Rachel Sawicki

Senior Conservator - Exhibitions

Directorate: Research Collections

Department: Conservation and Collection Care

Division: Special Collections

Email: rs2038@cam.ac.uk

Rachel is a Book and Paper Conservator at Cambridge University Library. Her research interests lie in the conservation of paper, parchment, illuminated manuscripts, and the use of textiles in book repairs. She is the Senior Conservator for the Milstein Exhibition Centre and a Project Conservator for the Wellcome-funded Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries Project. Rachel started her conservation career at the Bodleian Library and has since worked as a conservator at the National Library of Australia and the Chester Beatty Library.

Publications:

• Sawicki, R and M. Pelissari, ‘Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries: The conservation of medieval medical manuscripts’, Copenhagen Care and Conservation of Manuscripts Conference, 2023.
• Sawicki, R and Dr S. Helman, ‘Rediscovering Captain Cook at the National Library of Australia’, Institute of Conservation ModCons Conference, 2022.
• Sawicki, R and G. Allen, ‘How to make a Book Cushion’, Institute of Conservation Magazine, 2020.
• Sawicki, R, ‘Grandpa’s in the Bookstack: How we Preserve Parchment Books’, National Library of Australia Blog, 2016.
• Sawicki, R, ‘The Conservation of a 17th Century Indian Shahnama Manuscript’, Irish Conservator Restorers Institute Conservation Activities in Ireland Conference, 2016.
• Sawicki, R, ‘Beyond the Surface: The Construction of a Psalter’, National Library of Australia Blog, 2015.
• Sawicki, R, ‘Remoistenable Tissue Recipe for the Repair of Corrosive Pigments in Manuscripts’, Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material Technical Bulletin, 2012.

Professional memberships:

• ICON - Institute of Conservation, UK
• AICCM - Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materialience.