About:
Thom Burns is the Curator of the Harvard College Observatory’s Astronomical Photographic Glass Plate Collection at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. His professional and academic career focuses on specifically connecting and creating synergy among interdisciplinary fields and historical collections. Working with artists, authors, astrophysics, and conservators, his main role is to facilitate the research, understanding, and inspiration between individuals and the Harvard Plate Stacks collection. Central to the collection’s creation and its history is the legacy of a century of women astronomical computers breaking barriers in science and at Harvard starting in the 1870s. Current initiatives include 3D rendering of the historic imagery to create tactile and accessible models for people with visual impairments, working with scientists to help identify supernova remnants, and facilitating artists’ research in the collection to create their own work.
Education:
Masters from the University of Glasgow in Technical Art History
BA from Yale University in the History of Art