Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute

07/27/2026

Dr. Asher Newsome was featured in a Popular Science article "George Washington's famous 'golden suit' was actually purple"

The president partied in the dapper overcoat at his 1789 inauguration.

07/22/2026

The latest edition of Conservation Perspectives is now available.
Disaster Preparedness and Response
Read it here: https://gty.art/4wJvzRj

This issue examines the impact of disasters on cultural heritage. Here in Los Angeles, we are all too familiar with the threat of earthquakes and, more recently, the devastation caused by wildfires.

Last year, the Palisades Fire—which killed twelve people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures—reached the Getty Villa. While the grounds suffered major burns and the loss of hundreds of trees, the buildings were unharmed. The lessons learned from that event helped inspire this issue.

Through feature articles and a roundtable discussion, cultural heritage professionals from the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute, Canadian Conservation Institute, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and Getty share challenges, ideas, and solutions for protecting people, buildings, and collections from natural hazards in our current era.

07/09/2026

Have you ever wondered what it was like to work at the Smithsonian? Smithsonian Folklife is hosting a panel to reveal just that! Join our team from the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute at 1:00 pm Saturday, July 11th in the Arts and Industries Building and learn about the art and science of our work: https://s.si.edu/4f1MSGh. Or feel free to participate in our livestream (link in the schedule below).

See the full schedule of events in Washington, D.C.|See the full schedule of events in Washington, D.C.