Luther College Collections Conservation Assessment and Preventive Conservation Workshop

FAIN: PG-266689-19

Luther College (Decorah, IA 52101-1041)
Hayley Jackson (Project Director: January 2019 to March 2025)

A preservation assessment and preventive conservation workshop to improve care of Luther College’s collections, which range from fine arts and archaeology to archives and special collections and that document world history, visual culture, Norwegian-American history, and Lutheranism in the United States. Highlights include archaeological materials from sites across Iowa, as well as Inuit and Zulu collections donated by Lutheran missionaries.  The collections are used by the college’s students, faculty/staff, and community members, and by visiting scholars.  The Fine Arts collection contains 2,100 objects, and the Archaeology, Ethnography, and Numismatic collection totals 37,000 items.  The Archives holds nearly 2,400 linear feet of institutional records, while Special Collections holds 2,400 volumes dating from pre-1500 through 2018.  The workshop would be open to museum staff, facilities and administration, and staff from nearby institutions.

This project will fund a conservation assessment and long-range preservation plan for the Luther College Collections. In addition, it will fund a preventive conservation workshop for College staff and stakeholders, as well as other interested professionals in the region. Located in rural Decorah, Iowa, these collections are unparalleled in the region, spanning from archaeological and ethnographic artifacts to historical archives and fine art pieces. The Luther College Collections enable faculty, staff, students, and the local community to learn about and connect with both the rich history of the local Native American tribes and Norwegian-American immigrants as well as cultures from distant countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Together, the assessment, long-range conservation plan, and workshop will allow staff to collaborate across campus and create a sustainable preservation program, ensuring the preservation and continued accessibility of these collections.