We are with three conservators in the Studio. Regularly we have students from the University of Amsterdam for an internship at our studio. For larger projects, we work with freelancers. In addition to our work in the studio, we can also be found in many other places in our field, we give conservation training, and visit conferences and symposia, and we give regularly (international) talks at conferences and publish articles in conservation journals.

Elizabet Nijhoff Asser (1956) As the owner of RNA she has over 30 years of experience in paper and book restoration and works half the time as a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. She specializes in the restoration of complex objects, such as anatomical models of paper-mâché, charters with wax seals and 19th century photograph albums. Her interest is further given to the development of flexible assembly systems for gilt leather hangings.

With Pau Groenendijk she worked for 26 years under the name Beautiful Books (‘Mooie Boeken’). Beautiful books and Pau Groenendijk are now found in Zaandam, in the Idea Factory, Round Tour 11, 1507 CC Zaandam.

Herre de Vries (1981) started his career in 1999 working as bookbinder with Atelier Kloosterman Boekbinders in Amsterdam. From 2003 until 2007 he studied book and paper conservation at the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage. After his graduation he worked at Mooie Boeken en Papierwerken as book conservator. In 2012 he worked with Italian conservator Gaia Petrella on the conservation of a collection of Islamic manuscripts in the Vatican Library. In December of that year they, together with Irene Zanella, taught at the Iraqi Institute for the Restoration of Antiquities in Erbil, North Iraq. Since 2013 he has been at RNA, the continuation of Mooie Boeken, again and is currently also attending the Masters Programme Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Amsterdam.

Eliza Jacobi (1981) holds an MA in Modern Art History, with a minor in museum studies, of the University of Amsterdam. After her graduation in 2004 she worked during three months in the library of the Dutch University Institute for Art History in Florence. In 2009 she completed a four year book and paper conservation training at the The Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (now RCE). In 2009 she worked voluntary in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, directing a conservation and digitization project in the library of the Kraton (the Sultan’s palace) during a period of four months. Since 2010 she has been working as a paper conservator in the conservation studio RNA. In 2011 Eliza worked as a paper conservator in the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) during 3 months. In 2012-2013 Eliza worked as a paper conservator at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Saskia Mertens (1953) graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague as an art teacher with a specialty in textiles. She graduated in 1994 from the Graphic Lyceum Amsterdam in book restoration. Saskia worked until 2000 at Teylers Museum in Haarlem and with the Regional Archives in Alkmaar. Since 2000 she worked at RNA and her specialty and love go out to the restoration of special books and objects, but also to the so-called first aid treatment of mostly 18th and 19th century. She has a special sense for color, her expertise. Saskia has left the studio in September 2015 for a well deserved early retirement.