Michael C. Carlos Museum: Conservation at Carlos

Conservation at Carlos

Image of the tools used in museum conservation The Michael C. Carlos Museum has a long-standing commitment to conservation and collections care. The Karen Mariea Madsen Parsons Conservation Laboratory was established when the Museum was renovated and expanded in 1993. Before the lab was created, conservation needs had been addressed by contract conservators. The first in-house full-time conservator was hired through a grant from the Mellon Foundation. This role soon became a University staff position, supplemented by consultants as required. The conservator collaborates with other staff, faculty, and researchers to ensure the preservation of collections through both preventive care and treatment. The conservation lab serves as a resource for curators, scholars, and students by participating in the examination, analysis, and study of the Museum's objects.

What is Conservation?
Conservation is concerned with the long-term preservation of cultural property through examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care. Examination and documentation procedures are used to identify materials and methods of manufacture as well as assess condition and alteration through deterioration and/ or past repair. Analysis and research may contribute to the investigation of materials, deterioration mechanisms, and treatment protocols. Preventive care includes monitoring the collection's environment to control temperature, relative humidity, light levels, pollution, etc. and promoting safe practice for the display, storage, and transport of objects. Treatment is undertaken to improve structural stability and aesthetic appearance. Intervention may include repair, reshaping, cleaning, restoration, and/ or toning. Conservation may address a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to documents and furniture, sculpture and textiles, archaeological artifacts and scientific specimens, buildings and photographs, paintings and ethnographic objects.

Image of the restoration work on the ancient Egyptian coffin of Tahat

Conservation Resources
The Parsons Conservation Lab is dedicated to the treatment of the Museum's collections and does not undertake projects for other institutions or private owners. There are many organizations that promote and support conservation throughout the country. These organizations can provide conservation services and/ or links to additional resources. The following list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of services.

Organizations providing information:

Regional centers providing conservation services:

** The AIC's Guide to Conservation Services provides a listing of individual conservators by region and specialty. This Guide also offers suggestions for selecting a conservator.

Conservation Opportunities for Students
Conservation activities are performed by trained professionals with specific skills and experience in specializations such as paintings, paper, objects, textiles, etc. The website of the American Institute for Conservation provides information on "Becoming a Conservator".

The Parsons Conservation lab offers opportunities to students considering a career in conservation or allied profession. Students may enroll in "Issues in the Conservation of Art and Cultural Property", a course taught annually by the Museum's conservator. This course is considered a pre-requisite for all lab internships. Volunteer or academic-credit internships may be arranged at the discretion of the conservator on a project-specific basis. The Museum's annual summer Mellon internship program may include positions or activities in the conservation lab. Advanced internships can also be arranged for graduate students currently enrolled in a conservation degree program. Students from many academic disciplines may pursue object-based research, working with the conservation lab in the technical investigation of materials, methods of manufacture, and age.