National Museum of American History Conservation Department

National Museum of American History Conservation Department
Name	National Museum of American History Conservation Department
Established	1964
Location	Smithsonian Institution Building, Washington, D.C.
Type	Conservation and preservation
Director	Smithsonian Institution Office of the Secretary (oversight)
Website	Smithsonian Institution main site

National Museum of American History Conservation Department The Conservation Department at the National Museum of American History is the in-house unit responsible for preventive care, treatment, and stewardship of artifacts in the Smithsonian Institution's collections at the National Mall campus. It supports curatorial priorities across galleries dedicated to American history, managing material from donors such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and artifacts associated with events like the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II. The department integrates expertise in conservation science, collection management, and public service to preserve objects from makers including Eli Whitney, Samuel Colt, and Thomas Edison.

History and development

The Conservation Department traces roots to the nascent conservation efforts at the Smithsonian Institution in the late 19th century and formalized during mid-20th century museum professionalization influenced by practices from institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, and Library of Congress. Early development intersected with postwar heritage initiatives tied to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and exchanges with the Freer Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. High-profile conservation campaigns included work on objects associated with George Washington's uniform, John F. Kennedy memorabilia, and Wright brothers artifacts, which fostered collaborations with laboratories at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Institutes of Health for materials analysis.

Organizational structure and staff

The department operates within the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History administrative framework and collaborates with the Office of Exhibitions and the Division of Cultural and Community Life. Staff roles include chief conservators, objects conservators, textile conservators, paper conservators, and preventive conservation specialists who liaise with curators from areas such as the Division of Political History, Division of Medicine and Science, and Division of Culture and the Arts. The team recruits professionals trained at programs like the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, Queen's University Belfast, University of Delaware, and Courtauld Institute of Art. Leadership engages with governance bodies such as the National Museum Services Board and reports to officials at the Smithsonian Institution Office of the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture.

Conservation labs and facilities

Conservation facilities are housed in climate-controlled spaces designed to meet standards promulgated by agencies like the American Institute for Conservation and modeled after labs at the Cooper Hewitt, American Folk Art Museum, and Museum of Modern Art. Laboratories include wet and dry treatment suites, a textiles laboratory with clean-air systems, a paper and works on paper room, a metal analysis bench with X-ray fluorescence capabilities comparable to equipment at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and a materials characterization area that partners with external facilities such as National Institute of Standards and Technology and Argonne National Laboratory. Storage and preparation areas adhere to guidelines from the National Archives and Records Administration for archival housing and pest management protocols inspired by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommendations.

Collections and treatment specialties

The department treats a wide array of artifacts, from arms and armor linked to Benjamin Franklin and Major General Nathanael Greene to musical instruments associated with Duke Ellington, Elvis Presley, and Marian Anderson. Textile conservation addresses items like presidential inaugural garments, period uniforms from the Mexican–American War, and quilts connected to Harriet Tubman. Paper and photograph treatments cover materials tied to figures such as Alexander Hamilton, Susan B. Anthony, and Dorothea Lange. Object conservation specialties include historic technology from Alexander Graham Bell, Samuel Morse, and Nikola Tesla, and transportation artifacts like Ford Motor Company vehicles and aviation pieces linked to Amelia Earhart and the Wright brothers. Treatments often require cross-disciplinary approaches interfacing with curatorial narratives about events such as the Great Depression, Prohibition, and Civil Rights Movement.

Research, training, and publications

The Conservation Department engages in scientific research on materials degradation, stabilization, and display strategies, publishing findings in outlets associated with the American Institute for Conservation, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, and conference proceedings from the International Council of Museums. Training programs include internships and fellowships patterned after initiatives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian Institution fellowships, offering placements for graduates from the Winterthur, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Northumbria conservation programs. Research collaborations have produced technical reports and contributed to standards referenced by the National Park Service and professional workshops co-sponsored with the Getty Conservation Institute.

Public outreach and exhibitions

Conservation staff contribute to major exhibitions at the National Museum of American History—including shows on American Presidency, Innovation, and Music—and have supported traveling exhibitions that toured institutions like the Guggenheim Museum, American Philosophical Society, and Chicago History Museum. The department produces public-facing programming such as behind-the-scenes demonstrations, conservation blogs, and lecture series in partnership with cultural organizations including the Smithsonian Associates, National Archives, and Library of Congress to engage audiences with treatment stories about objects linked to Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Susan B. Anthony.

Collaborations and professional affiliations

The department maintains active collaborations with academic laboratories at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and national labs such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Professional affiliations include membership in the American Institute for Conservation, participation in the International Council of Museums Conservation Committee, and joint initiatives with the Getty Conservation Institute and National Endowment for the Humanities. These partnerships support disaster response planning with agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and cooperative conservation projects with museums such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Category:Smithsonian Institution Category:Conservation and restoration