Carolyn L. Rose (March 24, 1949 – August 29, 2002) was an American archaeological conservator who worked for the Smithsonian Institution and was one of the first ethnographic conservators in the United States.
Early life and education Carolyn L. Rose (nee Rusch) was born on March 24, 1949, in Pittsburgh and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of The Reverend William G. Rusch and Ruth J. (Johnson) Rusch. She was married to Horace Rose and later to Dr. David von Endt.
Career
She earned a degree in art history from Sweet Briar College, and later obtained a master's degree from George Washington University (GWU) in 1976.
She first interned as a student and then later started working for the Smithsonian as a conservation technician in 1972. She became a senior research conservator for the National Museum of Natural History in 1990."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. In 2000, she began her position as a chair woman at the Smithsonian Institution's anthropology department. Rose was also an adjunct associate professor at George Washington University since 1983."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. She created anthropological conservation, a sub-discipline ethnography.
Rose was president of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) from 1994 to 1995."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. and the Washington Conservation Guild."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003.
Awards and honors In 1992, Rose won the Rutherford John Gettens Merit Award for contributions to the American Institute for Conservation. In 1996 and 1998, she received Exceptional Service Awards from the National Museum of Natural History. In 1996, Rose also received the Award for Outstanding Service as President of SPNHC."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003.
In 2001, Rose was awarded SPNHC's President's Award for distinguished service as President of SPNHC. In 2002, Rose was awarded SPNHC's Award for distinguished service and lifetime contribution to SPNHC's mission and values.
Rose was awarded the President's Medal at George Washington University. George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg described her as a "one-woman graduate school," due to having taught many ethnographic and archaeological conservators.
Death and legacy Carolyn L. Rose died of cancer on August 29, 2002, in Washington, D.C."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. She is survived by her husband, mother, siblings, daughter, and grandchildren."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections' highest honor – SPNHC Award – was renamed in Carolyn Rose's honor."Carolyn L. Rose" (PDF). SPNHC Newsletter. Vol 17, No. 1. pg. 1–2. March 2003. In 2025, at the annual SPNHC meeting, the Carolyn L. Rose award was presented to Suzanne Boyer McLaren from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Dr. Hanna M. Szczepanowska dedicated her 2012 textbook, Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Key Principles and Approaches, in memory of Rose.
Publications
Examination and Stabilization of two Bull Mummies (1978) Protein Chemistry for Conservators (1984) Editor Ethical and Practical Considerations in Conserving Ethnographic Museum Objects (~1998) Storage of Natural History Collections: Ideas and Practical Solutions (1992) Preserving Natural Science Collections: Chronicle of Our Environmental Heritage (1993) – Preface
References
External links Rose's essay for the Getty Conservation Institute – "Conservation of Museum Collections"