Preservation Assessment and Storage Materials to Preserve Archival Collections
FAIN: PG-51779-12
AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. (New York, NY 10017)
Carlos Porro (Project Director: May 2011 to April 2014)
A preservation assessment of the 65 linear feet of the American Field Service's unique photographic and paper-based image collections that document the activities of the field service during World Wars I and II in the United States, France, Italy, the Middle East, North Africa, India, and Burma. A photographic conservator would assess the collection, identify and prioritize preservation needs, and recommend appropriate preservation supplies to rehouse the collection.
The American Field Service seeks $6,000 in funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund a preservation study of a specific portion of its Archives; namely, the World War I and II collections containing photographic and mixed media material (items containing both photographic and paper-based material), many of which were created in a wartime environment. As a chronicle of the American national experience as volunteers in wartime this collection is of great significance to the humanities. The material supports the research of scholars and researchers in fields such as history and sociology by offering unique insights into the U.S. historical narrative of wartime and post-war experience. Examples of historically significant topics illuminated by Archives material include the increasingly varied and diverse social origins of American volunteers. The goal of the proposed project is to create a customized preservation plan for the AFS Archives.