Up until now, Germans were considered the innovators of scientific archaeological conservation in museums. Friedrich Rathgen, the first director of the Chemical Laboratory of the Royal Museums of Berlin in 1888 is recognized as the “father of modern archaeological conservation”. It is now apparent, however, that the Greek Othon Rhousopoulos was his counterpart.
Othon Rhousopoulos was a chemist and pioneer conservation scientist and archaeometrician active between 1888 and 1916. He lived a parallel professional life, not only as the lead conservator of antiquities in the major Greek museums, but also by founding a Commercial and Industrial Academy to support practical training for business and industry in Greece. His contribution to the latter field has already been recognized and he has been described as “a brilliant leading figure”. His role in the conservation of antiquities started to appear in the international conservation literature in the late 1980s and early 90s, but his overall contribution, especially the materials and methods he used, have not been hitherto known.
The present book deals with the life and work of Rhousopoulos, his international impact and his domestic reception, the critical evaluation and interpretation of his work, as well as the materials and methods he used and their modern assessment. The book also reproduces extensive excerpts from the press of his time and his hand-written reports to the Minister from the Historic Archive of the Greek Archaeological Service.
He started his work for the Acropolis Museum in 1888 and the National Archaeological Museum in 1901. He introduced an innovative electrochemical cleaning and stabilization method for bronzes, the cellulose nitrate protection varnish, he advised the use of silicates and barium hydroxide for the consolidation of stone, and he pioneeringly recommended the use of stainless steel for stone joining, as well as many more materials and methods, some of which are still used in Greek museums and internationally. He also supported archaeologists by analyzing their finds in the laboratory of his Academy. He also published 23 papers in Greek and international scientific journals. He made every possible effort to establish a chemical laboratory (conservation lab) at the most prominent museum of Greece, the National Archaeological Museum, but he never received the state recognition that his contemporary Rathgen enjoyed. Most damagingly for his reputation, he was blamed for removing the natural patination of bronzes. His overall contribution was eventually lost in a country which at that time lacked institutions, research and formal conservation training. Nevertheless his practices were continued even when his name was long forgotten.
Othon Rhousopoulos should be considered not only as the father of archaeological conservation in Greece, but as a contributor to the first international attempt for the establishment of conservation as an academic discipline.