Development of the WCS Archives Conceptual Preservation Design Plan

FAIN: PF-230270-15

Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Park (Bronx, NY 10460-1068)
Madeleine Thompson (Project Director: December 2014 to November 2016)

A planning project to provide the first step in relocating the Wildlife Conservation Society’s archival holdings to a new storage facility.  The archive comprises records created over the history of the organization, which began as the New York Zoological Society in 1894.  It contains more than 1200 linear feet of records (documents, publications, printed ephemera, paintings, works on paper, architectural plans, photographs, and negatives) relating to subjects such as the history of zoo and aquarium development; early conservation fieldwork to study wildlife in their natural habitats; and animals in art and architecture.

The Wildlife Conservation Society Archives comprises records created over WCS’s 119-year history.  The Archives is currently undergoing a revitalization led by major improvements to the care of and access to the collections.  Recently, WCS Administration identified a new location for the collections, which offers a far stronger opportunity than the current location to develop a sustainable preservation environment.  The proposed project will result in the WCS Archives Conceptual Preservation Design Plan.  Founded upon preservation strategies balancing effectiveness, cost, and environmental impact, this plan will serve as the crucial first step in the Archives’ relocation to this new space.  By convening an interdisciplinary team to work collaboratively on this plan, the Archives seeks to develop the foundation that will guide the sustainable protection of the WCS Archives’ physical collections and the continued study and enjoyment of these unique collections by future generations.