This is one of several icomos regional meetings being held around the world in preparation for the October 1996 icomos General Assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the issue of authenticity in preservation will again be addressed.
Authenticity is the foundation upon which all preservation work is built.
In recent years the concepts of authenticity and value have been increasingly subject to examination and debate. The San Antonio meeting addressed the issue from the perspectives of archaeological resources, architecture and urbanism, and cultural landscapes. Margaret Mac Lean of the GCI chaired the Scientific Committee for the symposium, which was responsible for designing the program, identifying the speakers, writing the United States position paper, and managing the meeting. The Getty was represented by Marta de la Torre and Erica Avrami of the GCI and by Tim Whalen and Joan Weinstein of the Getty Grant Program.