Harold Holland, Founding Fellow 

Highlights

Influential archival conservator and conservation educator; career spent at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (1975-2002); pioneered archival holdings assessment techniques adopted by the Canadian Council of Archives; worked closely and generously with archivists. 

Education and Background 

Born in Alberta in 1943, Harold Holland received a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy from St. Thomas University (in Fredericton, New Brunswick), a Certificate in Museology (with a specialization in conservation) from Vancouver City College, and an Arts Administration Certificate from Harvard University. As there was no formal conservation training available in Canada, he supplemented his education with apprenticeships at various institutions including the Provincial Archives of Ontario (1977 and 1978), the Canadian Conservation Institute (1977 through 1978), and the Mills Library at McMaster University (1986). 

Beginning his career in an era when formal conservation training was not widely available, Holland pursued further continuing education by arranging working visits to archives and conservation centers in North America and Europe, as well as seeking out workshops and seminars offered by a range of professionals on diverse topics as (environmental control systems, pest and fungal problems, papermaking, digital imaging to name a few). In 1993 he received certification as a conservator from the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators. 

Professional Career 

In 1970, Harold Holland joined the staff at King’s Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, where he was responsible for coordinating restoration and conservation of furnishings of the site’s historic houses. When the St. John River flooded in Fredericton in 1973, he stepped away from his regular work to lead recovery and salvage operations for damaged government and court records, working long hours with staff and volunteers to successfully recover one million historically significant or currently vital records. 

In 1975, Holland joined the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) to become its Conservation Manager, serving as the province’s sole conservator for many years. In this role he was responsible for numerous innovations and developments in preservation and conservation. He established the Provincial Archives conservation laboratory, building much of the equipment from scratch as a means of stretching his limited budget. He developed a preservation assessment methodology for surveying archival holdings as a body, as opposed to focusing on individual treatments. While of obvious benefit now, Holland was a pioneer in taking this approach, which that would later form the model for the Canadian Council of Archives (CCA) global preservation assessments.  He retired in 2002.  

After retirement Holland continued to work in the archival conservation field, producing a global preservation assessment for the University of New Brunswick Archives in 2005. 

Contributions to the Profession 

Harold Holland took an exemplary leadership role in archival conservation in New Brunswick, Canada and internationally. Within the New Brunswick archival community, he conducted outreach through treating individual items, coordinating bulk supply purchases, assisting with disasters, and acting as the Preservation Officer for the Council of New Brunswick Archives. Within Canada, he promoted preservation concepts to the Canadian archival and museum communities by serving on the Preservation Committee of the CCA, providing training courses to the Council of New Brunswick Archives and the Association of Museums of New Brunswick, and also by teaching preservation to students of the Archives Course of the Public Archives of Canada (now Library and Archives Canada).  At PANB he hosted undergraduate and graduate students from conservation programs around the world. 

Holland’s work was not focused solely on traditional paper records; he also provided leadership in preserving photographic, film, video and digital records. His work was well informed by research and consultation with colleagues, and was aimed at developing and implementing practical approaches and procedures. Holland’s continuing research and practice in preservation methods, environmental controls, and other preservation activities earned him national and international recognition and led to invitations to consult in these areas. He conducted a Global Preservation Assessment of the Icelandic National Archives holdings, evaluated archival storage plans for the St. John Free Public Library, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland, and the United Church Maritime Conference Archives and carried out preservation assessments for Mount Allison University Archives, the New Brunswick Museum Archives and the University of New Brunswick Archives among others. 

Honours, Awards and Recognition 

• Harold Holland Bursary, established in 2002 by the Council of New Brunswick Archives and the Associates of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, to support study and training to enhance skills and knowledge in preservation  
• ACA Fellow, 2005 

Further Information 

• Associates of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, “Harold Holland,” Extra! Extra! 15 (Fall 2002): 5-8 (http://archives.gnb.ca/Associates/Newsletters/2002-15-Fall-e.pdf ) 

Photo source: photo supplied by Harold Holland.

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