Conservation Assessment of World War I Poster Collection and Civil War Sketchbook

FAIN: PG-50352-08

Bridgeport Public Library (Bridgeport, CT 06604-4871)
Elizabeth Greever Van Tuyl (Project Director: May 2007 to February 2009)

A conservation assessment of the library's 150 World War I posters and a sketchbook created during the Civil War by a member of the Connecticut Eighth Volunteer Regiment, Company A. A paper conservator would assess each item and make recommendations for conservation treatment.

A professional paper conservator will evaluate the library's 150 World War I posters and a Civil War era sketchbook drawn by a local area soldier during a southern campaign to determine the materials' condition and need for repairs. In conducting the conservation assessment process, the conservator will produce data sheets on individual items and reports explaining appropriate technical repairs, treatment, and reformatting options and their costs. The library will use the completed assessments to plan and request funding for professional conservation treatment of the posters and the sketchbook in order to better preserve them. The library's ultimate goal is to increase access to these items by the public through research and exhibition. As artifacts, the posters and sketchbook provide tremendous research opportunities through both their content and appearance; they serve as a link between the City of Bridgeport's past and the broader stage of American and world history.