Washington Conservation Guild Angels Project

Historical Society of Washington D.C. (HSW) Kiplinger Research
Library is the winner of the 2008 Washington Conservation Guild's
Angels Project. The Angel Project will improve storage for the HSW
textile collection. The textile collection consists largely of
historic costumes which include, for example, a dress purchased by
Marian Hooper Adams from the noted Parisian designer Worth in 1879.
Adams wore the dress to a January 1882 dinner attended by the new
Cabinet and President Arthur.

Angels Projects are pro-bono work days for which Washington
Conservation Guild members volunteer their conservation expertise at
a particular historic site. They are generally conducted all in one
day, although the preparation and follow-up require additional time.

Angels Projects pair conservators with collections that need care. A
group of conservators typically volunteer a day of their time to
work with curators, archivists, or collections managers to provide
basic care and rehousing for specific collections. A successful
Angels Project includes local and regional publicity such as
television, newspaper and magazine coverage to publicize the need
for collections care and preservation.

The Foundation for the American Institute for Conservation granted
nearly $1,000 for supplies for proper storage of the HSW textile
collection.

The history of Angels Projects dates back to the late 1980s when
members of WCG's parent group, the American Institute for
Conservation, began incorporating Angels Projects at sites near
their annual meetings. During the following years, Angels have
rehoused collections for storage upgrades, preserved daguerreotypes
and tintypes, backed paintings, rolled large textiles, and prepared
collections for moving.

Joanna Dunn, Angels Project Coordinator, has worked with Kiplinger
Research Library Director Yvonne Carignan to set up the HSW Angels
Project.

Yvonne Carignan
Library Director
Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
801 K Street, NW at Mount Vernon Square
Washington DC 20001
202-383-1851


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:25
                Distributed: Thursday, October 30, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-22-25-002
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