American Precision Museum Conservation Advisor Project

FAIN: PG-50387-08

American Precision Museum, Inc. (Windsor, VT 05089-1312)
Ann Lawless (Project Director: May 2007 to February 2009)

A conservation assessment of historic industrial artifacts, including machine tools, models, firearms, and measuring and gauging devices. The conservator would also evaluate environmental monitoring data and train staff in the care and handling of collection items.

The American Precision Museum (APM) has been collecting industrial artifacts without a curator or collections manager since the museum's founding in 1966. In 2007, with support from an IMLS grant, we hired our first collections manager to complete a Collections Information Project that includes, recordkeeping, inventory, and in the third and final year, rearrangement of our storage areas. Because of the specialized nature and significance of the collection, we seek a consultation with a conservator experienced with industrial collections similar to ours. Ms. Clara Deck, presently Senior Conservator at the Henry Ford, Dearborn MI, will visit for two days to train staff and members of our trustee collections committee in preventive conservation, and procedures and supplies for care and handling. After the site visit, she will write a report summarizing her findings, including an evaluation of the environmental monitoring data gathered since 2005, and make realistic recommendations.