Private Practice: In Conversation with Sarah Glenn ACR and Zenzie Tinker ACR

Sarah Glenn ACR

Sarah has been a textile conservator for over thirteen years, having gained her MA Textile Conservation from the University of Southampton in 2008. After spending just over ten years working in the textile conservation department at the V&A, London, she left the museum to become a freelance textile conservator (operating under Atelier Nine). Based mainly in London and the south, she works for a wide variety of clients, including national and international museums and galleries, archives, collectors, dealers and auction houses, as well as other conservation studios. 

Sarah has acted as a consultant to a variety of costume and accessory collections, from stage and performance costume, uniform collections and couture fashion collections.
Sarah is an Icon PACR assessor, has served on the Icon Textile Group Committee 2013-2018, and was a member of the Icon Triennial 2019 Programme Committee. Currently she serves as a member of Icon’s Policy Advisor Panel.

Zenzie Tinker ACR

After graduating in the early 1980’s with a degree in the History of Design (specialising in textiles and dress) Zenzie undertook an apprenticeship in textile and tapestry conservation under Ksynia Marko at her London studio between 1986-91, being awarded a Certificate in Textile Conservation in 1991 by the Museums Association (Trevor Waldon prize winner). Zenzie then spent the next decade working in museums, first as Costume Conservator at the Museum of London and then as a Senior Textile Conservator at the Victoria & Albert Museum. In 2003 after a family move, Zenzie set up freelance working from home and soon established her own studio, Zenzie Tinker Conservation Ltd in Brighton. 

Still going strong almost two decades later, and working from a spacious, purpose designed studio, Zenzie leads an experienced team of textile and paper conservators serving both public and private collections throughout the UK and abroad. 

Amongst the many significant projects Zenzie’s team have been responsible for conserving are the Ellen Terry theatrical dress collection at Smallhythe Place (National Trust), the Royal Funeral Effigies at Westminster Abbey and major textiles and tapestries at Knole, Hardwick and Clandon Park (National Trust), Dubai Cultural Authority and Arundel Castle. Zenzie is also the advisor for the Legal Dress Collection at the Royal Courts of Justice. Teaching and publishing, particularly on the use of adhesives, Zenzie and her team are currently developing a programme of maker’s workshops inspired by historic textiles.