ALAN C. VEDDER, because of his interest in architectural and artistic fields and despite only general formal education in those areas, had a fascination for New Mexican culture. These interests were expanded and intensified when he began working with the E. Boyd in the newly-established Spanish Colonial Department of the Museum of New Mexico. He worked closely with her for almost twenty years and together they explored, empirically, the Spanish cultural background of New Mexico. Mr. Vedder specialized in conservation of New Mexican Spanish Colonial objects, having conserved the famous Santiago bulto at El Santuario de Chimayo and the altar screens at Rosario Chapel in Santa Fe and at Santa Cruz Church in Española. He acted as a consultant to various museums including the American Museum in Britain at Bath, England, for which he collected, designed and installed their permanent exhibit of New Mexican rooms. Dedicated to all aspects of New Mexico's Spanish Colonial culture, Mr. Vedder's primary goal was to further the appreciation of traditional New Mexican furniture.
