A Preservation Assessment at the Center for Jewish History

FAIN: PG-51319-11

Center for Jewish History (New York, NY 10011-6301)
Laura E. Leone (Project Director: May 2010 to October 2012)

A preservation assessment of archival materials, books, and museum objects documenting the modern Jewish experience. Highlights of the collection include a letter denouncing anti-Semitism written by Thomas Jefferson to the earliest Jewish congregation in the United States; the world's largest collection of sound recordings, photos, and film relating to Eastern European Jewish culture, as well as some of the first Hebrew and Jewish prayer books published in this country.

The Center for Jewish History respectfully requests a grant of $6,000 to make possible an overall assessment of the collections housed at the center. Conducted by John Dean, a professional preservation consultant, this activity would assess the physical collections, their current storage conditions, and the environmental conditions of the physical space within which the collections are housed. The assessment would be used to prepare short-term, mid-term, and long-term recommendations for preservation efforts, including conservation, housing, and environmental conditions.