Environmental Monitoring Equipment for the Permanent Collection

FAIN: PG-52058-13

Lyman Allyn Art Museum (New London, CT 06320-4130)
Carolyn Grosch (Project Director: May 2012 to April 2016)

The purchase of environmental monitoring equipment to help preserve a collection of works by American artists such as historical painter Benjamin West, Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole, and Realism and landscape painter Winslow Homer. Along with its paintings, prints, and drawings, the museum has a sizeable collection of furniture and decorative art works that includes silverwork by Paul Revere, Tiffany glass, and Rookwood pottery to help tell the story of daily life in Connecticut and the rest of New England in the 18th and 19th century. A consultant would place the monitors throughout the museum and interpret data collected for short-term and long-range planning.

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, CT requests a $6,000 grant to purchase environmental monitoring equipment for its exhibition galleries and permanent collections storage. The purchase of 16 dataloggers and a series of consultations with a conservator would enable the Museum to identify climate issues that may pose a risk to its collection of over 10,000 objects, make important placement decisions for objects being moved to new exhibition areas, monitor new boiler equipment, establish a plan for improving environmental conditions, and strengthen requests for funding future climate control projects. With its significant collection of American and European fine and decorative art, the Museum serves a diverse community of families, educators, students, artists, and scholars. Through permanent and changing exhibitions that explore connections between art, history, literature, and culture, the Museum attracts over 17,000 visitors each year, including 2,550 schoolchildren.