The adirondack experience will engage with a professional firm to conserve 139 drawings identified to be in urgent need of treatment following a survey of its drawing collection

The Adirondack Historical Association, doing business as the Adirondack Museum, received a $291,307 Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) program. The grant will fund the conservation of 139 historical drawings from the museum's collection that were identified as needing urgent treatment. Conservation efforts will include dry and aqueous surface cleaning, humidifying, pressing, removing supports, mending tears, and stabilizing iron gall ink. The project will build upon the museum's previous IMLS-funded work to conserve oils, watercolors, and sketchbooks. The conservation treatments will be thoroughly documented, and the stabilized drawings will enable expanded public access through safe rotation in exhibitions. This project supports the museum's mission to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of the Adirondack region.

This project will build upon previous imls-funded projects involving treatment of the oils on canvas, watercolors, and artists' sketchbooks. General treatment for most drawings will include both dry and aqueous surface cleaning, humidifying, and pressing, while some others will require more involved treatments such as removing supports, mending tears, and stabilizing iron gall INK. The conservation treatments will be documented in detailed reports including before and after photos; conditions addressed during treatment; the methods used, and high-resolution images. As a result, public access to the collection will be expanded by stabilizing and treating the objects so that they can be safely rotated in exhibitions.