About me
Catherine E. Stephens is a Conservator of library and archive materials at the New York Botanical Garden's LuEsther T. Mertz Library. Between 2022 and 2024, Cat was the Research Scholar in Photograph Conservation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she studied the unique binding structures and condition issues of nineteenth and early twentieth century photograph albums. In collaboration with The Met's photograph conservators, paper conservators, and conservation scientists, Cat investigated the mechanical performances of wheat starch paste, photo-grade gelatin, and several cellulose ethers, to determine which of these adhesives may provide the best flexibility to book repairs. Cat is a 2021 graduate of the Library and Archive Conservation program at the NYU Institute of Fine Arts, and she earned a BFA in Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2011. She has held conservation positions, fellowships, and internships at the Morgan Library & Museum, the New York Public Library, the New-York Historical Society, the New York City Municipal Archives, and the MIT Libraries’ Wunsch Conservation Laboratory.
