Preservation Storage Improvements

FAIN: PA-51653-06

General Lew Wallace Study and Museum (Crawfordsville, IN 47933-0662)
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko (Project Director: May 2005 to September 2006)

The purchase of storage supplies and furniture to rehouse collections that document the life of General Lew Wallace (1827-1905), the author of "Ben-Hur," a major general in the Union army, governor of the New Mexico Territory, and minister to Turkey. The collections include published literary works and memorabilia from motion pictures and stage productions of "Ben-Hur," in addition to historical objects, archival materials, photographs, paintings, and sketches with documented provenance to General Wallace and his family.

The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum (GLWSM) requests a Preservation Assistance Grant of $5,000 to improve the storage shelving and housing of its collections. Currently, the collection is housed in off-site storage with minimal climate control and no archival storage shelving or housing materials. This grant award will provide sufficient housing for the collection in the new Carriage House Interpretive Center, scheduled to open in late 2005. The Center’s plans include a restricted, climate controlled collections storage room that will accommodate the existing collection and future accessions. The grant award will provide a portion of the total project budget of $16,421.