Renovation and Restoration | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/renovation-and-restoration/RSS feed for Renovation and RestorationenThu, 02 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000To Recreate One of the American Revolution's Most Famous Paintings, This Artist Painstakingly Crafted Miniature Wax Figures of the Nation's Foundershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/to-recreate-one-of-the-american-revolutions-most-famous-paintings-this-artist-painstakingly-crafted-miniature-wax-figures-of-the-nations-founders-180989026/Bartlett M. Frost’s diorama is modeled after John Trumbull's depiction of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence. Newly conserved, the work is now on view at the National Portrait GalleryThu, 02 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/to-recreate-one-of-the-american-revolutions-most-famous-paintings-this-artist-painstakingly-crafted-miniature-wax-figures-of-the-nations-founders-180989026/The Hall of Raphael Frescoes in the Pope’s Residence at the Vatican Is Getting a Much-Needed Restoration With the Help of Lasershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/Conservators will spend the next five years cleaning and retouching the Renaissance frescoes, which date back to the early 16th centuryTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:31:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/This Photography Studio Captured the Beauty of Black Life in the South. Soon Its Archive, Once Hidden Away, Will Have a New Museum Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-photography-studio-hooks-brothers-captured-the-beauty-of-black-life-in-the-south-soon-its-archive-once-hidden-away-will-have-a-new-museum-home-180988982/The Hooks brothers documented life and joy in Memphis during the 20th century. Their images will be put on public view when the Memphis Art Museum opensThu, 18 Jun 2026 19:15:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-photography-studio-hooks-brothers-captured-the-beauty-of-black-life-in-the-south-soon-its-archive-once-hidden-away-will-have-a-new-museum-home-180988982/500 Years Ago, Leonardo da Vinci’s Notebook Was Cut Up and Separated. Now, the Inventor's Manuscripts and Drawings Are Reconstructed in an Online Archivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/500-years-ago-da-vincis-notebook-was-cut-up-and-separated-now-the-inventors-manuscripts-and-drawings-are-reconstructed-in-an-online-archive-180988922/A new tool developed by Museo Galileo researchers has restored 50 pages from fragments excised centuries agoWed, 10 Jun 2026 02:35:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/500-years-ago-da-vincis-notebook-was-cut-up-and-separated-now-the-inventors-manuscripts-and-drawings-are-reconstructed-in-an-online-archive-180988922/The Gouged-Out Testicles of This Bull Mosaic in Italy Are Just Two More Victims of Tourists Abusing Monuments for Luckhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-gouged-out-testicles-of-this-bull-mosaic-in-italy-are-just-two-more-victims-of-tourists-abusing-monuments-for-luck-180988870/It's common for visitors to touch intimate areas portrayed in artworks, but the phenomenon puts cultural icons at riskMon, 01 Jun 2026 19:31:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-gouged-out-testicles-of-this-bull-mosaic-in-italy-are-just-two-more-victims-of-tourists-abusing-monuments-for-luck-180988870/England's Most Famous Naked Giant Will Glow White Again, Thanks to Help From Hundreds of People Performing a Ritual of Restorationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/englands-most-famous-naked-giant-will-glow-white-again-thanks-to-help-from-hundreds-of-people-performing-a-ritual-of-restoration-180988848/The Cerne Abbas Giant, a 180-foot-tall geoglyph in southern England, is getting a new layer of chalkThu, 28 May 2026 18:09:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/englands-most-famous-naked-giant-will-glow-white-again-thanks-to-help-from-hundreds-of-people-performing-a-ritual-of-restoration-180988848/A 4,500-Year-Old Neolithic Hall Replica Rises at Stonehenge as Archaeologists and Volunteers Build With Prehistoric Tools and Techniqueshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-4500-year-old-neolithic-hall-replica-rises-at-stonehenge-as-archaeologists-and-volunteers-build-with-prehistoric-tools-and-techniques-180988806/The reconstruction of a prehistoric building, likely originally a place for winter feasts at the nearby Durrington Walls site, will serve as a learning space for studentsTue, 26 May 2026 20:29:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-4500-year-old-neolithic-hall-replica-rises-at-stonehenge-as-archaeologists-and-volunteers-build-with-prehistoric-tools-and-techniques-180988806/