Understanding Glass Deterioration in Museum Collections: A Large-Scale Survey of Glass Collections at the Smithsonian Institution

Glass is a component in an incredibly broad range of item types, ages, locations of origin, and uses. Similarly, the composition of glass can vary immensely from item to item.

While recent research has been focused on understanding trends in glass deterioration in museum collection items, most of these studies have been limited in scope or size. The collections at the Smithsonian Institution, which span the entirety of human history, present a unique opportunity to study glass deterioration on a truly global scale. The Glass Deterioration Working Group was formed to conduct a survey of glass and glass-containing collection items across the Smithsonian's museums.