Kelvin Centre for Conservation & Cultural Heritage Research
The Kelvin Centre, located in Kelvin Hall, is part of the University of Glasgow’s College of Arts.
Postgraduate teaching
MPHIL TEXTILE CONSERVATION
The two-year MPhil Textile Conservation is renowned as a leading programme internationally. It is a programme that synthesises the core elements of practical skills, evidence-based decision making, contextual research and professional practice underpinned with a solid foundation in applied science. Graduates of this programme and its predecessors have an outstanding employment record: those who have graduated since 2010 are working in 17 countries - and those who have graduated since the TCC was established in 1975 now work in over 40 countries and every continent except Antarctica!
MPHIL BOOK & PAPER CONSERVATION
The MPhil Book and Paper Conservation was launched in 2025 and its structure is modelled on that of the MPhil Textile Conservation. The programme was developed with the financial support of the TC Foundation, partly in response to the closure of the book and paper programme at Camberwell School of Art. The former head of the Camberwell Programme, Jocelyn Cuming, was a key contributor to the development of the new programme at the Kelvin Centre.
A key role for the TC Foundation is to secure bursary funding for students on the MPhil Textile Conservation and the MPhil Book & Paper Conservation so that outstanding students are able to take up their places.
In addition to the two conservation programmes, the Kelvin Centre offers two one-year programmes: MLitt Dress and Textile Histories and MLitt Technical Art History.
The Kelvin Centre also has a significant and growing reputation in Conservation Science with its highly equipped analytical facilities and outstanding conservation scientists, including Dr Paul Garside.
You can get a sense of the variety and vibrancy of the Centre's work by looking at the staff and student blog - just follow this link.
If you would like more information about the Centre or about any of these postgraduate programmes here are the people to contact:
MPhil Textile Conservation - Karen Thompson
MPhil Book and Paper Conservation - Christina Young
MLitt Dress and Textile Histories - Sally Tuckett
MLitt Technical Art History, Making and Meaning - Christina Young
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Research
The Kelvin Centre offers PhD opportunities in all the above subject areas and also in conservation science. Research at the Centre for Textile Conservation has thrived at the University of Glasgow. Among recent staff research projects are:
This 3-year research project, led by Professor Frances Lennard and funded by the AHRC, helped to transform our understanding of Pacific barkcloth manufacture using a multidisciplinary approach. Project partners include: Kew Economic Botany Collection, Hunterian Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.
This 3-year project, led by Frances Lennard and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, focuses on conservation and display of tapestries. The Centre's partner is the University's Engineering Dept. and uses digital image correlation and other techniques to monitor the effect on tapestries of display and of different conservation techniques.
Dye Research
Among the dye projects being led by Professor Anita Quye, are research into: dye manual and pattern books, 1700-1900; early synthetic dyes 1850s-1900; development of techniques to analyse historical dyes; the effect of light and pollution on historical dyes, and its mitigation.