The Mark Twain House & Museum Book Preservation Project

FAIN: PG-287610-22

Mark Twain Memorial (Hartford, CT 06105-6400)
Jodi DeBruyne (Project Director: January 2022 to present)

The purchase of 592 custom-fitted archival quality boxes and other supplies for the care and protection of rare books in the Special Collections of the Mark Twain House and Museum.

Through this project, The Mark Twain House & Museum will acquire supplies to enable it to properly care for and preserve rare and historic books in its collections. These supplies will include archival-quality, custom-fit boxes in which to store books, supplies to construct custom supports for books displayed on shelves, and book cradles and straps to support books while they are in use. The books to be preserved through the project include books from Mark Twain’s personal library, some of which contain his marginalia, as well as books that belonged to, were authored by, or inscribed by, members of his family and other individuals who were significant to his life and work. The books are irreplaceable artifacts of America’s literary history and culture, which provide unique and valuable insight into Mark Twain, his work, his era, and his enduring legacy.