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May 07, 2015

Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation

Modern structures are subject to the same risks as older structures, including neglect, inappropriate renovation, the effects of climate change and even demolition, but additional risks arise from the very qualities that make them modern: innovative technologies, experimental materials, and novel design.

April 28, 2015

Uaxactun y el Watch 2014

Uaxactun was one of the first archaeological sites to be excavated in the Petén Department in northern Guatemala and where archaeologists developed methodologies for Mesoamerican studies that are still used today.

April 24, 2015

Iraqi Heritage in Danger: An Expert Meeting at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam

On March 13, 2015, the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam organized a panel of experts to discuss the destruction of cultural heritage in northern Iraq. The meeting was an opportunity to introduce the public to Iraqi sites that have recently received significant media attention due to widespread coverage of damage and demolition by ISIS.

April 09, 2015

If the Islamic State thinks it matters, shouldn’t we?

This past January I approached our delayed-from-August 2014 class in Iraq, hoping again to explore with the students ways to engage some key concepts related to the relationship between heritage stewardship and contemporary culture.

April 08, 2015

Babylon Site Management Plan Presented

At a press conference in Baghdad on March 8, 2015, the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and World Monuments Fund presented the Babylon Site Management Plan to Adil Fahad Shrshab, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

March 24, 2015

Restoration of Wall Frescoes at the Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah: Challenges and a Way Forward

The Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah, a white marble edifice built between 1622 and 1628 by order of Empress Nur Jahan, is one of the few surviving buildings from among what was once a series of 44 Mughal-era riverfront gardens along the River Yamuna in Agra. The structure is notable as the earliest example of a predominantly white marble construction in the Mughal period, representative of a transition out of the red sandstone phase of Mughal architecture and predating its more famous counterpart, the Taj Mahal.

March 13, 2015

WMF Selected as Host Organization for ACLS Public Fellows Program

World Monuments Fund is pleased to announce its selection as a host organization for the American Council of Learned Societies Public Fellows Program, a career-building fellowship initiative designed to expand the reach of doctoral education in the humanities.

March 12, 2015

The Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park, and the Palisades

On my walks to and from work, I have often noted how people from the neighborhoods surrounding The Cloisters museum and gardens gather in the evenings in Fort Tryon Park to watch the sun as it dips below the Palisades to the west.

March 09, 2015

Kuchuhuasi se resiste al tiempo

Located in a remote town, the Capilla de La Virgen Concebida de Kuchuhuasi has retained its original features and still plays an active role in the lives of the adjacent communities, evident in several of the nearby houses which feature painted murals, inspired by the church, on the façades. Every four years the communities gather to replace the thatched roof as part of the traditional repaje ceremony.

March 04, 2015

Harvard Graduate School of Design Studio > EXTREME URBANISM 3: Planning for Conservation Visits Mughal Gardens Project

WMF is engaged in a comprehensive research project to document and develop conservation plans for historic Mughal gardens on the Yamuna riverfront in Agra. Students from three academic programs spent a week in Agra identifying possible solutions to the urban challenges faced by the city as it grapples with balancing the needs of the local population, tourism management, and development pressures.

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