Museum Conservation Institute
Encyclopedia
The Smithsonian's
Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) aims to be the center for specialized conservation and technical collection research
for all of the Smithsonian museums and collections. MCI's staff combine state-of-the-art instrumentation and scientific techniques with the knowledge of materials and the history of technology to provide technical research studies and interpretation of art, as well as historical and anthropological objects, to improve the conservation and collections storage capabilities at the Smithsonian. For the majority of the Smithsonian collections, MCI is the only Smithsonian resource for technical studies and analyses.
In 1965 the name of the laboratory was changed to the Conservation Analytical Laboratory (CAL). In 1983, the laboratory moved to the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland. Congress mandated a national conservation training program among other wider responsibilities including an expanded conservation science research program.
The Board of Regents approved a name change to the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE) in 1998. SCMRE's mission was to serve all museum communities - national and international, and provide professional training and education programs.
In 2006 the Board of Regents approved the name change to the Museum Conservation Institute (MCI).
Lambertus van Zelst, 1984–2003
Robert M. Organ, 1967–1983
Charles H. Olin, 1966–1967
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.
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) aims to be the center for specialized conservation and technical collection research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
for all of the Smithsonian museums and collections. MCI's staff combine state-of-the-art instrumentation and scientific techniques with the knowledge of materials and the history of technology to provide technical research studies and interpretation of art, as well as historical and anthropological objects, to improve the conservation and collections storage capabilities at the Smithsonian. For the majority of the Smithsonian collections, MCI is the only Smithsonian resource for technical studies and analyses.
History
The Smithsonian's Board of Regents established the Conservation Research Laboratory of the United States National Museum in 1963 in response to a growing need to support conservation of the entire Institution's collections.In 1965 the name of the laboratory was changed to the Conservation Analytical Laboratory (CAL). In 1983, the laboratory moved to the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland. Congress mandated a national conservation training program among other wider responsibilities including an expanded conservation science research program.
The Board of Regents approved a name change to the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE) in 1998. SCMRE's mission was to serve all museum communities - national and international, and provide professional training and education programs.
In 2006 the Board of Regents approved the name change to the Museum Conservation Institute (MCI).
Directors
Robert J. Koestler, 2004-Lambertus van Zelst, 1984–2003
Robert M. Organ, 1967–1983
Charles H. Olin, 1966–1967
Facilities
MCI's laboratories are equipped with advanced analytical instrumentation, including:- isotope ratio (or stable isotope) mass spectrometry
- inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
- Fourier transform infrared spectrometry
- Raman spectrometry, including Fourier transform Raman and portable Raman spectroscopy
- gas chromatography
- pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
- optical microscopy
- scanning electron microscopy with X-ray and energy dispersive fluorescence
- X-ray radiography
- ultraviolet-visible light spectrophotometry
- structured 3-D color scanning of objects
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.
Further Reading
- Charola, A. Elena, and Robert J. Koestler, eds. Pesticide Mitigation in Museum Collections: Science in Conservation: Proceedings from the MCI Workshop Series. Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, no. 1. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, 2010. Copies of this volume are available for free pdf download by clicking on the included link.
External links
- Museum Conservation Institute Official Museum Conservation Institute web site.
- Smithsonian Research Online Smithsonian Research Bibliography and Smithsonian Digital Repository.
- AIC Official American Institute for Conservation web site.
- BCIN Official Bibliographic Conservation Information Network web site.
- AATA Online Official Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts Online web site.