From Decay to Display – A MOTAT SOCIETY TALK (AUG 2025)

On Thursday the 28th of August the Motat Society and The Walsh Memorial Library had the honour of hosting a talk by renowned paper conservator David Ashman.

David has worked for over 35 years within the printing, paper and conservation sector, and is the founder and principal conservator of Book Studio One.

He has worked and studied throughout NZ, Australia and the UK, completing a Diploma in Book and Archives Conservation at the Colchester Institute, and a Higher National Diploma in Conservation Studies from Lincolnshire College of Art, UK.  He is currently working in the private sector as principal conservator with Triptych Conservation Services Ltd which he co-founded.

David's talk From Decay to Display: The Craft of Book and Paper Conservation documented the restoration journey of a 1623 copy of a Shakespeare 1st folio. David described the tools, materials, and techniques used in the conservation along with demonstrating rarely seen examples of the restoration.

The audience was also treated to a sneak peak of David's latest binding work that was created for the Association of Bookcrafts' Bind25 event.

- Bryna Foster

- Photos by Bryna Foster and Katherine Meeten