▁of ▁cultural ▁her itage ▁in ▁any ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁is ▁usually ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁positions ▁for ▁chem ists ▁within ▁museum s . ▁In ▁British ▁arch ae ology , ▁key ▁research ▁and ▁technical ▁experiment ation ▁in ▁conservation ▁was ▁undert aken ▁by ▁women ▁such ▁as ▁I one ▁Ged ye ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁and ▁in ▁arch ae ological ▁collections , ▁particularly ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Arch ae ology , ▁London . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁pione ering ▁research ▁into ▁painting ▁materials ▁and ▁conservation , ▁cer am ics , ▁and ▁stone ▁conservation ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁Arthur ▁P ill ans ▁Laur ie , ▁academic ▁chem ist ▁and ▁Princi pal ▁of ▁Her iot - W att ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁Laur ie ' s ▁interests ▁were ▁fost ered ▁by ▁William ▁Hol man ▁H unt . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁the ▁chem ist ▁Dr ▁Harold ▁Pl ender le ith ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁with ▁Dr . ▁Alexander ▁Scott ▁in ▁the ▁recently ▁created ▁Research ▁Labor atory , ▁although ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Scient ific ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁Research ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years . ▁Pl ender le ith ' s ▁appointment ▁may ▁be ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁given ▁birth ▁to ▁the ▁conservation ▁profession ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁although ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁craft s men ▁in ▁many ▁museum s ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁commercial ▁art ▁world ▁for ▁gener ations . ▁This ▁department ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁museum ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁d eter ior ating ▁condition