Last April Joe Barabe was invited to lecture on methods for pigment identification in art and architectural paints at the International RILEM Meeting & Tutorial in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting was hosted by the Engineering Center for Archeology and Environment in the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University, and the participants were predominantly museum directors, conservators, archaeologists, architects and students in these and related fields. In this presentation, he will share a few impressions of the meeting and discuss his approach to teaching pigment identification methods. A small amount of microscopy will be discussed.

A large portion of the talk will center on his few days of vacation in this exotic land of mystery and our most ancient history, presented as snapshots grabbed in the quick of things, from belly dancers and whirling Dervishes to camel riders, perfume hawkers, and the de rigueur pyramids.

Bio Sketch
Joseph Barabe is Senior Research Microscopist and Director of Scientific Imaging at McCrone Associates in Westmont, Illinois. His primary interests include art and historical object authentication studies, especially as related to pigment identification problems, technical aspects of forensic document examination, and scientific imaging, especially in the macro and micro realm. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Michigan State University, with some course work in the sciences.

He had the good fortune to study pigment identification under the generous tutelage of Dr. Walter C. McCrone, and general and pigment chemistry under Professor Bill Mikuska at Triton College. Joe also has served as past chairperson of the Illinois Chapter of the Biological Photographic Association and as President of the State Microscopical Society of Illinois.

In addition, he has been both a prizewinner and a judge in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest. He has presented workshops and lectures on both scientific imaging and paint analysis at InterMicro meetings, the Campbell Center for Historical Preservation Studies, The Art Institute of Chicago and, most recently (as noted above), in Cairo, Egypt.

Minutes of January 21, 2005 "After XMAS, XMAS Party"
Joseph Barabe,"The Flight into Egypt"
This year's post-holiday event was catered by Reza's Restaurant, which provided a wonderful selection of delicious Persian Food. President Bill Mikuska welcomed members, and then quizzed them - wondering how many were able to identify the polarized light birefringent "ornaments" which decorated the menu's Xmas tree.

Bill introduced the speaker for the evening (and former student), Joe Barabe. Joe is an accomplished photographer and microscopist, who has served as president of the SMSI and the Illinois Chapter of the Biological Photographer's Association.

Joe spent a great deal of time studying the analysis of paint pigments with Dr. Walter McCrone. He also completed courses in chemistry and pigment chemistry at Triton College (under Professor Bill Mikuska). He has presented numerous talks, classes, and workshops. The expertise that Joe has developed in this area resulted in an invitation to participate in an international meeting in Cairo, Egypt, in April of 2004. Most impressive is the fact that Joe was the only one presenting the topic of Paint Pigment Analysis by Microscopy.

Joe's presentation also showed a number of beautiful photographs of the sights which he experienced as a first time visitor to Egypt, and told us the stories behind them.

Respectfully Submitted, Robert Kuksuk, Recording Secretary