Museum Environmental Monitoring Project

FAIN: PG-50526-09

Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society (Gig Harbor, WA 98335)
Victoria Blackwell (Project Director: May 2008 to March 2011)

The purchase of equipment to monitor environmental conditions in the Harbor History Museum, which houses collections that document the Native American and immigrant heritage of the Gig Harbor Peninsula. Collections include furnishings, textiles, farming implements, boating tools, documents, maps, photographs, and American Indian baskets, tools, and trade beads.

The project allows for the purchase of environmental monitoring equipment to be installed in the new Harbor History Museum, opening February 2009. Based on the recommendations of a conservator, the museum will purchase data loggers to be mounted in each of four galleries and in collections storage, a data transfer shuttle to retrieve data from the data loggers, and computer software to manage the data collected in the loggers. Additional monitoring equipment includes digital humidiguides mounted in the galleries, collection storage area, and in the research center to easily and immediately monitor temperature and humidity conditions to make the required adjustments. To monitor the enclosed environments of exhibit cases, thermohygrometers will be purchased and placed in the cases based on exhibit content. The project provides for assistance by the conservator to determine placement of the units, provide initial training on equipment use and monitoring, and for follow-up training.