Assessment of the Chrysler Museum of Art's Jean Outland Chrysler Library Archives

FAIN: PG-287459-22

Chrysler Museum, Inc. (Norfolk, VA 23510-1540)
Elizabeth Weir (Project Director: January 2022 to April 2025)

A general preservation assessment of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s Jean Outland Chrysler Library Archives, including institutional records, the personal records of major donor William P. Chrysler, Jr., archives related to the City of Norfolk and the Norfolk Society of Arts, exhibition catalogs, periodicals, auction catalogs, and the personal papers of various local artists, collectors, and donors.

The Chrysler Museum of Art’s Jean Outland Chrysler Library (JOCL) collection is hailed as one of the most significant and extensive holdings of its kind in the southeastern U.S., with more than 300,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art. These scholarly materials make a significant contribution to the study of the social, political, economic, and cultural history of southeastern Virginia and beyond. The collection provides vital support to Museum staff in conducting research essential to the interpretation and public presentation of the Museum’s encyclopedic collection of artworks, the origination of exhibitions, scholarly essays and lectures, and for art conservation. The archives are also regularly consulted by auction houses, scholars, students, and other museum professionals. Grant funding will support an assessment of the JOCL archives to determine a long-term plan to improve their preservation, care, and public accessibility, as well as eventual digitization.