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Awards
Charles Mervyn Ruggles (1912-2001) |
As a young Bachelor of Science graduate
from the Ottawa University, with interests in art
and carpentry, it was not surprising that (Charles)
Mervyn Ruggles applied for the newly created position
of art conservator at the National Gallery of Canada
(NGC). The impetus behind the creation of the position
came from both George Harbour (Head of the Workshop
and Master Carpenter) and Eric Brown (first Director
of the NGC). George Harbour had been active in treating
paintings at the NGC but recognized the need for formal
chemistry education in the then burgeoning field of
professional art conservation. Eric Brown agreed.
With Mervyn Ruggles' appointment in 1938, the first
professional art conservation position was established
in Canada. |
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Interrupted for 5 years of World War
11 Royal Air Force Service (1940-45), Mervyn's art
conservation training spanned from 1938 until Harbour's
retirement in 1947. On George Harbour's departure
from the NGC, Mervyn Ruggles became the Scientific
Conservator at the Gallery. In 1960 he was promoted
to the position of Chief Scientific Research Conservator
and in 1970 he assumed the position Head of the Conservation
and Restoration Laboratory (RCL). Mervyn's background
in chemistry and laboratory research techniques enabled
him to undertake research related to the conservation
of paper and paintings. His research interests included
diagnostic methods for authentication, such as radiography
and paint microscopy; and causes of deterioration
in works of art, such as development of the first
micro-climate boxes to house the most important European
panel paintings in the collection of the NGC. He built
vacuum hot tables, a cold paper suction table and
modified a research microscope to more effectively
treat works of art on canvas and paper. Along with
Dr. Jim Hanlan, a conservation scientist (NGC), and
Mimi Cazort, a curator of Prints and Drawings (NGC),
Mervyn developed a high-quality mat board manufactured
under the name of Harumi. While at the NGC he oversaw
the acquisition, transportation and restoration of
two painted rooms: the Go-Home Bay MacCallum-Jackman
cottage interior painted by the Group of Seven; and
Croscup Painted Room created by an itinerate artist
in Nova Scotia. Fundamental to his contribution was
his care and treatment of paintings within Canadian
and European collections during his 40 years of employment
at the NGC. At the time of his retirement from NGC
in the late 1970's, his staff included a scientific
documentation officer, professionally trained paintings
and paper conservators, as well as an assistant paintings
conservator. |
A pioneer in art conservation in Canada,
Mervyn was influential in his profession. He was a
founding member of the Canadian Association for Professional
Art Conservators (now CAPC) and the International
Institute for Conservation – Canadian Group
(now CAC). Always a supporter of education within
the profession, he was instrumental in the creation
of the Master of Art Conservation Program at Queen’s
University, Kingston, Ontario. The NGC Laboratory
showed its commitment to Canadian and American University
conservation training programs by accepting short
and long-term internships. |
| Following retirement from the NGC, Mervyn
was Professor of Art Conservation at Queen’s University
until the fall of 1979. Active both Nationally and Internationally
throughout his professional life, he was a Fellow of
the International Institute for Conservation (IIC) and
of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and
a Senior Member of the Chemical Institute of Canada.
He acted as a consultant to a variety of art institutions
including the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, the Public
Archives of Canada and The Beaverbrook Art Gallery and
the National Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural
Property, Lucknow, India. He lectured, published, traveled
and organized conferences to further knowledge in the
field of art conservation. In 1979 he was awarded the
Order of Canada for his lifetime contributions. |
His enthusiasm for art and the field
of professional art conservation was infectious. He
inspired others to follow in his footsteps including
his daughter Janet, a graduate of the University of
Buffalo Art Conservation Program and presently the
Director of the Balboa Art Conservation Center in
San Diego, California, and his daughter Anne, a graduate
of the Queens’ Art Conservation Program and
now Conservator of Paintings at the NGC. |
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