Mendeley  

Zotero  

Goharbin B. Note: The Profession of Restoration, Past, Present, and Future. KCR 2021; 3 (4) :91-97
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/kcr/article-1-185-en.html

Restoration has evolved from humanity's need to repair and reconstruct the objects and structures around them, and it has played various roles throughout history. What we recognize today as the practice and term of scientific restoration in Iran dates back approximately 52 years ago. This was when the first scientific laboratory for restoration was established at the Museum of Ancient Iran, and a few years later, in 1977, experts and professors from the National Organization for Conservation of Antiquities, in collaboration with Farabi University, founded the field of historical artifacts restoration in Isfahan. The first graduates and specialists in restoration were employed by governmental institutions and gradually, the profession became recognized among the cultural and artistic community. However, there was still a long way to go before scientific restoration would be fully accepted as a profession in society. After the Islamic Revolution, along with an expansion of university programs and various branches of restoration studies, there was a marked increase in graduates entering this field. While this created job opportunities within cultural heritage for some individuals. Over time due to various reasons, the cultural heritage sector could not absorb all graduates. As a result, since the late 1990s, unemployment rates within the field of restoration have significantly risen. This article reflects on past experiences within this profession based on numerous accounts from individuals working in related fields of restoration. The aim is to highlight both challenges and opportunities regarding career prospects for restorers working with historical artifacts and objects both now and
into the future.