Utenteipchlibrary

The core of our library was collected by the Art Conservation Research Center (ACRC) at Carnegie Mellon University, first under the direction of the late Dr. Robert Feller, and later under the direction of Dr. Paul Whitmore. This core collection arrived at Yale in 2013 with Paul Whitmore. We have continued to build the collection at Yale and in 2018, we received a large gift from the late Dr. Michael Henchman, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Brandeis University who introduced Dr. Aniko Bezur to the field of conservation and conservation science.

Our library collection focuses on the materials and technologies used in the creation and preservation of tangible cultural heritage as well as the degradation and testing of materials. Cellulose and synthetic polymer chemistry is a particular strength of the collection as is color formation, measurement, and perception.

The Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage comprises collaborative research groups and is a home for shared laboratories for the investigation and treatment of Yale’s collections. Through material characterization we decode artifacts; enabling the interpretation of their origins and histories. We develop and deploy techniques for the creation of datasets from large numbers of objects to allow meaningful comparisons of material histories and creative processes across collections around the world. Fundamental to our work at IPCH is understanding and managing change, especially deterioration and its detection, monitoring, and treatment. We complement research into the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of broad classes of materials with the creation of tools that interrogate the vulnerability of individual artifacts thus helping caretakers make informed decisions about use and preservation.

IPCH is located at Yale's West Campus in the Collection Studies Center. We share our building with collections and colleagues from the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Yale Center for British Art.