Detlef Klein, Manawatu Museum Services Ltd
Manawatu Museum Services Ltd offers clients the experience of Detlef Klein’s longstanding involvement in the heritage and museum sector as a unique resource. Almost eleven years working within a museum environment at Te Manawa from 1994 to 2005, two and a half years working as manager of Kemp House and Stone in Kerikeri for the NZ Historic Places Trust in 1992-1994 and altogether more than 11 years running his own business in New Zealand, Detlef has gained since 1980 a total of 29 years of practical experience in all areas of heritage and museum collections management and conservation.
Our Clients
Clients have included the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, Rotorua Museum, Hawkes Bay Museum, Puke Ariki, Govett Brewster Art Gallery, Whanganui Regional Museum, Te Manawa, The Feilding Coach House Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Museum of City and Sea, National Library, NZ Police Museum, The New Dowse, Aratoi, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Settler Museum, several City or District Councils, The Ratana Communal Board, The Elms Foundation, the Ministry of Culture & Heritage as well as selected private collectors.
Other Services to the Museum Sector
Detlef Klein is lecturer in Preventive Conservation at Museum Studies, Massey University and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Audio Visual Technology in Foxton.
Manawatu Museum Services Ltd also offers training opportunities for students of Conservation and internships for colleagues in the museum sector.
Professional Affiliations
Detlef Klein is a full member and past president of the NZCCM (NZ Conservators of Cultural Material), member of ICOMOS New Zealand and a full member of the VDR (Association of Conservators in Germany)
TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Current:
Director of Manawatu Museum Services Ltd Palmerston North and partner with Klein Lawrence & Tan in Auckland
Chairman of the Board of Trustees for MAVtech (Museum of Audio Visual Technology) in Foxton
Lecturer in Preventive Conservation for the Museum Studies Programme at Massey University, Palmerston North
1994 – 2005 Employed at Te Manawa in Palmerston North as conservator
1992 – 1994 Contract with NZHPT as curator / conservator at Kemp House & Stone Store, Kerikeri (30 month contract)
1986 – 1992 Self-employed conservator in Waiwera, Auckland
1986 Emigration to New Zealand
1984 – 1986 Conservator and partner with Scheuch & Pungs Restauratoren in Munich, Germany
1984 Traveling in UK for 4 months to study House Museums (National Trust properties)
1980 – 1983 Training as Conservator for Wooden Objects and Furniture at ARG Institute in Munich, Germany
1979 – 1980 Technical University of Munich – studies in Building Technology
1977 – 1979 Apprenticeship and journeyman certificate in Cabinet-making & Interior Furnishings in Würzburg, Germany
1975 School leaving certificate “Abitur”
1987 – Survey of chattels with recommendations for conservation of six historic houses in Northland, for the NZ Historic Places Trust and the Waitangi National Trust
1989 – 1990 – Conservation of the Anton Seuffert made bonheur de jour known as the Hooker Cabinet for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
1989 – 1990 – replication of the two only surviving original items of Busby furniture for the Waitangi National Trust
1996 – 1997 – project conservator for and supervision of the conservation and restoration of all heritage joinery for the Regent Theatre in Palmerston North
1997 – report with recommendations to Te Papa Tongarewa for the acquisition of a suite of antique display cases in Hamilton for use as exhibition furniture
1998 – consultancy report for Judd, Fenwick Natush architects for the upgrade of the Hawkes Bay Museum collection storage facility
1998 – consultancy report for Department of Conservation for the upgrade of the exhibition and storage spaces at Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre, Waikaremoana
1999 – 2000 – consultancy and support to Nicholl Architects for the refurbishment of the old ANZ Bank as a museum for Wairoa
1999 – 2000 – conservation of the Hall of Remembrance photographs and display in Stratford for the Stratford District Council
2002 – 2003 – consultancy and supervision of conservation work on the Queenspark Cenotaph in Wanganui for Wanganui District Council
2003 – report for the Govett Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth on Art Storage & Conservation Issues with Recommendations for Improvement
2003 – report for MOTAT (Museum of Transport & Technology) in Auckland on the conservation and display of their horse drawn vehicles collection
2003 – collection report for Mathews & Mathews Architects for the Brain Watkins House Conservation Plan in Tauranga
2003 – consultancy report on the collection for the Elms Mission House in Tauranga
1999 – 2006 – consulting conservator for the Feilding Horse Drawn Vehicle Museum in the restoration of their horse drawn vehicle collection
2005 – preparation of a conservation plan for the Whare Maori and the collection of taonga within, at Ratana Pa
2006 – preparation of a Conservation Plan for the Lion Monument in Wanganui (Ministry of Culture & Heritage) and supervision of the conservation project
2006 – evaluation report and recommendations for improvement of the collection store for the Museum of Wellington City & Sea
2006 – preparation of a Conservation Plan for the “Krupp Gun” a Boer War field canon belonging to Wanganui District Council
2006 – Conservation of the Selwyn Desk, an important item of furniture made by Anton Seuffert for the Auckland Museum
2006 – 2007 advice to Conservation Architect Chris Cochran on original paint finishes for the conservation of The High Court in Stout Street, Wellington
2007 – conservation and preparation of the Pataka Whakairo Nuku Tewhatewha for the permanent exhibition of The New Dowse in Lower Hutt
2007 – report for the NZ Police Museum evaluating the collection storage conditions in relation to contemporary museum standards and develop solutions for improvement within the constraints of the current facility
2007 – preparation of preventive conservation brief and project consulting services for the redevelopment and fit-out of the new Waikato Coalfields Museum in Huntly in conjunction with Grant Collie / Great Leap Forward
2007 – 2008 project concept and Feasibility Study for a redevelopment of the collection storage and exhibition spaces of MAVTECH (Museum of Audio Visual Technology) in the Coronation Hall in Foxton
2007 – 2008 – on-going: project planning with Grant Collie / Great Leap Forward to develop a heritage park for the Waterwheel Trust and Kawerau Enterprise Agency in Kawerau
2007 – 2008 – project planning and implementation with Jeremy Lawrence for the dismantling, conservation and storage of public sculptures on Aotea Square in Auckland, supervision and documentation of the project in September 2008
2008 – 2011 – consultant to RCP / Wellington: develop and run a monitoring programme at Old St Pauls to assess changes to interior environmental conditions as these may be affected by a new high rise development adjacent to Old St Pauls
2009 – preparation of a Conservation Plan for the Maori War Memorial at Moutoa Gardens in conjunction with Grant Wilkinson of Ruamoko Solutions, Christchurch for the Pakaitore-Moutoa Gardens Historic Reserves Board in Wanganui
2009 – conservation treatment of two concrete and stone sculptures dating from 1910 from the entrance to Virginia Lake in Wanganui for Wanganui District Council
2009 – Completion of the Krupp Gun restoration project for Wanganui District Council – View more>>
2009 – 2010 – conservation of a large pre-Raphaelite gilt frame and replication of the same for Auckland Art Gallery
2009 – Preparation of a Conservation Plan for 5 pouwhenua for the Palmerston North City Council
2009 – Preparation of a Conservation Plan and implementation of the removal, conservation and re-installation of the historic iron fence around The Timeball Station in Lyttleton for the NZ Historic Places Trust
Since 1994 – and on-going: Lecturer in Preventive Conservation for the Museum Studies Programme at Massey University
1995 – 2008 – mentoring of conservation trainees in internships (3 to 6 month placements from German Universities, one trainee per annum)
Since 1980 – and on-going: conservation treatment and restoration of a wide variety of materials and objects for private clients, museums and art galleries as well as city councils. These include furniture, ethnographic objects, taonga maori, decorative art, gilded and polychrome sculptures and objects, including frames, weapons, musical instruments, technology material and monuments.
Training provider in preventive conservation and collections management