(Research Assistant, non-invasive analysis of illuminated manuscripts)
£24,289 - £27,318
Nine-months contract starting October 2014
The Fitzwilliam Museum houses the principal collections of art and antiquities of the University of Cambridge, and holds over half a million objects in its care. The Department of Manuscripts and Printed Books (MSSPB) preserves one of the finest collections of illuminated manuscripts in the world, one of the most important collections of manuscript and printed music in the UK, fine printed books, literary autographs and archives. The collections total upwards of 132,500 objects: 1,000 illuminated manuscripts and leaves; 1,500 music volumes; 20,000 rare printed books, over 80,000 literary autographs and correspondence, and over 30,000 items in the Museum’s archive.
The successful candidate, supported by the MINIARE Fellowship of the Zeno Karl Schindler Foundation, will join the cross-disciplinary team of the research project MINIARE (Manuscript Illumination: Non-Invasive Analysis, Research and Expertise, www.miniare.org). Based at the University of Cambridge, MINIARE focuses on the non-invasive analysis of materials and techniques as well as the contextual interpretation of medieval and Renaissance illumination.
Under the supervision of MINIARE’s pigment analyst and imaging scientist, the Research Assistant will analyse medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts with a combination of non-invasive analytical tools, and contribute to the research underpinning a major exhibition in 2016 which will celebrate the bicentenary of the Fitzwilliam Museum’s foundation. He/she will be trained in the combined, mutually complementary use of different imaging and analytical methods, and become fully aware of the conservation needs of unique and exceptionally fragile manuscripts, as well as of the broader cultural and historical questions that such cross-disciplinary research endeavours to clarify.
Candidates should hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in physics, chemistry, materials science or cultural heritage science. Those who have recently completed a PhD in any of these fields will also be considered. They should be familiar with a range of analytical and technical imaging methods (see Further information).
A collaborative, supportive and flexible team working style is essential. The ability to deal with people at all levels and in a professional manner is crucial. A high degree of IT literacy, preferably including the use of software for data acquisition and analysis and image processing, is required. A strong interest in art and art conservation would be an advantage.
Further details and application form CHRIS/6 are available from via email: lmb26@cam.ac.uk or
Tel: 01223 764840.
Closing date for applications: 12 noon on Friday 28 February 2014
Planned interview date: w/c 24 March 2014
Interested candidates should complete the CHRIS/6 application form and return with a supporting statement and CV with list of publications to Personnel and Workforce Development Manager, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RB or lmb26@cam.ac.uk
The University welcomes diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK
