use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = , burial_coordinates = , monuments = , other_names = , citizenship = , education =

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, alma_mater = , occupation = Conservator , years_active = 1937–1975 , era = , employer =

, organization = Institute of Archaeology , known_for = Founding the conservation department at the Institute of Archaeology , notable_works = , title = , term = , predecessor = , successor = , boards = , spouse = , partner = , children = , parents = , mother = , father = , relatives = , family = , awards = , signature = , signature_size = , signature_alt = , footnotes = Ione Gladys Gedye (1907 – 12 November 1990)AIC News- Newsletter of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, collected vols. 15–18, American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 1990, p. 8''Current Archaeology'', issue 129, A. & W. Selkirk, 1990, p. 128 was a pioneer conservator who founded the Repair Department at the Institute of Archaeology. She worked for over several decades in conservation at the Institute and was also a significant influence in the early years of archaeologically-themed television programmes.

Early life and education

Ione Gedye was the only daughter (she had one brother) of civil engineer Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas George Gedye (1874–1947), of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, who had been a senior figure in engineering at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

, and the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

, and his wife Vera, daughter of John Thompson, of Radclive. She attended

Francis Holland School Francis Holland School is the name of three separate private day schools for girls in central London, England, governed by the Francis Holland (Church of England) Schools Trust. The schools are located at Clarence Gate (near Regent's Park ...

, Graham Terrace between 1918 and 1925. Gedye was a student of

Flinders Petrie Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie ( – ), commonly known as simply Sir Flinders Petrie, was an English people, English Egyptology, Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. ...

in classical archaeology at University College, London. She volunteered to clean items from one of Petrie's excavations for a summer exhibition. Whilst studying at University College London, Gedye also rowed for her university. Gedye worked at the

Verulamium Verulamium was a town in Roman Britain. It was sited southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, England. The major ancient Roman route Watling Street passed through the city, but was realigned in medieval times to bring trad ...

excavations with Tessa Verney Wheeler and

Kathleen Kenyon Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon, (5 January 1906 – 24 August 1978) was a British archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She led excavations of Tell es-Sultan, the site of ancient Jericho, from 1952 to 1958, and has been called ...

. Wheeler had her clean metalwork from the excavations and encouraged her interest in artefacts.

Career

Gedye was one of the original staff members in the technical department at the Institute of Archaeology, which opened in 1937. She was the founder of the Repair Department, which was initially housed in a former operating theatre. There was no formal training programme in conservation in the 1930s, and Gedye conducted experiments to inform her work. She also learned about restoring and cleaning artefacts from people such as

Harold Plenderleith Harold James Plenderleith MC FRSE FCS (19 September 1898 – 2 November 1997) was a 20th century Scottish art conservator and archaeologist. He was a large and jovial character with a strong Dundonian accent. Biography Harold Plenderleith was ...

at the British Museum Research Laboratory and from staff at the

Royal Museums of Art and History The Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) (; ) are a group of museums in Brussels, Belgium. They are part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and consist of five museums: the Art & History Museum, the ...

in Brussels. During the war, she worked on reconstructions of

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

mammals. Gedye taught conservation from 1937 to 1975. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she headed a conservation course that became increasingly attractive to students, and gradually expanded from a one-year certificate to become a three-year degree course. In the late 1950s, Gedye was joined in her work by Henry W. M. Hodges who helped her to develop the training course. Early broadcasts of archaeological digs by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

were informed by Gedye's work. This work educated the public and contributed to the professionalisation of archaeology in the UK. Gedye retired in July 1975.

Death and legacy

Gedye died in 1990. The UCL Institute of Archaeology awards an Ione Gedye Award each year for the best conservation-based dissertation. This prize was created when Gedye requested that her colleagues create a prize for students rather than buy her a retirement gift. Gedye's portrait hangs in the institute.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gedye, Ione 1907 births 1990 deaths Conservator-restorers British women archaeologists Academics of the UCL Institute of Archaeology Alumni of University College London 20th-century British archaeologists