Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden B. Johnson and Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley successfully campaigned for a new museum on the National Mall. In 1966, an Act of Congress established the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution. Most of the funding was federal, but Hirshhorn later contributed $1-million toward construction. Joseph and his fourth wife, Olga Zatorsky Hirshhorn, visited the White House. The groundbreaking was in 1969 and Abram Lerner was named the founding Director. He oversaw research, conservation, and installation of more than 6,000 items brought from the Hirshhorns' Connecticut estate and other properties to Washington, DC. Joseph Hirshhorn spoke at the inauguration
Conservation and restoration at the Smithsonian Institution and conservation for all Smithsonian units and collections, and these services are available at no charge. New Insights into the Cleaning of Paintings” conference held at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and Museum Conservation Institute The National Museum of African Art houses a state-of-the-art conservation laboratory, which includes a complete x-radiography system with digital imaging. The conservation department routinely collaborates with MCI and other SI units to analyze African art materials, investigate manufacturing processes, and resolve treatment problems. In turn, the department serves as a national and international authority on the conservation of African art. The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art