Kitty Nicholson (Catherine Nicholson Donnelly) passed away on October 2, 2020. She is survived by her husband Hank, her son Rob and daughter-in-law Gwen, as well as by her sister Ann Yelin, brother Jim Nicholson, extended family, and a wide range of friends and professional colleagues.
Kitty was a graduate of Brown University (BA in art history) and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (MFA). She had wide-ranging professional interests but focused primarily on the treatment and preservation of paper, ink, and parchment. Before joining the staff of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in 1984, Kitty held conservation positions at the National Museum of American History and the National Gallery of Art, as well as internship positions at the Boston Public Library and the National Archives.
During her tenure at NARA, Kitty had responsibility for conservation aspects of the exhibits program and developed exhibition standards and specifications for display, mounting, and materials. Kitty worked closely with conservation staff and interns, for whom she was a dedicated teacher and mentor. Kitty was a key member of the team responsible for the re-encasement and treatment of the Charters of Freedom (Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and Bill of Rights), and also provided technical oversight to the restoration of the Faulkner Murals in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building. When she retired in 2013, Kitty was serving as Deputy Director of Conservation, and over the years was involved in all aspects of the work of the lab, from establishing treatment protocols and policies to directing the work of conservators. In addition, she was entrusted with treating the most significant documents in our nation’s history. She also found time to conduct research (notably relating William Stone’s engravings of the Declaration of Independence) and was actively involved in developing the Paper Catalog for the American Institute for Conservation.
Kitty’s active professional life was balanced by an equally broad array of personal interests and pursuits. She was active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (Capitol Hill), where she helped to oversee educational programs for adults and youth. Kitty also liked to garden, was a member of two book clubs, was an advocate for solar energy…and in addition to all of this, was an excellent cook! She practiced yoga, liked to swim, and for many summers taught swimming to kids through a program at American University. Kitty and Hank were avid travelers…Egypt, Turkey and the Greek Isles were just a few of their destinations.
Kitty lived a full and active life. She made many lasting contributions to the field of conservation. Her personal pursuits touched a wide array of friends and family. She will be missed
