Ministry of Culture, Dept. of  Fine Arts and Protection of Relics

and Monuments. Certified as “Textile Conservator”             1983

Russian Restoration Research Center, Moscow. Fellowship,          1982

Moscow Association of United Artists. Admitted as Member          1983

Restoration Tutorial, Kremlin Museums. Moscow.  Fellowship        1981

 

SPECIAL CONSERVATION COMMISSIONS:

Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center, Or Yehuda, Israel,  Jewish Ethnographic Textiles

Beit Hatefutsoth, Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, Tel Aviv Judaic Textiles

Beit Weizmann, Rehovot, Conservation of Textiles, Carpets and Upholstery,

Eretz-Israel Museum, Tel Aviv,  Judaic and Ethnographic Textiles

Isaac Caplan Old Yishuv Court Museum, Jerusalem,  Jewish Ethnographic Textiles

Israel Museum, Center for Conservation and Restoration, Jerusalem,

Carpets & Upholstery

Museum of Cochin Jews, Nevatim, Israel, Jewish Ethnographic Textiles

Tower of David, Museum of the History of Jerusalem, Historical and Religious                                        

Textiles

Wolfson Museum, The Great Synagogue, Jerusalem, Judaic Textiles

Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Conservation of 17^th Century tapestry from the Netherlands

 Artistic Hand Weavings in Private Collections:

New York, Boston, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, Haifa

 

ART STUDIES:

Stone and Wood Sculpture. Israel Museum.Teacher: Anat Eshet    2001-02

Watercolor Painting. Israel Museum.    Teacher: Morin Fain        2002-03

Drawing. Israel Museum. Teacher:    Tami Bezaleli            2004-05

Computer Painting. Israel Museum.     Teacher: Tami Bezaleli     2006-07

 

PUBLICATIONS:

 “Conservation of an Italian Jewish Textile of the Sixteenth Century,”

Conservation – Restauration des Biens Culturels, Paris.1999

 

“The Conservation of the Linen Textiles,” in T.Schick et al.,   The Cave

        of  the Warrior. A Fourth Millennium Burial in the Judean Desert

        (Israel Antiquities Authority Reports 5), Jerusalem. 1998

 

“The Tedeschi Torah Ark Curtain: Conservation of a 16^th Century

Textile,” in D.Cassuto, ed.: The Tedeschi Torah Ark Curtain

        from Italy, 1572, Paris, pp.37-47.1997

 

“Basic Techniques of Handweaving,” chapter in Varvara Savitsky:

The Metamorphosis of Tapestry, Moscow, pp.73-83.1995

 

“Methods of Conservation and Restoration of Tapestries and Gobelins:

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts,” in Igor Grabar Russian Scientific

Restoration Center, Sculpture. Applied Arts: Restoration and

           Research, Moscow 1993, pp.94-112, 249-255.1993

 

“Dyeing with Natural Dyes,” Decorative Arts of the USSR 3/376 (1989),

1. 44-45 (with Elena Semechkina).1989

 

“Aesthetics and the Modern Spirit in Weaving Techniques,” Decorative

          Arts of the USSR 4/365 (1988), pp. 28-30 (with Elena Kantor). 1988

 

“Techniques of Creating Color Effects in Medieval Tapestries,” Decorative

           Arts of the USSR 11/348 (1986), pp.44-45 (with Elena Kantor).1986

 

 EXHIBITIONS,  PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES:

 Canada

Ottawa, 1997;    Textile Symposium;

England

London, 1995. British Museum. Conservation of Massada Textiles for exhibition.

(Sponsored by Marks and Spencer).

France

  Paris, Bernard Baruh  Steinitz restoration and conservation Workshop

 Israel

Haifa, 2004 Baha’i World Centre. Conservation cloth cover, leather suitcase of Abdu-Bahu

 2002 Baha’i World Centre. Examination of  Archives Building Textiles Collection

Prepared report and recommendations

Herzliya 2004-06 Consulate of Peru. Conservation of Peruvian Textiles, Maiman Collection           Arrangement of storage for these textiles. Assisted author, Alfredo Rosenzweig,  with technical descriptions of weaving for Weaving for the Afterlife: Peruvian           Textiles from the Maiman Collection, Vol.1 & 2. 2006

 Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Jerusalem

Prepared exhibition: “The Tedeschi Torah Ark Curtain:

Conservation of 16^th  Century Textile.” 1997

• Cultural Center.Group Exhibition, tapestries  2001/2003
• Islamic Museum
• Participated in exhibition preparation: “The Dead Sea Scrolls”, shown at several museums in USA and in the IMJ, Israel
• Rehovot   – Restoration of few textiles belonging to the Weizmann House.

Tel Aviv 1991 Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv:“Head-dresses for Holy Days & Ceremonies .Exhibition preparation, restoration of dozens of hats, 19-20th century 1991

 Italy

Ferrara, 1999.    Annual Conservation and Restoration Fair; Conference

“Conservation of Textiles from The Synagogues & Ferrara Jewish Museum “

 Florence, Bologna, 1999. Visits to textile conservation workshops.

Naples and Venice – course in restoration and conservation

Vatican, Rome   Courier-Restorer, Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit  (on loan from Israel Museum)

 USA

Asheville, N.Carolina. 2000.    North American Textile Conservation Conference,

Presentation: “Conservation and Study of 6000 Year Old Textiles from the Judean       Desert”“Conservation Combinations”

Presentation (with Tamar Schick)           Conference: “Four 6,000 year old   Textiles from the Judean Desert,.

Conference.

Philadelphia, Penn.        Philadelphia Museum of Textiles, Research

San Francisco, Cal. 1998

New York, N.Y.     1998    American Museum of Natural History, New York. Loan                     Exhibition: “Cave of the Warrior: A Chalcolithic Burial,  6,000 Year Old .Prepared Textiles.

Washington, DC.

 USSR  Moscow      

• Participated in four exhibitions of Art Restorations, 1981-1990  
• Participated in nine group exhibitions, tapestry works1981-1990
• Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. “Russia-France: The Age of  Enlightenment.” Participated in exhibition preparation. (Restoration of Goblin: “August”, France, 18th century) 1986
• Presented  Papers on Tapestry Restoration .

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2003 – 2004    Israel Museum – Lecture

 2003/2001    Cultural Center, Jerusalem. Group exhibition, tapestry works.

 2002  Italy// France

 2001  Italy    Conference  ,Name of Group

 2000  Canada

 1999   USA Lecture

 1998    American Museum of Natural History, New York. Loan Exhibition: “Cave of the Warrior: A Chalcolithic Burial 6,000 Years Old .Prepared Textiles.

 1997    U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Jerusalem

Prepared exhibition: “The Tedeschi Torah Ark Curtain: Conservation of a Sixteenth Century Textile.”

 1993-1994      Participated in exhibition preparation: “The Dead Sea Scrolls”, shown at several museums in the US and Europe

 1992    France – restoration work

 1991   Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv: “Head-dresses for Holy Days  and Ceremonies.” Exhibition preparation,” (restoration of dozens of hats, 19th-20th century)

 1986            Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. “Russia-France: The  Age of  Enlightenment.” Participated in exhibition preparation (restoration of Gobelin: “August”, France, 18th century)

 1985-1988      PresentationRead papers at three conferences on Tapestry  Restoration,    Moscow

 1981-1990       Participated in four exhibitions of Art Restorations, Moscow

 1981-1988      Participated in nine group exhibitions, tapestry works