Creating a Preservation Plan for Oil Paintings in the NLCHS Collection
FAIN: PG-50928-10
New London County Historical Society, Inc. (New London, CT 06320-5677)
Edward D. Baker (Project Director: May 2009 to October 2011)
A conservation assessment of 55 oil paintings, including six works by Ralph Earl painted in 1792 for the Shaw family. The paintings are used for thematic educational tours of the Shaw Mansion and complement the historical society's collection of resources on colonial-era Caribbean trade, Revolutionary War privateering, the growth of whaling and sealing from New London, as well as family genealogies and local history.
The New London County Historical Society requests funding to hire consultants to conduct a detailed survey of the approximately 55 oil paintings in the New London County Historical Society collection. The consultants will write a document describing the condition of each painting, including the approximate cost of any treatment needed, and will prioritize the paintings in categories depending on the degree of urgency of treatment needed. Also included will be a written report describing general observations about the storage and care of the paintings collection. The consultants will provide training to staff of the historical society in replacing nails with mending plates and screws, applying backing boards, and installing proper hanging devices to those paintings that do not have them.