Costume Collection Conservation Assessment

FAIN: PA-51537-06

University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300)
Meghan Christine Budinger (Project Director: May 2005 to October 2006)

Hiring a curatorial consultant and a conservator to conduct a preservation assessment of a 55-piece clothing collection that belonged to President James Monroe and his family. The consultants would develop a conservation treatment plan for each item and recommend appropriate storage and handling guidelines for the collection.

The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library wishes to begin the process of conserving its 55-piece costume collection, in the hopes of making it available to the public for interpretation and study. We would like to begin this process with the hiring of a costume conservation specialist to assess the collection. This specialist will examine each item in the costume collection, assess its stability or state of deterioration, prioritize items for future conservation and advise the staff on a plan for the long-term care of the collection.