Mary Coughlin

Bio

Professor Coughlin has an interest in the conservation challenges of contemporary museum collections, particularly with respect to plastic. Before coming to GW full time, she worked for five years in the Objects Conservation Laboratory of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History where she conserved objects as diverse as FDR’s leg braces and Star War’s C-3PO and R2-D2.

Current Research

Professor Coughlin is writing a book, Caring for Plastics in Collections, that focuses on how preventive conservation and collections management decisions can impact plastics in museums. The book will include case studies from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Smithsonian Institution, The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard Art Museums, Wesleyan University, the German Mining Museum, Glenstone, and the Image Permanence Institute.

Publications

• “Preventive Conservation in Museum Studies Curricula: Preservation Ethics and Practical Applications for Generations of Allied Professionals”. Mary Coughlin, Catharine Hawks, Shelley Sturman. Conservation 360° Volume 3, Education and Pedagogy in Conservation. UPV Universitat Politècnica de València. (Accepted, anticipated publication: fall 2023.)
• “Plastics” Condition Reporting Chapter in Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook, 5^th Edition. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. 2022.
• “AIC Position Statement on Virtual Courier Oversight.” Mary Coughlin, Sarah Scaturro, Beth Edelstein, LeeAnn Barnes, Laura Gaylord Resch, James Gleeson, Cynthia Schwarz. March 2021.
• “Ozone Test Strips for PVC Plastics?” Postprints for Plastics in Peril: Focus on Conservation of Polymeric Materials in Cultural Heritage Conference. November 2020.
• “Using Ozone Test Strips to Detect PVC Plastics in Museums.” Postprints for Objects Specialty Group of the American Institute for Conservation Annual Conference 2019.
• “Storage at a Glance: Plastics”. Two page guide for the book Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage. Book is a joint collaboration between The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum Studies Program of The George Washington University. 2019.
• Co-author for section introductions for: “Fundamentals” with Rob Waller, “Facility Management” with Cathy Hawks and Jude Southward, “Specialized Collection Environment & Care” with Cathy Hawks, and “Storage Equipment and Materials” with Shelly Sturman in book Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage. Book is a joint collaboration between The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum Studies Program of The George Washington University. 2019.
• “Prisoner-of-War Ship Models Made in Britain: History, Manufacture, Materials, and Treatment.” Journal of the American Institute for Conservation. Volume 57, Issue 1-2, August 2018. Pp 62-72.
• “Introduction to Special Issue on Collection Care.”  Journal of the American Institute for Conservation. Mary Coughlin and Jane Henderson, guest editors.  Volume 56, Issue 2, May 2017. pp1-2.
• “The Increase and Diffusion of Collections Care Knowledge: a Partnership.”  Mary Coughlin and Shari Stout. Chapter in the book Museum Collections Management volume of the series: “Innovative Approaches for Museums” Ed: Juliee Decker. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefied, 2015. pp35-42.
• “Plastics” Condition Reporting Chapter in Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook, 4^th Edition. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2015, pp99-106.
• “Bon Appétit? Plastics in Julia Child’s Kitchen.” Postprints for Objects Specialty Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Annual Conference. Volume 20, 2013. pp1-15.
• “Julia Child’s Kitchen as a Conservation Classroom.” Mary Coughlin, Paula Johnson, and Lauren Andersen in Playing to the Galleries and Engaging New Audiences: the public face of conservation. London: Archetype Publications, 2013, pp 121-130.
• “Monitoring Acidic Off-gassing of Plastics”, Conserve-O-Gram, Number 8/5, National Park Service. 2011. pp 1-5.

Education

BA Historic Preservation, Mary Washington College (Magna Cum Laude & Phi Beta Kappa)
MS Art Conservation, Winterthur/University of Delaware

Professional Organizations

American Institute for Conservation (AIC)

• Fellow (highest peer reviewed membership) 2021-present
  • Professional Associate (peer reviewed membership) 2016-2021
  • Chair, Collection Care Network, 2017-2021
  • Vice Chair, Collection Care Network, 2016-2017
  • Editor, Collection Care Network, 2015-2016
  • Sustainability Committee Board, 2011-2014
  • Student representative, Health and Safety Committee, 2003-2005

Washington Conservation Guild  

• Board of Directors, 2005-2010