Valerie Carson (1936-2020) is acknowledged as “New Zealand’s first textile conservator” and a pioneer of the field’s recognition as a discipline within the museum community, as related in her obituary on Te Papa’s blog.
Some of you will be aware that the late Valerie Carson’s collection is currently being auctioned online, with the closing date tomorrow (15 August 2022). Given the breadth and depth of Valerie’s interests and expertise, the range is unsurprisingly wide, with over 200 lots including lace, samplers, fabrics, garments from various parts of Asia and Africa , books, toys, sewing tools and assorted objets. The auction is through Cordy’s, the catalogue is here, and full of window-shopping delights.