The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985.J. Paul Getty Trust. About the Conservation Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2011. The GCI is a private international research institution dedicated to advancing conservation practice through the creation and delivery of knowledge. It "serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field" and "adheres to the principles that guide the work of the Getty Trust: service, philanthropy, teaching, and access." GCI has activities in both art conservation and architectural conservation.Adams, Eric. The Getty's conservation mission. Architecture, December 1997, vol. 86, issue 12.
GCI conducts scientific research related to art, built heritage, and visual culture conservation. The institution offers professional workshops and training courses, and has an active publications program, many of which are free of charge. GCI has supported field projects around the world to preserve cultural heritage.
Scientific projects GCI scientists study the deterioration of objects and buildings, and how to prevent or stop such deterioration.Getty Conservation Institute. About GCI Science. Retrieved August 26, 2008. The institute focuses on materials and projects that are understudied or underfunded. One of many projects in this area involved the effect of outdoor and indoor air pollutants on museum collections.Getty Conservation Institute. Pollutants in the museum environment (1985–1998). Retrieved August 26, 2008. Another project analyzed the cause of deterioration of the sandstone in the original National Capitol Columns now at the United States National Arboretum.
In addition, GCI "conducts scientific research on materials' composition." For example, a project on the conservation of photographs has as one of its objectives the creation of an "Atlas of Analytical Signatures of Photographic Processes" which will provide "a precise chemical fingerprint of all the 150 or so ways pictures have been developed."Getty Conservation Institute. Research on the conservation of photographs. October 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2008.Kennedy, Randy. Arsenic and old photos. New York Times, April 1, 2007. As a part of that project, Getty scientists once examined the world's first photograph from nature by Nicéphore Niépce.Lyden, Jacki, and Dusan Stulik. Analyzing the world's first photograph. Precious image studied at Getty Institute in Los Angeles. National Public Radio, April 7, 2002. Retrieved August 26, 2008. Using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and other techniques during the 2002–2003 project, they found (for example) that bitumen of Judea was present in the image.Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. The first photograph: conservation and preservation. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
Scientists at GCI viewed the CheMin instrument aboard the Curiosity rover, currently exploring the Gale crater on Mars, as a potentially valuable means to examine ancient works of art without damaging them. Until recently, only a few instruments were available to determine the composition without cutting out physical samples large enough to potentially damage the artifacts. The CheMin on Curiosity directs a beam of X-rays at particles as small as 400 μm and reads the radiation scattered back to determine the composition of an object in minutes. Engineers created a smaller, portable version, named the X-Duetto. Fitting into a few briefcase-sized boxes, it can examine objects on site, while preserving their physical integrity. It is now being used by Getty scientists to analyze a large collection of museum antiques and the Roman ruins of Herculaneum, Italy.
Through the Managing Collection Environments Initiative. The GCI has conducted extensive research on the environmental conditions that affect the preservation of cultural heritage objects. This includes studying climate-controlled systems, monitoring pollutant levels, and developing guidelines for sustainable environmental management in museums, libraries, and archives.
The GCI has carried out scientific research to identify and analyze the materials used in artworks and cultural heritage objects, through research on the characterization of materials. This includes the development and application of non-invasive and micro-analytical techniques such as infrared reflectography, ultraviolet light (UV), CT scanners, imaging spectroscopy, and mass spectrometers, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (used to identify the red pigment on an Egyptian Mummy, Herakleides) to understand the composition, deterioration, and authenticity of objects.
As part of the Modern and Contemporary Art Research Initiative, the GCI has conducted research on the preservation of outdoor sculptures, which are exposed to varying types of environmental degradation and face unpredictable decay. Projects have focused on the development of protective coatings, cleaning methods, and maintenance strategies to mitigate the effects of weathering and pollution on sculptures. Other projects within this initiative include modern paints and the preservation of plastics.
Through analysis of paints, the GCI uncovered Jackson Pollock's early techniques through conservation of "Mural", an early work in the school of Abstract Expressionism. The large painting is part of the collection of the University of Iowa Museum of Art, which was donated in 1951 by the piece's commissioner Peggy Guggenheim. While many previously believed that the work was created all in one night, scientists at the GCI discovered that each layer of paint would have needed many days of drying time in between to maintain their structure. After the identification of more than 25 paints, including nontraditional ones like house paint, and techniques used for paint application, the varnish was removed and adjustments to the sagging canvas was made by creating a custom stretcher to minimize drooping.
GCI was contacted by the University of Arizona because of scientist's experience and research in modern paints, including Susan F. Lake's 2010 handbook, "Willem de Kooning: The Artist's Materials". This led to the conservation of the University's "Woman-Ochre", by Willem de Kooning that had been stolen and then recovered after the passing of a couple who had the piece hanging in their bedroom. The piece was stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson in 1985. To do so, the thieves cut into the canvas, finding an unexpected second layer which they then had to peel off. The painting was rolled up and then re-backed amateurishly. An amateur restoration was attempted to repair the damage caused by the ripping, rolling, and transportation of the piece which further damaged the piece. Conservators at Getty used their expertise to fill in cracks, remove two layers of varnish, and re-back the canvas to be closer to its original composition.
Through the Earthen Architecture Initiative, the GCI has undertaken projects to develop seismic retrofitting methods which improve the structural performance and safety of earthen buildings while reducing historic fabric loss. Research includes assessing structural vulnerabilities, testing retrofitting techniques and providing guidelines for the seismic protection of historic buildings. The project focuses on case studies and adapts previously developed methods to better fit the materials, equipment, and technical skills available at different sites like the Church of Kuñotambo in Peru where the GCI has been using locally available materials and expertise to minimize loss of historical buildings.
Historic places LA, an online inventory of important Los Angeles sites, is the result of a decade long partnership between Getty and the City of Los Angeles. This inventory includes modernist landmarks and sites of historic, social, and cultural importance. In 2020 the African American Historic Places Los Angeles began aiming to "identify, protect, and celebrate the city's black heritage." Recent efforts include identification of four historic sites to be nominated for historic cultural status. The project will also host paid internships and a series of community programs.
Education and training Training of interested parties around the world is important for the sustainability of GCI's work. The GCI organizes professional development courses, workshops and seminars on conservation topics designed for conservation professionals and other cultural heritage practitioners. These include international workshops and symposia that bring together experts. Courses cover a wide range of subjects relating to materials, preventative action, site management, and sustainable practices tied to the research and actions learned from projects and initiatives. For example, GCI collaborated with other organizations to create a course "to assist museum personnel in safeguarding their collections from the effects of natural and human-made emergencies."Getty Conservation Institute. Teamwork for Integrated Emergency Management. Retrieved August 26, 2008. Also, GCI developed a course on the "Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs" which is now taught in eastern Europe by the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava and the Slovak National Library. Besides courses and workshops, GCI has also been involved with long-term education programs, such as establishing a Master's degree program in Conservation of Cultural Heritage in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles.A.M.H.S. New conservation program. Archaeology, May/June 1999, vol. 52, issue 3.Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. The UCLA/Getty Conservation Program. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
Conservation Guest Scholars further advance the conservation field by bringing fresh perspectives during a three-to-six-month residency where they pursue their own projects. This opportunity for mid to senior professionals encourages scholars to make use of Getty resources and collections and work with in-house scholars, fellows, and interns of Getty.
The GCI produces a range of online resources and publications that advance conservation practice including technical reports, guidelines, and proceedings that are freely accessible on the Getty website. In addition, AATA Online is a free research database containing literature abstracts related to conservation and preservation of material cultural heritage. AATA offers abstract access to a wide range of resources including scholarly articles, conference proceedings which are organized by material, technique, and discipline.
The RecorDIM project, standing for ‘Recording, Documentation and Information Management’ was undertaken initially in association with the CIPA Heritage Documentation committee. The purpose of the project was to improve heritage professionals' ability to gather, create, manage and interpret documentation information, so that subsequent conservation decisions could be made with better and more accessible documentation information. The project ran through 2003 - 2007 and resulted in a number of publications, the most important of which was the book, Recording, Documentation and Information Management for the Conservation of Heritage Places: Guiding Principles, editor Robin Letellier.
Field projects