Call for papers: ICOM CC Leather and Related Materials Group 13th Interim Meeting: Leather Conservation for Today

To be held at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK on October 30 and 31, 2025. The conference will have a hybrid format, with options for both in-person and remote attendance. In-person presentations will be prioritised. 

The theme of the conference is “Leather Conservation for Today.” With this topic, we aim to explore key issues facing our specialism today, exploring new and innovative treatments, techniques and perspectives across the wide category of leather and skin materials. We are hoping for contributions representing diverse areas of our specialism, including conservation, new perspectives on the impact of old/previous treatments, materials, analytical techniques, and/or (art-)historical aspects. 

We are particularly interested in further consideration and study of 19th, 20th and 21st century leather and leather objects, as well as treatments that employ new materials or innovative techniques, such as mineral-tanned leather, leather with synthetic coatings, modern and contemporary objects involving leather, use of sulphur-free leather or other modern skin materials as a repair material, or any innovation in treatment, approach and contextual understanding. We welcome proposals for 20-minute papers and for posters. For either format, please submit an abstract of a maximum of 500 words. Abstracts should be in English and must include a title and author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information (phone number and email address). Word document is the preferred format. 

Abstracts must be submitted by Monday, March 10, 2025, to Rosie Bolton at rosie@leatherconservation.org. They will be peer reviewed by the working group coordinator and assistant coordinators, and authors of selected papers and posters will be notified on April 7, 2025. A publication will follow the meeting.