Davina Kuh Jakobi

When I was in high school, I saw a flyer advertising a spring internship with the Museum of Modern Art. I had always wanted to work in a museum environment, so I applied, and was placed in the Publications Department. After the successful completion of this internship, I was offered a summer internship. I had requested a more hands-on placement, and the internship coordinator suggested the conservation department. Although I only had a vague idea of what conservation was, I was eager to learn.  By the end of the summer, I had decided to become a conservator. That was more than ten years ago.

 

After high school, I attended the University of Delaware, the only university in America with a comprehensive undergraduate programme at the time. Whilst there, I took classes and participated in various internship opportunities to prepare myself for graduate school. Today, I am well on my way to achieving my goal of becoming a accredidated conservation professional and am finishing my Masters studies at the University College London’s Institute of Archaeology. As a result of my academic studies and practical conservation experience, I have a broad range of materials from a variety of historical periods from around the world, and have discovered a strong affinity for objects conservation, particularly that of polychrome wood.

 

I am very passionate about conservation education, as well as writing and speaking to further multi-disciplinary understanding of cultural heritage and conservation. My research interests include model ships and boats, sports heritage, religious icons, and street art.