Sustainable Management of Collections Environments with Limited Controls, Phase 2

FAIN: PG-280722-21

Morris County Park Commission (Morristown, NJ 07960-3161)
Melanie Bump (Project Director: January 2021 to November 2023)

Consultation with preservation professionals from the Image Permanence Institute and the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, the purchase of preservation supplies and equipment, and hiring an intern to assist in data collection. The project would test out low-cost improvements to collection storage environments in buildings located at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Historic Speedwell, and Willowwood Arboretum, cultural sites that are home to library, archival, and artifact collections documenting the history of northern New Jersey. The collections are used in a wide variety of exhibits covering the social, industrial, agricultural, and architectural history of Morris County. The project team would experiment with the range and features of portable dehumidifiers and use protective enclosures and cabinet modifications to create microclimates for collections, among other methods to improve storage conditions. The results would inform a long-range preservation plan for the collections.

Environmental controls (heating, cooling and dehumidification) are vital to collections care. Hot, cold, dry or humid spaces can lead to mold growth, loosen furniture joints, chip paint, fade dyes and corrode metal. Many historic sites store collections in spaces with limited ability to regulate these conditions. This project implements the 2nd phase actions of a 2-phase research partnership with Morris County Park Commission (MCPC), the Image Permanence Institute and Conservation Center of Art & Historic Artifacts. Environmental data collected during Phase 1 (2019-20) activities, supported by NEHPAG, guides Phase 2’s testing of passive and mechanical methods to improve the environment in terms of preservation and sustainability. The goal is to answer how to make low-cost or no cost improvements based on environmental monitoring in spaces with limited or no HVAC control and providing MCPC with analysis to make informed cost-benefit decisions regarding managing a range of structures.