I’m sure everyone will join me in sending all best wishes to Lucy Commoner who retires after 39 years at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, at 91st Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. During her remarkable career there, she worked with Milton Sonday on the museum’s extensive textile collection, and, more recently, with Matilda McQuaid, the Deputy Director of Curatorial and Head of Textiles. Lucy helped with the expansion of the storage areas and with fund-raising—and her job itself expanded from textile conservator to Head of Conservation. More recently, she was involved in the design of the museum's off-site study and storage center, the recent renovation of Cooper Hewitt's New York facility, and the digitization of the museum's collection. She now is retiring (as of 7/1/16) to the well-deserved position of ‘Conservator Emerita’ from which she can devote herself to teaching and to special projects at Cooper Hewitt while Kira Eng-Wilmot continues on as textile conservator.

Mary W.  Ballard

Senior Textiles Conservator

Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute

4210 Silver Hill Road

Suitland, Maryland 20746

Tel 301-238-1210 Fax 301-238-3709