Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum Conservation Assessment

FAIN: PG-50296-08

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, IN 46706-3509)
Matthew Sidney Short (Project Director: May 2007 to October 2009)

A general preservation assessment of the institution's collection of classic automobiles. The collection includes Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs from the late 1920s; the archives from the Auburn Automobile Company; as well as books, photographs, and other materials documenting automotive history.

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum requests a Preservation Assistance Grant to update an outdated 1993 conservation survey of the museum's collections which include: the automobile collection, the archives collection, and the small artifact collection. The Museum would retain the services of conservator Ralph Wiegandt from the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film located in Rochester, New York. Following a three day site visit the conservator will submit a detailed report of the condition of the collections and outline recommendations for improvements in collections care, environmental conditions, and prioritizing conservation needs. Based upon the recommendations of the conservator, we will reevaluate our policies and procedures and update the long-range strategic plan.