CCAHA is a nonprofit facility located in Philadelphia offering comprehensive conservation and preservation services.
We are experts in the preservation of the world's cultural heritage. The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a nonprofit conservation facility specializing in the treatment of works on paper, photographs, and books, as well as state-of-the-art digital imaging services. Founded in 1977, CCAHA serves nonprofit cultural institutions, private individuals, and other collecting o
06/12/2026
Thank you to the Historic Langhorne Association for sharing the story of their 1802 Attleborough Library Charter. We’re grateful to partner with the Association, with support from a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission grant, to ensure its long-term preservation.
06/09/2026
As you pack your gear and head out for summer camping trips, pitching a tent is exactly what you want to do. But in the conservation lab, tenting is one “outdoor activity” we never want to see indoors! 🏕️❌
In preservation, the term tenting refers to a type of damage where cracked and partially detached paint or media juts up, creating a raised “tent” shape. It is usually caused by quickly changing temperature and relative humidity.
When a medium’s support absorbs moisture and shifts, an inflexible upper layer buckles outward under the pressure. These tiny structural ridges are incredibly fragile — if left untreated, they can flake off entirely and lead to permanent loss. Catching these vulnerabilities early is an important part of active collections care.
🔗 Explore this term and more: ccaha.org/PreservationGlossary.
📸 Background image: Advanced tenting across a painting’s surface, Hartmann Fine Art Conservation Services, Inc.
Did you know sound can bond materials together? These tools use high-frequency acoustic vibrations to fuse plastic films like polyester or Mylar, creating strong seals without adhesives or externally applied heat. In conservation and preservation, this technology allows us to create custom protective enclosures for fragile objects to minimize direct handling and support their long-term care.
This particular ultrasonic welder was developed by conservator Bill Minter at Penn State in the late 1970s. Approximately 200 Minter-designed welders are in use around the world.
06/01/2026
We're looking forward to joining colleagues from across the country this week at the Americans for the Arts Annual Conference in Albuquerque!
This Wednesday, June 3, CCAHA Executive Director Michelle Eisenberg will speak on the panel, "Preserving Your Artistic Legacy in Times of Mass Disruption: Managing Administrative Disasters and Unrest," exploring continuity planning, succession planning, crisis communications, and other strategies that help organizations navigate change and uncertainty.
If you're attending, we hope you'll join the conversation and connect with Michelle during the conference. Thank you to AFTA for bringing together arts leaders to share ideas, strengthen networks, and support the future of the cultural sector!
LINK: www.AFTACON.org
05/29/2026
It was great to make new connections at last week! CCAHA Director of Preservation Services Dyani Feige presented “Building Inclusive Access through the Preservation Glossary,” highlighting how plain-language terms can empower individuals, families, and small organizations to care for their collections and preserve their histories. Our free glossary features 400+ terms related to physical and digital collections care, with illustrations and practical guidance to make preservation knowledge more accessible.
She also made time for one of the conference highlights: the Puppy Park. 🐾
Explore the glossary: ccaha.org/preservationglossary
American Alliance of Museums
05/27/2026
History isn’t just written in declarations — sometimes, it’s written in staff lines and fi*****ng charts. Owen Madden’s Tune Book (ca. 1775) is a rare surviving collection of music from the Revolutionary era. Madden was a fifer in the Continental Army, and this small handmade volume carries the melodies that moved through army camps, from tavern songs to military marches — capturing the rhythm and morale of the moment.
When it arrived at CCAHA, the book bore the marks of its well-traveled life: erratic stab sewing added at different times, a deeply folded cover shaped by pocket use, and ink titles written upside-down on the exterior. Treatment focused on reinforcing the attachment of the loose leaves using micro hinges worked around the existing sewing, along with stabilizing vulnerable areas of the cover, including flattening and mending cracking and separating layers of the paper boards. The goal was to conserve the book for careful handling and safe storage while preserving repairs and wear that reflect its life as a pocket companion.
Listen to recordings of these historic tunes brought to life by : bit.ly/4wWA0JG. Follow along for more as we go behind the bench to explore the nation’s founding.
📸 1 & 2. Handwritten songs and German flute gamut (after treatment); 3. Micro-hinge attachment work; 4. Deep folds and cracks to front cover (before treatment); 5. Locally humidifying and flattening front cover; 6. Stabilizing weak areas of cover; 7. Treated exterior cover. (Museum of the American Revolution collections).
Thank you to everyone who joined us for CCAHA’s Spring Open House! It was a joy to welcome friends, colleagues, and new faces — including visitors in town for the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting — and showcase the breadth of our work.
From conversations about unique treatment challenges to hands-on stations like our space planning activity and custom book jacket crafting, it was great to see so much curiosity, connection, and enthusiasm throughout the evening. Thank you for helping make the night such a success — we’re grateful you could join us.
05/18/2026
Ivey Barker, CCAHA Associate Photograph Conservator, was delighted to co-teach “Exploring Techniques for Salvage Cleaning and Drying of Heritage Collection Objects” in Montreal alongside colleagues from The Library of Congress, Anchorage Museum, and Canadian Conservation Institute. Special thanks to Pointe-à-Callière, cité d'archéologie et d'histoire de Montréal for the beautiful space and to the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and FAIC/American Institute for Conservation for sponsoring the workshop.
05/15/2026
Planning to attend the 2026 American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Philadelphia? Join us on Wednesday, May 20, from 5:00–7:30 PM for an evening of conservation and conversation. CCAHA has been preserving cultural heritage since 1977, and our Spring Open House offers a behind-the-scenes look at the work we do and a chance to meet our expert staff.
➽ Explore rare books, original works of art, and historic documents.
➽ Learn how CCAHA supports cultural institutions and collections care.
➽ Enjoy refreshments and connect with colleagues before AAM begins.
📍264 South 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Registration is free — we hope to see you there!
RSVP: ccaha.org/SpringOpenHouse
📸: This year’s highlights include images from Lunar Orbiter program from the High Museum of Art, Atlanta and early maps of Philadelphia from the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel.
✨And while you’re at AAM, don’t miss CCAHA Director of Preservation Services Dyani Feige’s presentation, Building Inclusive Access through the Preservation Glossary, on Friday, May 22 at 11 AM.
05/12/2026
As temperatures rise and seasons shift, the amount of moisture in the air changes too — and collections can feel the effects. 🌡️💧
The term Relative humidity (RH) refers to the measure of moisture in the air in relation to the temperature of the air. RH changes as the temperature does because hot and cold air can hold different amounts of water: cold air can hold very little, and hot air can hold a lot.
Improper relative humidity is one of the 10 Agents of Deterioration and can lead to issues like mold growth, warping, cracking, corrosion, and other forms of damage in collection materials. Monitoring environmental conditions throughout the year is an important part of preventive conservation.
🔗 Explore this term and more: ccaha.org/PreservationGlossary (link in bio).
📸 Background image: Former CCAHA Senior Conservation Assistant Anna Krain embodying RH at a Spring Open House.
