Leather Conservation for Today

For nearly 40 years the Leather and Related Materials Group (one of the Working Groups of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation - ICOM CC), have been gathering every three years to share and disseminate research and developments essential to advancing the conservation and care of objects made from leather, skin and related materials.

In October 2025, the interim meeting will be held in the UK for the first time in many decades, bringing together an international cohort of conservation professionals working across a wide span of museum collections, including, Natural History, World Cultures, Fashion, Automotive, Decorative Arts and Book and Archive, to share new research and techniques relating to the conservation of leather, parchment and other skin materials.

The conference will be held at De Montfort University over the course of Thursday 30th and Friday 31st October 2025, with optional technical visits on Wednesday 29th and a number of social/networking events. There will be a hybrid element, with presentations broadcast live via Microsoft Teams for those joining remotely.

Leather Conservation

The theme of the conference is “Leather Conservation for Today.” With this topic, we aim to explore key issues facing the specialism today, exploring new and innovative treatments, techniques and perspectives across the wide category of leather and skin materials

Presentations and posters will cover much ground, including conservation techniques, repair materials, education, analytical techniques, and art historical aspects across leather, parchment and other skin materials.

Conference location

The conference will be held on the De Montfort University campus in Leicester within the Vijay Patel Building, home to the faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities.