The founder of modern conservation in Greece

Visiting archaeological museums, we are often moved by the idea of the work that went into discovering so many artifacts and bringing them to light, but rarely do we go to the trouble to learn about what happened after that, how these treasures were salvaged and restored, and by whom.

Chemist Othon Rhousopoulos (1856-1922) is one of many such unsung protagonists of the restoration lab. A pioneer in the field since 1888, he dedicated a large part of his career to applied chemistry in archaeology and conservation, and even though his methods were controversial, some of them are still used to this day.

For Dr Georgianna Moraitou, head of the National Archaeological Museum's Department of Conservation & Archaeometry, Rhousopoulos was the "founder of modern conservation in Greece." In her recent monograph, "Othon A. Rhousopoulos (1856-1922) and the Early History of...