Archival Supplies and Staff Training for Improved Preservation of Collections at the Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum

FAIN: PG-51430-11

Wyoming Frontier Prison (Rawlins, WY 82301-4768)
Tina Hill (Project Director: May 2010 to October 2012)

Consultation with a conservator and the purchase of supplies to improve the care of nearly 3,000 works of art, material culture artifacts, and archival items that document the 80-year history of Wyoming's first state penitentiary, which opened in 1901. Visitors to the historic site learn about life in the prison, Western settlement and growth of the frontier town, and the various industries supported by prison labor.

The grant goals and activities will increase our capacity to carry out our mission, attract and retain a locally trained multi-age staff and volunteer force, implement professional collections care practices and increase accessibility through the completion of professional exhibits and reorganized storage rooms. We will hire a conservation consultant to help plan and upgrade the storage room so we may begin a rotation schedule of artifacts and archival materials. Over 18 months we will upgrade the environment of each exhibit display to meet conservation standards and requirements for the American Disability Act (ADA). We will record object location on exhibit and in storage thus improving public accessibility.