The Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) is the center for specialized technical collection research and conservation for all Smithsonian museums and collections. MCI combines knowledge of materials and the history of technology with state-of-the-art instrumentation and scientific techniques to provide technical research studies and interpretation of artistic, anthropological, biological, and historical objects.
Upcoming Events
A fresh look at BEVA adhesives: Characterization, reformulation, and sustainable approaches
by Dr. Dharamdeep Jain
October 27, 2022
Olfactory heritage: preserving the smell of collections
by Dr. Cecilia Bembibre
July 14, 2022
Modelling the lifetime of PVC in collections
by Tjaša Rijavec
June 23, 2022
Understanding Islamic Paper: Materials and Techniques
by Hassan Ebeid, PhD
May 19, 2022
In the News
Job Opening: Director, Museum Conservation Institute, Closing Date: 11/1/22
Ed Vicenzi's (Research Scientist) SEM images were used by Jamie Weaver (Research Associate) in an artistic illustration of virion filtration by a microfiber COVID-19 mask. The illustration won 1st prize in the Fine Particle Art Competition of the American Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR) and is being used to advertise the AAAR 2002 Annual Conference. 4/22
Virtual Workshop Trains Law Enforcement to Disrupt Trafficking of Central Asian Cultural Property, Tweet from the @HeritageAtState US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 4/5/22
Ed Vicenzi's (Research Scientist) microscopy images of face coverings used in the Royal Institution of Great Britain's 2021 Christmas Lectures are now freely available for viewing on the Institution's website - Lecture 2/3 entitled "Going viral: How Covid changed science forever - The perfect storm." 3/22
Rebecca Kaczkowski (Preventive Conservator) provided an invited contribution "Are we following the wrong rules?" exploring the term "best practice" and its impact on preservation decision-makers, in the WhatIsConservation blog series supported by the University of Delaware Art Conservation Department. 2/22