I’m an objects conservator specializing in ethnographic and archaeological material, living and working in Juneau, Alaska. The primary intent of this weblog is to provide useful information and (hopefully) interesting conversation to other conservators and folks in allied professions. This might also be a place where people can form an opinion about me and my work.
Ellen Carrlee Conservation 
Was great meeting you at the conference.
PS…The shotglasses looked like a traditional jewish groom (chassan) and bride (kallah), not mexican – the giveaway is the hat, beard, and what appears to be peyos (curly sideburns) on the groom.
Hi, Ellen! So glad to find this through the AKLA list! But you know what I want? I want an RSS feed so that I can subscribe to your blog updates! What do you say? I think that’s a feature WordPress offers; we use WordPress for the library blog (oops, not bog) at my place of employment.
stumbled on this EC and it is fascinating! adding to fave blogs… notice you came by the doll museum… I had back surgery 12/1 so Bea hosted it alone… thanks for coming by and sure we will be talking to you …
Hi Ellen, I recently saw your feature on dust in exhibits and found it very interesting and very relevant to what we as manufacturers try and work hard to exclude. We’ve just completed a very high profile project in Anchorage and have also recently worked in Fairbanks. I also need to read more of your blog on your home town, I hope to be visiting for the day in June this year when our ship docks for the day!
regards
Jim
Just stumbled accross your your blog while investigating a powder post beetle infestation…very useful…I’ll be exploring your archived posts!
Hi, I also write a blog just for our local audience. I wanted to ask permission to include your bug clock photo as an illustration of what we will be doing over the winter season.
Sure, go ahead
Hi Ellen:
I work for the Cayman Islands National Archive as a Conseravtor and I would like to use a picture posted in your “Anatomy of an Archives Flood” on October 13, 2009. I am preparing our Disaster Preparedness Bulletin and the picture quoted as “Chris Heib rescue wet documents boxes” is very dramatic, perfect for our bulletin. In a personal interest now, I would search your site to find some advise regarding a bronze lamp (1900’s) I just bought in Cuba and want to restore. Thanks… for a very helpful blog.
Maylen
You are free to use the photo that I took of our co-worker Chris Hieb rescuing wet boxes during the Aug.2009 Alaska State Archives flood. All that we ask is that you could please give a photo credit to the Alaska State Division of Libraries, Archives, & Museums. Thanks for your interest in the photo.
Damon Stuebner
Alaska State Library Historical Collections
Hi Ellen,
I’ve just discovered your blogg while looking for a title for one of the posters at the Greenville WOAM conference! Your blogg came up and gave me the result I was looking for, so thanks for that, but also congratulations – what a great blogg! I don’t know how you have the time to keep it updated. I will now use it to keep up on other conferences going on around the world. Great job!
Also say hi and a huge thanks again to Scott for the Spot Testing course. I am using those skills often in my work these days!
All the best,
Emma Hocker,
Vasa Museum
Hi Emma! So good to hear from you! Hope you are well…thanks for the kind words!
Dear Ms. Carrlee,
I’ve wanted for a long time to congratulate you on your 2003 article on low temperature pest control methods. It is for me a perfect example of a question that needed to be boiled down to the bare physical, chemical and biological facts, a task which you undertook with great success. This publication has been a reference of mine for many years, both in my professional practice and in the teachings I have given to students.
As a preventive conservation consultant in Paris, France, I am currently investigating the use of cold storage for ethnographic collections. Would you like to exchange on that particular topic and if so, could we convene of a telephone meeting? With the time difference, I would probably have to call you when it the morning in Alaska.
You can of course contact me via my e-mail address, with or without going through your blog.
With best regards,
Eléonore Kissel,
In Extenso,
Paris, France.
Hello Ellen!
I love your blog! Writing you from the University of New Mexico, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, we may be moving a totem pole at some point in the not too distant future- can I contact you with questions? You are the expert I think.
Hope all is well!
Devorah
Absolutely I would be happy to help, but I’m not the one with the most chops on moving totem poles, only the one who put it on the internet 😉 You can ask me questions, and if they are tricky I’ll be asking Ron Sheetz and Bob Banghart, they’re the ones who “taught me all I know” about moving totem poles. Strongback-padding-really good crane/boomtruck operator seems to be the big three details that make the biggest difference. Let me know how the project unfolds!
Do you do repairs of baskets for private individuals.? Need a repair on a Tlingit
Sorry to be late in responding! I don’t take on private work, but you can find someone to hire on the American Institute for Conservation website under the tab “Find A Conservator”
want to keep a contact for reference to bbsailer. Unique shots of rare items(oarlocks). Using as Artwork references. Been in bay since ’74 and father had freezer and 13 conversions in 1954 on the North Star.
ah… splicing glove!
by any chance can i purchase the vintage rabbit skin glue form you? https://ellencarrlee.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/good-bye-old-lab/#jp-carousel-2001
Hi,
Sorry, we’re not getting rid of the lab supplies. Someone wanted a vintage chem lab bottle once too. Even if we were getting rid of them, the state of Alaska mechanism makes it difficult to sell anything like that because there is an official surplus system. The state doesn’t want us to spend time selling things if it’s not our job, and if selling happens it has to be public and fair.
if it ever goes up for auction, please let me know. I really want this specific brand and age of rabbit skin glue. I can make a very fair offer. thank you for getting back to me 🙂
Hi Ellen! I just found your blog on how to date conservation supplies and it was incredibly useful. Thank you for doing that research! I hope you are well.
Love the work you do!