Preservation Assessment and Improvement of Storage Practices for Reed College's Collection of Prints and Drawings

FAIN: PG-51298-11

Reed College (Portland, OR 97202-8138)
Colleen E. Gotze (Project Director: May 2010 to October 2012)

A preservation assessment of 500 works on paper, predominantly prints and drawings from American and European artists, and the purchase of metal shelving to improve their storage conditions at the Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery. Among the artists represented in the collection are Rembrandt, Daumier, Piranesi, Manet, Rothko, and De Martini. The works support the teaching and research done by college faculty and students.

The Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery at Reed College plans to hire a conservation professional who specializes in works on paper to assess the storage, care and maintenance of the College's collection of prints and drawings. This collection, which includes many exemplary works of art from Europe and North America of the 1800's and 1900's, is an important resource for the teaching of art and art history. However, most of the works are currently stored unprotected in wooden cabinets that put them at risk of deterioration. Following the recommendations of the conservator, appropriate metal shelving will be installed and the works of art would be moved into acid-free archival boxes. Further recommendations by the conservator regarding temperature, relative humidity, pest control, lighting, and collections access policies will be acted upon for the responsible care of the collection. The assessment will take place in January 2011, and all work will be completed by November, 2011.