Preservation Assistance

FAIN: PG-50052-07

National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia, PA 19106-2197)
Claire Pingel (Project Director: May 2006 to August 2008)

The purchase of storage cabinets and archival supplies to rehouse oversized artifacts, such as posters, newspapers, prints, and drawings, that document American Jewish history and culture.

The National Museum of American Jewish History requests a Preservation Assistance Grant of $5,000 to purchase three metal flat file cabinets and map file folders. The equipment will alleviate a serious overcrowding problem in the museum's existing two flat file cabinets. Overcrowding and improper storage practices have caused some minimal damage to the collection. Additionally, approximately 2,500 recently acquired oversized paper artifacts are currently awaiting permanent storage and will be placed in the new file cabinets. In addition to allowing existing collections to be stored properly, no longer crowded into insufficient space, the installation of three file cabinets and related materials will allow for the future growth of the museum's paper collection. Proper storage will ensure long-range preservation of the oversized materials in the flat files and improve access to the collection for the museum's research visitors.