Thank You for Making CCAHA's 2019 Open House a Success!
Last week, we were pleased to welcome more than 200 guests into the lab for CCAHA's annual Open House. This is our favorite event of the year, as it allows us to meet one-on-one with friends and colleagues from around the country and show off some of the amazing projects we have been working on lately. This year's guests included many in town for the biennial
Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists (ARCS) conference. Our lineup of objects included a
15th century German guide to medicinal plants
, a 12th century illuminated Persian manuscript, pop art prints, a
digitally-reconstructed 19th century map
, and much more. Click the image above to view more photos of the night on Instagram.
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CCAHA in the News: Rare 'Book of Hours' Returns Home
“The restoration was very successful. I drove very carefully with a seatbelt around the packing box that held the custom-sized clamshell box provided by CCAHA to store the book.”
A wonderful bookend to our coverage earlier this summer of this beautiful c. 1480 copy of the
Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis
belonging to
West Liberty University
in West Liberty, WV. We shared the story of this treatment in the July/August edition of our
FOCUS
newsletter. The volume made it home safely and was showcased at a public reception on November 7 at the WLU Downtown Center in Wheeling.
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Treatment FOCUS:
A Collection of 170 Chinese Export Watercolors
Earlier this year, we shared a remarkable time-lapse video shot by Mellon Conservation Fellow Juliet Baines of a c. 17th century Chinese watercolor painting's discoloration vanishing as it is exposed to peroxide gas in a vapor chamber. I
n the latest installment of our bimonthly
FOCUS
newsletter,
you can learn more about the treatment process for the entire collection of 170 paintings belonging to the
Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University
and the special conservation challenges they presented.
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Funding Opportunity: Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures
is a National Park Service grant program in collaboration with the
Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts
, and the
National Endowment for the Humanities
. Designed to support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections, the grant program is competitive and requires a dollar-for-dollar match. Individual properties or collections that received an SAT grant in the past are not eligible for additional funding. A list of past funded projects can be found
here
.
Applications are due
December 10, 2019
.
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Funding Opportunity: NEH Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
Preservation Assistance Grants
help small and mid-sized institutions—such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities—improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials.
Applications for this grant will open November 15, 2019. Guidelines for the next application round have not been posted yet. In the meantime,
click here to learn more.
Applications are due
January 15, 2020.
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SPECIAL EVENT
With A Stroke of Her Pen: Women's Imprint on American Culture
Date:
Friday, January 17, 2020
Time:
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia,
The
Benjamin Franklin Birthday Celebration
commemorates the centennial anniversary of Congress’ act to grant women the right to vote. The 19th Amendment crowned more than a century of persevering feminine activism. This event honors those who fought for the vote, as well as those women who have contributed significantly, often behind the scenes, to the development of the American nation. The event includes a luncheon and presentation of the
Franklin Founder Award
, a keynote address by
Linda Greenhouse
(left), and remarks to honor the life, career, and contributions of
Cokie Roberts
(right).
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Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) Program Updates
The New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education contracts with CCAHA to deliver statewide services supporting organizations that safeguard New York's historical documents and library research materials.
Learn more about DHPSNY.
Last month, DHPSNY dropped a new episode of
The DHPSNY Podcast. In the latest episode, staff visited the
Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie (Dutchess County), which is just getting its archive off the ground. PDS is a great example of an institution with a rich history using a DHPSNY Archival Needs Assessment as an early step in establishing its archival program.
Click here to listen on Mixcloud.
DHPSNY's next
Planning & Assessment Services
application deadline is this
Friday, November 15, 2019
.
Applications for DHPSNY's services are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year.
Click here to learn more and apply.
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Striking the Balance: Access vs. Preservation in Museums
Dates:
December 5-6
Location:
Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia
Innovative educational strategies have revolutionized how art and artifacts are presented to diverse audiences, as a variety of communication styles and learning preferences are considered. Programs that incorporate touch experience, adaptive exhibition environments, and interactive digital encounters relay the story for all. Even the work of conservators and museum professionals may be presented as part of the storytelling, as creative approaches to accessibility and collections care evolve. Yet, these approaches may seem at odds with preservation. The need for accessibility in museums requires a delicate balance between preservation and making materials available and understandable to a large audience with diverse needs. Strategies for promoting access with responsible stewardship is the focus of this conference.
This
two-day
conference includes the opportunity to explore interactive exhibits and a new special exhibition,
Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier
, at the
Museum of the American Revolution
.
Topics include:
· Touch programs with preservation handling
· ADA considerations in house museums
· Conservation on exhibit
· Digitization for accessibility
· Sensory sensitivity and visitor experience
· Giving access to university museum students
Funding for this program has been generously provided by the
National Endowment for the Humanities
, with additional support from
Independence Foundation
, the
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
, the
Philadelphia Cultural Fund
, and
The
William Penn Foundation.
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WEBINAR
Collections Management Practices
Presenter:
Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, CCAHA
Date:
Wednesday, December 11
Time:
2:00 - 3:30 PM (12:00-1:30 PM MDT)
This presentation covers key collections management topics such as acquisition, appraisal, documentation and deeds of gift, inventory, and deaccessioning. Issues such as “found in the collection” items and abandoned property are also addressed.
This webinar is part of RHSP serving the Intermountain West, including Nevada, Utah, and parts of Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Though anyone is welcome to join, this series will be specifically geared for collecting institutions in this region.
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The
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)
is a nonprofit conservation facility specializing in the treatment of works on paper, photographs, and books through conservation and state-of-the-art digital imaging services. Founded in 1977, CCAHA serves collecting institutions and private individuals. CCAHA’s preservation services staff present educational programs, conduct preservation assessments, and develop emergency preparedness plans. CCAHA also offers fellowships, fundraising support, and disaster assistance.
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Support provided by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund
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