GCI scientists study the deterioration of objects and buildings, and how to prevent or stop such deterioration. One of many projects in this area involved the effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections. Another project analyzed the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns now at the United States National Arboretum. In addition, GCI "conducts scientific research on materials' composition." For example, a project on the conservation of photographs has as one of its objectives the creation of an "Atlas of Analytical Signatures of Photographic Processes" which will provide "a precise chemical fingerprint of all the 150 or so ways pictures have been developed." As a part of that project, Getty scientists once examined the world's first photograph from nature by Nicéphore Niépce.
Scientific projects
Getty Conservation Institute
Getty Conservation Institute | Scientific projects
The effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections and the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns The effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections The effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections, and another project analyzed the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns now at the United States National Arboretum. Studying the effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections; analyzing  the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns
what is the getty center in los angeles
user
A campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust.
assistant
who designed this campus?
user
Richard Meier
assistant
what architectural pieces are found in this campus center?
user
The primary grid structure is a square; most wall and floor elements are squares or some derivative thereof.
assistant
do they have parking space for people visiting this place?
user
Yes
assistant
besides the museum, what other building structures are located on this campus?
user
Getty Research Institute (GRI), the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, and the J. Paul Getty Trust.
assistant
how is the campus equipped if there is fire?
user
Silicone fluid is used as a coolant and fire-resistant poverty weed was added to the slopes around the Center.
assistant
is there a garden in the premises?
user
Yes, Central Garden
assistant
besides the flora, what structural pieces will you find in the above?
user
A fountain flows toward the garden and appears to fall into a grotto on the north garden wall.
assistant
what will you find in the research institute which you mentioned earlier?
user
A research library, publishes books, and produces electronic databases (Getty Publications).
assistant
what are some of the exhibitions they host?
user
Julius Shulman, Modernity and the Metropolis
assistant
what are some of their publications?
user
"Series Imprints" books in the categories of "Issues and Debates", "Texts & Documents", "Introduction To", and "ReSources".
assistant
you had mentioned a conservation institute earlier, what are some of the works of this institute?
user
Art conservation and architectural conservation.
assistant
what are some of their scientific projects?
user
Engineers created a smaller, portable version, named the "X-Duetto". Fitting into a few briefcase-sized boxes, it can examine objects on site, while preserving their physical integrity. It is now being used by Getty scientists to analyze a large collection of museum antiques and the Roman ruins of Herculaneum, Italy.
Getty Conservation Institute | Scientific projects
GCI scientists study the deterioration of objects and buildings, and how to prevent or stop such deterioration. One of many projects in this area involved the effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections. Another project analyzed the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns now at the United States National Arboretum. In addition, GCI "conducts scientific research on materials' composition." For example, a project on the conservation of photographs has as one of its objectives the creation of an "Atlas of Analytical Signatures of Photographic Processes" which will provide "a precise chemical fingerprint of all the 150 or so ways pictures have been developed." As a part of that project, Getty scientists once examined the world's first photograph from nature by Nicéphore Niépce.
Getty Conservation Institute | Scientific projects
GCI conducts scientific research related to art conservation. It offers formal education and training programs, and it has published a number of scholarly books. GCI has supported field projects around the world to preserve cultural heritage.
Getty Conservation Institute | Introduction
Institutions such as the Getty Conservation Institute specialize in publishing and disseminating information relating to both tools used for and outcomes of conservation science research, as well as recent discoveries in the field.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Introduction
The Getty Conservation Institute works collaboratively with other cultural institutions and conservation institutes on these projects, and states its goal for the program as being to making "significant and lasting impact on the field in this area." The GCI is able to take on this project thanks to its role within the larger J. Paul Getty Trust - the Institute has access to its broader resources, and has the opportunity to choose projects that best serve its mission: "to advance conservation practice in the visual arts, including objects, collections, architecture and sites."
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Introduction
GCI's field projects are "selected based on how they fit the institute's goals of raising public awareness, contributing new, broadly applicable information to the field, and supporting cultural heritage" and "must be executed in collaboration with partners… who must be serious about their efforts… so that projects are assured of continuing after the Getty's involvement ceases." Among other completed GCI field projects were efforts to preserve the Mogao Caves and Yungang Grottoes in China (announced in 1989); to restore prehistoric rock paintings of Sierra de San Francisco in Baja California Sur (1994); and to protect ancient buildings and archaeological sites in Iraq following the start of the Iraq War (2004).
Getty Conservation Institute | Field projects
In addition to the work of the GCI, the J. Paul Getty Trust contributes to the conservation field through the J. Paul Getty Museum conservation departments, the conservation collection located in the library at the Getty Research Institute, and conservation grants provided by the Getty Foundation.
Getty Conservation Institute | Getty conservation activities outside GCI
Using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and other techniques during the 2002-2003 project, they found (for example) that bitumen of Judea was present in the image. Scientists at GCI viewed the CheMin instrument aboard the Curiosity rover, currently exploring the Gale crater on Mars, as a potentially valuable means to examine ancient works of art without damaging them. Until recently, only a few instruments were available to determine the composition without cutting out physical samples large enough to potentially damage the artifacts. The CheMin on "Curiosity" directs a beam of X-rays at particles as small as 400 µm and reads the radiation scattered back to determine the composition of an object in minutes.
Getty Conservation Institute | Scientific projects
One of the pilot projects started by the Conservation Project was on the tablinum that had been conserved by Maiuri's team in 1938. Over time water had managed to seep into the wall causing the paint to attach to the previously applied wax and curl away from the wall, stripping it of its color. However, after working in tandem with the Getty Museum, conservators have managed to create a technique where a series of solvents can be used to remove some of the wax and lessen the amount of buildup on the walls so that the paint no longer chips off of the walls.
Herculaneum | Modern conservation
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985. The GCI is a private international research institution dedicated to advancing conservation practice through the creation and delivery of knowledge. It "serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field" and "adheres to the principles that guide the work of the Getty Trust: service, philanthropy, teaching, and access." GCI has activities in both art conservation and architectural conservation.
Getty Conservation Institute | Introduction
Gettens moved from the Fogg Museum at Harvard University to the Freer. The laboratory was the first Smithsonian facility devoted to the use of scientific methods for the study of works of art. Over the years, the work of the Technical Laboratory expanded to include objects, paper, and exhibits conservation. The Technical Laboratory and the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio merged in 1990 to create the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research for both the Freer and Sackler Galleries. The conservators in the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research care for and treat works of art in the collection and prepare them for exhibition.
Freer Gallery of Art | Conservation
This department was founded in 1920. Conservation has six specialist areas: ceramics & glass; metals; organic material (including textiles); stone, wall paintings and mosaics; Eastern pictorial art and Western pictorial art. The science department has and continues to develop techniques to date artefacts, analyse and identify the materials used in their manufacture, to identify the place an artefact originated and the techniques used in their creation. The department also publishes its findings and discoveries.
British Museum | Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
The larger POPART project involves five steps: The Getty Conservation Institute's project, the Preservation of Plastics, focuses specifically on coordinating the comparison of a wide range of analytical techniques for plastics identification and to participate in a details study into the physical and aging properties of a few key classes of polymer specifically. As with the Modern Paints project, if the conservators can learn more about these new materials being used, they can develop a procedure for how to treat them.
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Areas of focus
It has been stated that "perhaps the institute's most profound contribution to conservation is the dissemination of information and methods learned in the field." Methods of information dissemination include conferences; lectures; books; and online publications, newsletters, video, and audio. The following are selected books published by GCI: Here is a selection of courses by GCI:
Getty Conservation Institute | Dissemination of information
"Studies in Conservation" is a peer-reviewed academic journal, produced eight times a year, on the conservation of historic and artistic works. "Studies in Conservation" publishes original work on a range of subjects including, but not limited to, advances in conservation practice, novel methods of treatment, preventive conservation, issues of collection care, conservation history and ethics, examination methods for works of art, new research in the analysis of artistic materials or mechanisms of deterioration, and conservation issues in display and storage.
International Institute for Conservation | "Studies in Conservation"
Conservation initiatives were concentrated in Arabia and scientific publications were primarily concerned with the Old World tropics and subtropics. More recently, the Institute has been involved in research, training and scientific expeditions to East Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South-East Asia. It also researches the Tertiary and Quaternary UK mammal faunas.
Harrison Institute | History
Processes such as stereomicroscopy can reveal surface features such as the weave of parchment paper, whether a print was done in relief or in intaglio, and even what kind of tools an artist may have used to create their works. While there are many different specialized and generic tools used for conservation science studies, some of the most common are listed below.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Methods
The Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative is a program started by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). It began in 2007 in response to the variety of new materials and technologies being used by contemporary artists in their work, and the lack of known conservation treatments for these new materials. This area was seen as a gap in the field of conservation, but also posed unique challenges when considering the intention of the artist and the physical aging that his or her materials might endure. According to Thomas F. Reese, "Conservators...must enter into the critical spirit of the works themselves if they are to save and transmit not merely decontextualized fragments but their essence to the future." This program consists of various individual research projects that are looking to the conservation issue surrounding modern paints, plastics, and outdoor sculpture, among other areas as well.
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Introduction
From its launch, the Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative has taken an expansive approach to its research efforts regarding modern and contemporary works of art. While focusing on learning about the behaviors of new materials, specifically polymers, resins, plastics, modern paints, etc., the GCI has also considered how to best share its discoveries with conservators working in the field. Along with its several collaborators, the Getty Conservation Institute has organized several conferences to disseminate its findings and continue to discuss the questions and issues surrounding modern paints, plastics, and outdoor sculpture conservation. In addition to meetings such as the Modern Paints Uncovered Symposium, hosted by the Tate Modern in May 2006, and the Object in Transition Conference held in January 2008, those involved with each project publish their findings in the Getty Conservation Institute's newsletters, as well as other conservation publications.
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Impact
With respect to cultural heritage, conservation science is the interdisciplinary study of the conservation of art, architecture, technical art history and other cultural works through the use of scientific inquiry. General areas of research include the technology and structure of artistic and historic works. In other words, the materials and techniques from which cultural, artistic and historic objects are made. There are three broad categories of conservation science with respect to cultural heritage: 1) understanding the materials and techniques used by artists, 2) study of the causes of deterioration, and 3) improving methods/techniques and materials for examination and treatment. Conservation science includes aspects of chemistry, physics and biology, engineering, as well as art history and anthropology.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Introduction
Training of interested parties around the world is important for the sustainability of GCI's work. For example, GCI collaborated with other organizations to create a course "to assist museum personnel in safeguarding their collections from the effects of natural and human-made emergencies." Also, GCI developed a course on the "Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs" which is now taught in eastern Europe by the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava and the Slovak National Library. Besides courses and workshops, GCI has also been involved with long-term education programs, such as establishing a Master's degree program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles.
Getty Conservation Institute | Education and training
The Mailman’s Special
Conservation and restoration at the Smithsonian Institution | Conservation Project/Publication
Among the notable aspects of these two projects is that local high school students perform most of the work. During the process they learn technical and scientific skills from NHCS staff and other experts in a wide variety of disciplines, including but not limited to, archaeology, marine and terrestrial biology, botany, GPS/GIS mapping and surveying techniques, still and video photography, website design and maintenance, video editing and production, and desktop publishing.
Nevis Historical and Conservation Society | Joan Robinson Biodiversity and Oral History Resource Centre
During a study and conservation project in 2002–03, scientists at the Getty Conservation Institute examined the photograph using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and other techniques. They confirmed that the image consists of bitumen and that the metal plate is pewter (tin alloyed with lead, as well as trace amounts of iron, copper, and nickel). The Institute also designed and built the elaborate display case system that now houses the artifact in a continuously monitored, stabilized, oxygen-free environment. In 2007, scientists from the Louvre Museum published an analysis of the photograph using ion beam analysis, with data taken on their 2 MV electrostatic accelerator.
View from the Window at Le Gras | Scientific analysis and conservation
They proposed the revival of "Technical Studies" and the formation of an international body of conservators to continue the interchange of information on the care and conservation of works of art. Between 1946 and 1948 a series of meetings was held to discuss these proposals. Foremost among those involved in the meetings were George L. Stout, W.G. Constable (Boston), Ian Rawlins (London), and Paul Coremans (Brussels). In December 1948 at a meeting of the ICOM Commission on the Care of Paintings in London, it was announced that a new international institute for conservation was about to be incorporated with offices in London and that its interests would be the scientific and technical study of the subject.
International Institute for Conservation | Background
These were:
Institute of Conservation | Background
In-depth collection of modern masters and works by emerging artists; cutting-edge films; sculptures by Rodin, Matisse, and Moore.
Conservation and restoration at the Smithsonian Institution | Type of objects
Numerous museums and cultural institutions also have individual advanced training fellowships in conservation science through such organizations as the Kress Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Northwestern University-Art Institute of Chicago Center for Scientific Studies (NU-ACCESS) is one example of an Andrew W. Mellon funded fellowship.
Conservation scientist | Education and training
The goals of this project, according to the Getty Conservation Institute are as follows: • Facilitate dialogue between professionals involved in the conservation of outdoor painted sculpture (conservators, paint chemists, paint industry, artists' estates, foundations, and studios, curators, and caretakers). • Create guidelines for the production of paint swatches, for the documentation of paint surfaces (gloss, color and texture), and for the sharing of such information among those involved in the preservation of outdoor painted sculpture • Collaborate with artists', estates, foundations, and studios (EFS) to develop guidelines on original paint surfaces related to their respective artists and best practices for production of EFS-approved coupons.
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Goals
The curators have to produce a research project before their graduation in one of these specialties: museums, archaeology, archives, inventory and historical monuments, natural and scientific heritage. The conservators have to produce a technical and scientific research project before graduating and their 5th year is devoted to a conservation work and study in the conservation field of their specialty: Earthenware and glassware (metal, ceramic, enamel, glass), Graphic arts and books, Textile arts, Furniture, Painting, Photography or Sculpture.
Institut national du patrimoine | Research
In October 2008, the IMA announced a $2.6 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to be used toward the creation of a state-of-the-art conservation science lab. Through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Dr. Gregory Dale Smith, was hired in October 2009 to lead the lab as its senior conservation scientist. A main focus of the lab is researching the IMA's collection, including couture fashion in the textile collection and objects made of synthetic materials in the design collection. Another focus is scientific research on materials found in the collections, such as resins and dyes on African art pieces and glazes on Asian ceramics.
Indianapolis Museum of Art | Conservation Science
Research into the chemical and physical properties intrinsic to the materials used to create cultural heritage objects is a large part of the study of conservation science. Materials science, in conjunction with the broader field of restoration and preservation, has resulted in what is now recognized as modern conservation. Using analytical techniques and tools, conservation scientists are able to determine what makes up a particular object or artwork. In turn, this knowledge informs how deterioration is likely to occur due to both environmental effects and the inherent traits of that given material. The necessary environment to maintain or prolong the current state of that material, and which treatments will have the least amount of reaction and impact on the materials of the objects being studied, are the primary goals of conservation research.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Material properties
Collaboration with related fields, such as conservation science, computer science and digital imaging, museum curatorship, exhibition design, or archival studies, is increasingly critical to the successful practice of conservation and enriches the profession accordingly. Students gain expertise in conservation of cultural artifacts and artworks from a variety of New York City's public and private museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and nearby galleries, private collections, auction houses, historic properties, and private conservation studios.
New York University Institute of Fine Arts | Conservation Center
In 1930, the International Museums Office of the League of Nations held a conference in Rome on the examination and conservation of works of art. Following this meeting, the Museums Office issued a series of publications on the subject. In 1932 a technical journal of conservation studies, "Technical Studies in the Field of the Fine Arts", was established by the Fogg Museum (Harvard University), under the managing editorship of George L. Stout. It continued publication until 1942. The work of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program and the repatriation of art treasures after World War II brought together experts from Europe and the United States.
International Institute for Conservation | Background
Along with assessing the current state and potential risk of future deterioration of artworks and objects, scientific study may be necessary to determine if there is risk to the conservators themselves. For example, some pigments used in paintings contain highly toxic elements such as arsenic or lead and could be hazardous to those working with them. Alternatively, previous restoration efforts may have involved chemicals that are now known to have dangerous side affects with prolonged exposure. In these cases, conservation science may reveal the nature of these hazards as well as present solutions for how to prevent current and future exposure.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Introduction
A conservation scientist is a museum professional who works in the field of conservation science and whose focus is on the research of cultural heritage (e.g. art, artifacts, buildings, and monuments) through scientific inquiry. Conservation scientists conduct applied scientific research and techniques to determine the material, chemical, and technical aspects of cultural heritage. The technical information conservation scientists gather is then used by conservator and curators to decide the most suitable conservation treatments for the examined object and/or adds to our knowledge about the object by providing answers about the material composition, fabrication, authenticity, and previous restoration treatments.
Conservation scientist | Introduction
Due to the nature of their job and positions in museums, conservation scientists are also sometimes referred to as "scientists", "museum scientists", "art scientists", or "cultural heritage scientists". They are generally located organizationally in the conservation or science department of cultural institutions; although, some museums do have departments solely dedicated to conservation science (e.g. Kunsthistorisches Museum). Conservation scientists also collaborate with a variety of museum professionals and industrial scientists in order to accomplish all of their responsibilities and duties. Due to the similar nature of their duties, they most frequently work with conservators (i.e. conservator-restorer and object conservator) and curators to complete technical studies on the objects in their museum’s collection to determine the materials used, the artist’s techniques, the authenticity of the work, and previous conservation treatments.
Conservation scientist | Related positions
GCI has activities in both art conservation and architectural conservation. The Getty Foundation awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts". In addition, it runs the Getty Leadership Institute for "current and future museum leaders". Its offices are north of the Museum. The foundation offices are located in the two administrative buildings that are north of the Museum. The J. Paul Getty Trust, which oversees the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Research Institute, and J. Paul Getty Museum, also has offices there.
Getty Center | Other offices
Two major research projects into time-based media include the Guggenheim Museum's Variable Media Initiative and the Smithsonian's Time Based Media and Digital Art Working Group.
Conservation and restoration of time-based media art | Research projects
The Institute regularly releases important publications on History, conservation and Museology, some of the more notable ones are:
National Museum Institute of the History of Art, Conservation and Museology | Publications
Research covers many fundamental aspects of biological sciences which have relevance to the conservation of animal species and their habitats. The Institute offers research training through Ph.D. studentships, and hosts Undergraduate and Masters level research projects conducted as part of its own M.Sc. courses and courses at other institutions. Undergraduate projects are available at London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo. Zoological institute is also called the animal house.
Institute of Zoology | Introduction
This project launched in 2009 has been developed by scientists (computer engineers and botanists) from a consortium gathering French research institutes (Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique (INRIA) and the network Tela Botanica, with the support of the Agropolis International foundation
Pl@ntNet | History
MCI's laboratories are equipped with advanced analytical instrumentation, including: The Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute and the Institut Photonique d’Analyse Non-destructive Européen des Matériaux Anciens platform at Soleil have formed a partnership to use the power of the third-generation synchrotron to study and preserve the priceless Smithsonian collections.
Museum Conservation Institute | Facilities
NMIHACM undertakes various projects with regard to heritage conservation across the country; some of them are:
National Museum Institute of the History of Art, Conservation and Museology | Projects
Other projects in the realm of cultural conservation include:
Factum Arte | Other
Photograph conservators must do thorough research before any treatment can take place. This is often the legacy that conservators leave behind, their documentation, research, and treatment. New techniques and less harsh treatments are being discovered all the time by professionals in the field. The Getty Conservation Institute is currently researching methods for characterization of photographs and photographic material. The study is explained as, "both qualitative and quantitative analysis of photographs and photographic material in order to facilitate identification of photographic processes, and to develop a quantitative methodology for analysis of photographic material. The analytical techniques currently being used in this research are:
Photograph conservator | Research
In 1932, the Freer Gallery of Art hired a full-time Japanese restorer and established the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio. The Technical Laboratory, and the first use of scientific methods for the study of art at the Smithsonian Institution, started in 1951 when the chemist Rutherford J. Gettens moved from the Fogg Museum at Harvard University to the Freer. The East Asian Painting Conservation Studio and the Technical Laboratory merged in 1990 to form the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Among the conservation projects that the Sackler Gallery has undertaken was a 2009 project where conservators used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to explore the "fingerprints" of ancient Chinese gold objects from the Gallery.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery | Conservation
The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University has one of the oldest degree-granting conservation program in North America. The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts confers two degrees: a Master’s in the History of Art and Archaeology and the Advanced Certificate in the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Students undertake laboratory work, seminars, research projects, and gain intensive experience through fieldwork and their fourth-year Internship. Conservators usually specialize in a particular material or type of object, such as paintings, sculpture, works of art on paper, books and manuscripts, textiles, architecture, archaeological material, or ethnographic objects, or in a field of study, such as preventive care, art transport, installation and storage, or the history of artists’ materials and methods.
New York University Institute of Fine Arts | Conservation Center
These three professions also collaborate to determine conservation treatment goals and the ideal environmental conditions (preventive conservation) for the objects. Exhibition designers, architects, and collection managers also consult with conservation scientists to ensure that environmental conditions are suitable for the objects while either in storage or on display. Industrial scientists are also consulted by conservation scientists about object materials and chemical studies. The two groups of scientists, along with instrument manufactures, also collaborate "to develop and adapt new non-invasive analytical techniques."
Conservation scientist | Related positions
In addition scientific research is under way so that suitable methodologies can be identified to conserve Herculaneum's wall paintings, plasters, mosaics, wooden features, structures, etc.
Conservation issues of Pompeii and Herculaneum | Herculaneum Conservation Project
Some of the species kept here are, American bison, hooded cranes, red-crowned cranes, white-naped crane, maned wolves, cheetahs, a mariana crow, black-footed ferrets, persian onagers, Hartmann's mountain zebras and scimitar-horned oryxs.
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute | Specimens
The consortium originated from a strategic 10-year plan put in place by the Smithsonian Institution to create interdisciplinary work by scholars both related and not related to the Institution. Sustained by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the consortium promotes interactions between scholars in complementary fields and have resulted in the facilitation of new avenues of thought in scientific endeavors. Kress, as Director of the Biodiversity and Sustainability Consortium, brings together scientists from numerous fields to address broad research projects which dive deep into questions on biology with relevant societal impacts. Museum collections that Kress manages have aided in advancement of knowledge and understanding of both life on the planet and how it can be sustained.
W. John Kress | Conservation
Further, scientific inquiry has led to the development of more stable and long-term treatment methods and techniques for the types of damages that do occur.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Mechanisms of deterioration
Robert J. Koestler, 2004- Lambertus van Zelst, 1984–2003 Robert M. Organ, 1967–1983
Museum Conservation Institute | Directors
Museum Conservation Institute, the only research center focused on conservation, provides technical studies and scientific analyses for most of the Smithsonian's collections, and brings unique analytical capabilities to Smithsonian researchers, including a central mass spectroscopy instrument core and advanced technological capabilities. MCI is a center for specialized technical collection research and conservation for all Smithsonian units and collections, and these services are available at no charge.
Conservation and restoration at the Smithsonian Institution | Museum Conservation Institute (MCI)
After the first scientific description on the late 19th and early 20th century there was little scientific activity at the site until the early 1990s. With the Lao-UNESCO projects starting in 1987 and the designation as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 archeologic and conservation activities increased heavily. Examples of the most recent conservation projects are:
Vat Phou | Conservation projects
Paul Getty Trust and the Getty Foundation. These buildings are generally closed to the public except for special events held in the auditorium. They are linked to the Museum both by landscaped terraces and by an enclosed glass walkway that leads from the main rotunda. GCI, which is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, commenced operation in 1985. It "serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field" and "adheres to the principles that guide the work of the Getty Trust: service, philanthropy, teaching, and access".
Getty Center | Other offices
Valeriy Igoshev's research areas are restoration and reconstruction of the ancient art, historical objects, icons, church utensils and a temple decorations. He has participated in various research projects and scientific expeditions: Igoshev has written over 200 articles about precious collections; participant in the collective monographs and catalogues.
Valeriy Igoshev | Scientific activity
The Image Permanence Institute (IPI) at Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the leaders in preservation research of images in particular.
Conservation and restoration of photographs | Professional Organizations
The Guy Harvey Research Institute conducts basic and applied scientific research needed for effective conservation, biodiversity maintenance, restoration, and understanding of the world's wild fishes. The GHRI also provides scientific training to US and international students interested in ocean health. The GHRI is named for Jamaican artist Guy Harvey known for his marine themed works.
Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography | Guy Harvey Research Institute
The Advanced Certificate in Conservation is taken jointly with the M.A. program and adds two years of study, including a one-year internship in a conservation lab. The Certificate in Curatorial Studies is taken jointly with the Ph.D. program and it requires a residency at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. IFA students have access to special academic programs such as archaeological excavations, travel grants, global research locations, and IFA-sponsored conferences and symposia.
New York University Institute of Fine Arts | Research
The major project areas of the Lava Lake Institute include land conservation, scientific research, education, and collaboration with partners. Examples of the Institute's work include:
Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation | Projects
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) serves as an umbrella for the Smithsonian's global effort to conserve species and train future generations of conservationists. Ecological processes are highly complex... life and the world are dynamic and ever-changing—it is only with long-term records that many [biological] trends can be deciphered. The SCBI is the only unit of the Smithsonian Institution exclusively devoted to the study of wildlife conservation.
Conservation and restoration at the Smithsonian Institution | National Zoological Park (National Zoo)
Aimed at enriching scientific education, the Academy launched "Project Lifescape" in collaboration with the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science to spread biodiversity literacy. It aims to involve school and college students in obtaining first-hand information on the status of, and ongoing changes in, ecological habitats of a set of species of considerable human significance. An objective of the project is to publish illustrated accounts of 1500 Indian species of micro-organisms, plants and animals. The accounts would also include ancillary information on the distribution, ecology and behaviour of the species. The project has published three books, "Butterflies of Peninsular India", "Freshwater Fishes of Peninsular India", and "Amphibians of Peninsular India".
Indian Academy of Sciences | Project Lifescape
There are a variety of methods used by conservation scientists to support work in the fields of art conservation, architectural conservation, cultural heritage, and care of cultural objects in museums and other collections. In addition to the use of specialized equipment, visual inspections are often the first step in order to look for obvious signs of damage, decay, infilling, etc. Prior to any type of scientific analysis, detailed documentation of the initial state of the object and justification for all proposed examinations is required to avoid unnecessary or potentially damaging study and keep the amount of handling to a minimum.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Methods
Conservators routinely use chemical and scientific analysis for the examination and treatment of cultural works. The modern conservation laboratory uses equipment such as microscopes, spectrometers, and various x-ray regime instruments to better understand objects and their components. The data thus collected helps in deciding the conservation treatments to be provided to the object.
Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage | Conservation laboratories
The Cheadle Center owns and houses a number of historically important archival collections covering such areas as plant anatomy, oak systematics, plant ecology, marine biology and vertebrate zoology. The collections were created and donated by faculty founders of the former Museum of Systematics and Ecology and subsequent contributors to the botanical and zoological collections. Types of materials in these collections include correspondence, photographs, drawings, field notebooks, scrapbooks, and research notes.
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration | Archives and Manuscripts
This research can be reflected in KNM's restoration and preservation strategies.
Independent Administrative Institution National Museum | Research
Docomomo holds biennial international conferences where the people related to conservation issues gather and exchange information and studies pertaining to their scholarly research. The list of conferences held until now is as follows: The International Scientific Committee on Technology (ISC/T) organizes seminars covering the following themes: restoration of reinforced concrete structures, curtain-wall facades, windows and glass, wood and the modern movement, colours in modern architecture and stone in modern buildings. Seminars and conferences are often held in key modernist buildings, as for instance at Alvar Aalto’s Vyborg Library (2003 ISC/T seminar), Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt's Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam (2008 Conference), and Gordon Bunshaft's Lever House in New York (closing party at 2004 Conference).
Docomomo International | Conferences and seminars
https://web.archive.org/web/20170420231203/http://bnhs.org/bnhs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125&Itemid=502
Conservation Education Centre | References
Office space was provided free by the Trustees of the National Gallery (London). The Institute moved to its own independent offices in 1968. The membership was to consist of Fellows who were to be persons highly qualified in (or in positions of great authority in) conservation and Associates who were to be "persons anxious to promote the objects of the Institute". Later a category of Institutional Members was introduced.
International Institute for Conservation | Early history
The identification of an object’s component materials is the most basic of conservation science tasks. This is typically accomplished using non-destructive examination techniques or, if necessary, destructive analytical techniques designed for small samples (see Instruments and uses). The information yielded about the object’s material composition aids in the development of preventive conservation measures- such as lighting and humidity controls-and the selection of appropriate restoration treatments. The analysis of materials can also lead to discoveries about the object’s origin and fabrication. Such studies, called technical art history, can provide insight into the time period of an object, its authenticity, the artist, and previous restoration treatments.
Conservation scientist | Identification
The Institute focuses on the dissemination of knowledge and further education in the field of conservation and restoration by new and traditional media.
Hornemann Institute | Areas of Activity
Through the addition of the lab, the IMA aims to establish itself as an internationally recognized conservation center and to increase its potential as a training and professional development resource in conservation science.
Indianapolis Museum of Art | Conservation Science
Conservation science studies the process by which the various mechanisms of deterioration cause changes to material culture that affect their longevity for future generations. These mechanisms may produce chemical, physical, or biological changes and differ based on the material properties of the subject at hand. A large portion of conservation science research is the study of the behavior of different materials under a range of environmental conditions. One method used by scientists is to artificially age objects in order to study what conditions cause or mitigate deterioration. The results of these investigations informs the field on the major risk factors as well as the strategies to control and monitor environmental conditions to aid in long term preservation.
Conservation science (cultural heritage) | Mechanisms of deterioration
BSIP nurses a museum, originally housing the fossil collections of Professor Sahni, but now holds later collections made by the scientists over the years. The collection includes holotype specimens, slides and figured specimens. The museum, with its foundation stone, laid by Birbal Sahni, composed of fossils of various geological ages embedded in a marble-cement block, displays the specimens based on their general and geological relevance. The museum also maintains a "Geological Time Clock".
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences | Museum
This three-year program is intensive as the "faculty and students use twenty-six well-equipped conservation studios, laboratories, examination rooms and workshops in the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Research Building at Winterthur."to conduct their learning and studies. A summary of important developments in the field of conservation and restoration from the 1500s until the modern day is available in Wikipedia at: List of dates in the history of art conservation
Object conservation | History of the field
Lofgren or Augustyn Family Curator of Paleontology Dr. Farke. Student research projects result in significant contributions to knowledge and are usually published in regional or internationals scientific journals. Since 2008, Webb students have been primary or secondary authors in more than 10 peer-reviewed scientific articles.
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology | Paleontology classes
In addition, the Museum's collection at the Center includes outdoor sculpture displayed on terraces and in gardens and the large Central Garden designed by Robert Irwin. Among the artworks on display is the Vincent Van Gogh painting "Irises". Designed by architect Richard Meier, the campus also houses the Getty Research Institute (GRI), the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, and the J. Paul Getty Trust. The Center's design included special provisions to address concerns regarding earthquakes and fires.
Getty Center | Introduction
Getty made charitable contributions to the paleontology department of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Andrew Getty | Philanthropy
Joseph Grinnell was one of the founding directors of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley from 1908 until his death in 1939. Grinnell undertook a biological survey project in 1908, which lasted 30 years and covered more than 700 locations in the state of California. The resulting database has more than 20,000 specimens, 13,000 pages of field notes, and 2,000 photographs. The Grinnell Survey database is one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the world. A resurvey of Grinnell's original route was begun by the museum to research, document and model changes in the distribution and habits of animal species in the timespan between the early 1900s and the current century.
Kern River Preserve | Grinnell Resurvey Project
Their projects have been exhibited and published internationally and are in the permanent collection of several museums including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and FrAC centre and they have exhibited at The Science Museum (London), and The Pompidou Centre (Paris) (group exhibition). Dunne & Raby have worked with Sony UK, National Panasonic, France Telecom and The Science Museum. They have published three books, Hertzian Tales (The MIT Press), Design Noir (Princeton Architectural Press), and Speculative Everything (MIT Press).
Dunne &amp; Raby | Exhibits
The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University (NYU) was founded in 1960 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation. Since that time, the program has called for equal measures of art historical study, scientific training, and practical conservation experience. The goal was to produce a professional who would approach each object as an individual entity. The solution to an object's condition issues would be determined through research and study, unlike the tradesman restorer's approach, which applied standard treatments to objects and problems. Unlike other conservation graduate programs, NYU awards a four-year, dual-degree graduate program where students earn both their Masters in art history and in conservation.
Association of North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of Cultural Property | New York University, Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts
According to the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), those participating in this research initiative are intending to address the aforementioned concerns surrounding the conservation of modern and contemporary art in the following ways:
Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative | Main Goals of the Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative
This archive is open to the users of the Institute. The collections of photographic material are also inspected with a detailed analysis of their state of conservation. These files were created using the “scheda F” of the Ministero per i Beni culturali e le attività culturali (BBCC; Ministry for Arts and Culture) as a reference.
Gabinetto Vieusseux | Conservation services
The continuing development of new conservation materials (e.g. cleaning solvents) and techniques is an essential aspect of the conservation of cultural heritage. This research ensures the continued existence of cultural heritage in the best condition possible considering their age and degradation. Conservators often rely on conservation scientists for their scientific knowledge and skills in the development of these materials and treatments. Conservation scientists are asked to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of current materials and treatments, to improve those material/techniques, and to devise new materials and techniques. The goal is to develop conservation treatments and materials that can slow the degradation of materials and further damage effectively and without harming the object.
Conservation scientist | Development of conservation-restoration treatments
Research activities are coordinated by the Director Incharge and conducted by five research divisions, namely conservation ecology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental impact assessment, Landscape ecology and Restoration ecology. Within the divisions there are research programmes in: Avian ecology and endangered bird conservation, Man and biodiversity conservation, Wetlands conservation, Environmental contamination and biodiversity, Environmental Impact Assessment, Modelling and simulation and Nature Education. The scientific staff includes three Senior Principal Scientists, four Senior Scientists, and one Nature Education Officer. During 2007-2008 SACON undertook 19 research projects:
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History | Research
In 1972, with the support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Straus Center began their Advanced-Level Training Program which provides formal hands-on training in the conservation of works on paper, paintings, and objects and sculpture, as well as in conservation science. They offer three 10-month fellowships each year in which fellows can refine their practical and analytical skills through the examination and treatment of works of art from the Harvard Art Museums' collections. Fellows also have the chance to publish their original research.
Association of North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of Cultural Property | Harvard University Art Museums, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies
Indiana projects have included the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab at Marian University and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room at the Indianapolis Public Library's Central Library.
Nina Mason Pulliam | Introduction
By 1996, the Center's name had been changed to "Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities", and by 1999 it was known simply as "Getty Research Institute". Among GRI's special projects was "L.A. as Subject: The Transformative Culture of Los Angeles Communities" conducted between 1995 and 1999, whose purposes included "enhanc[ing] existing resources and develop new resources that support new research scholarship on LA and also encourag[ing] the preservation, conservation, and display of local material culture".
Getty Research Institute | History
Amongst the SCBI's most well known research programs are those based on the captive breeding, and reintroduction, of such endangered species as the black-footed ferret ("Mustela nigripes"), the clouded leopard ("Neofelis nebulosa"), and the Matschie's tree-kangaroo ("Dendrolagus matechiei"). However, despite its accomplishments, the SCBI has not been exempt from controversy. In 2001, the former Smithsonian Secretary, Lawrence M. Small, backed by former Zoo Director Dr. Lucy Spelman, proposed the closure of the facility as a cost-saving measure. Opposition from the public and the scientific and conservation communities forced Secretary Small to back down from this decision. Afterwards, the leadership of Lawrence M.
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute | Programs
It also works with individuals and private organizations. Treatments include Bruce Springsteen's original lyric notebooks and scrapbooks, Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural drawings, John James Audubon "Birds of America" prints, Civil War muster rolls, and works by Degas, Matisse, and Picasso. CCAHA was instrumental in the 2014 discovery of two previously-unknown Cézanne sketches belonging to the Barnes Foundation.
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts | Introduction
This approach was opposed by conservationists. In the same year he wrote an article for "Gizmodo" entitled: "After extensive mathematical modeling, scientist declares "Earth is F**ked"" In 2013, he wrote an article for "Scientific American" on the stagnation in primary scientific funding within the NIH. This had led to severe financial crises within organisations such as the Marine Biological Laboratory, Massachusetts, where Levitan had spent time as a teenager involved in research on squid.
Dave Levitan | Work
Among the electronic databases from the former Getty Information Institute that GRI continues to produce are: In 2006, GRI and the OCLC Online Computer Library Center announced that the Getty Vocabularies (Art & Architecture Thesaurus, Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, and Union List of Artist Names) will be available as a Web service. Until July 1, 2009, the Getty Information Institute and later GRI co-produced the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals with the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. On that date, GRI transferred the database back to Columbia University, which continues to maintain it. The Getty Research Institute also participates in the German/American Provenance Research Exchange Program (PREP), which trains researchers specializing in Holocaust-era provenance projects.
Getty Research Institute | Electronic databases
Since GCI was established, it has had three directors. Besides the director, the GCI senior staff includes: In 2009, GCI had a $33 million budget, down from $41 million in 2008.
Getty Conservation Institute | Senior staff
It is in this sense that a management plan can be considered as the first stage of a research project, and the plan is changed in response to its outcomes.
Conservation management system (United Kingdom) | Fundamental scientific questions
Projects in North America have ranged from a monthly local soup kitchen and singing at convalescent homes, to reconstruction and relief work after hurricanes in Mississippi,Florida,North Carolina, and Puerto Rico.
J. Jaye Gold | The Center for Cultural & Naturalist Studies, Inc. (C.C.N.S.)
Lynch had recently finished his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley in Zoology.
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center | History
As part of his scientific pursuit - • He has headed and contributed to several research projects: He has significant discoveries to his credit -
Nirmal Ulhas Kulkarni | Conservation initiatives
Neither the fabric ("the support") nor the image (together, "the tilma") has been analyzed using the full range of resources now available to museum conservationists. Four technical studies have been conducted so far. Of these, the findings of at least three have been published. Each study required the permission of the custodians of the tilma in the Basilica. However, Callahan's study was taken at the initiative of a third party: the custodians did not know in advance what his research would reveal. Summary conclusions ("contra" indicates a contrary finding)
Our Lady of Guadalupe | Technical analyses