Planning Storage Improvements for the Historical Collections

FAIN: PF-50084-10

Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum (Chicago, IL 60605-2403)
Devon Pyle-Vowles (Project Director: December 2009 to July 2011)
Jennifer E. Brand (Project Director: July 2011 to August 2013)

A planning project leading to recommendations for improving the storage of a collection of artifacts related to the history of astronomy, maritime history, and related fields.

The Adler Planetarium seeks funding to develop a Collections Storage Improvement Implementation Plan. The Adler is the only independent planetarium in the world to steward significant museum collections. These collections, spanning the 12th to the 21st century, comprise historic scientific instruments, rare books, works on paper, archival collections, photographs, paintings, and spacecraft models and support exhibitions, planetarium shows, and educational programs that merge current science with the humanities. The proposed new Plan would build upon findings from a 2008 Collections Storage Improvement Study, which identified several risks to the Adler collections, including water leakage, fire and smoke, and unstable media. The Adler would retain the same teams from 2008, Wendy Jessup and Associates, Inc., and Watson & Henry Associates, to provide specific guidance in the form of layouts and budget estimates in order to improve collections storage and reduce energy costs. After the grant period, the Implementation Plan will guide the Adler to create a consolidated collections management and curatorial workspace.