Updated_Statement_of_Work_0002.pdf

EISENHOWER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

STATEMENT OF WORK

CONSERVATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS IN MUSEUM COLLECTION

1. BACKGROUND

The museum collection at Eisenhower National Historic Site (EISE) is nationally significant. The objects help to portray the historic appearance of the home and farm of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower, and to tell the story of his life and work. The museum collection includes 44 photographs in dire need of conservation treatment. They have either been damaged or are actively deteriorating. Problems include tears, stains, wrinkles, cracked and flaking emulsion, tightly rolled, stuck to frame glass, etc.

The Eisenhower home is fully furnished and open to the public. A pair of hand-colored opalure prints are identified in an Historic Furnishings Report for permanent exhibit in the home. They had to be removed from exhibit in the 1980s due to their poor condition and appearance.

The remaining 42 photographs have great research potential, including:

• U.S. Army Tank Corps units stationed at Camp Colt on the Gettysburg Battlefield in 1918, which was

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first command.

• The 1952 Republican National Convention, where Dwight D. Eisenhower was chosen as the

Republican Party’s candidate for President of the United States.

• Aerial views of the Eisenhowers’ farm at Gettysburg in 1957 and 1964, providing documentation of the cultural landscape during the site’s historic period.

This Statement of Work covers the conservation of these 44 photographs.

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to conserve original photographs in the EISE museum collection, and to make accurate reproductions of those that are deteriorated beyond repair for exhibit purposes.

3. SCOPE

The Contractor shall provide the National Park Service with all labor, supplies, materials, and facilities necessary to conserve 44 photographs.

42 photographs are positives on paper:

Catalog Number

Photograph Description

Condition Description Treatment Needs

EISE 3692b Color photograph that was framed of Mary Jean Eisenhower outside Eisenhower home porch, circa 1970s, 4 x 5”

Significant portion of photo is stuck to glass from frame

Separate photo from glass

EISE 5231 Black & white aerial photograph of the Eisenhower farm, 1957, 26 x 26”

Rolled and significant tear

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and repair tear

EISE 5232 Black & white aerial photograph of the Eisenhower farm, 1964, 26 x 26”

Rolled and large brown spots/stains

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 10668b through EISE 10668ac

28 black & white photographs of the 1952 Republican National Convention, 8 x 10”

Previously mounted with rubber cement, curled, some have numerous tiny cracks in the emulsion, couple have stains, and dirty

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat, if possible, and clean

EISE 14992 Panorama group photograph of Tank Corps soldiers and Ray V. Troy's America's Lady Military Band at the “High Water Mark” on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 45½”

Tightly rolled and large brown spots/stains

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 14993 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 36½”

Tightly rolled, numerous and significant cracks and tears, and a few small spots

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat, repair tears, and clean

EISE 14995 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at Devil’s Den on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 36”

Tightly rolled, numerous and significant cracks and tears, and large spots/stains

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat, repair tears, and clean

EISE 14996 Panorama photograph of 5000 soldiers spelling out the Tank Corps slogan "TREAT 'EM ROUGH" at Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 59”

Tightly rolled, tiny cracks all over the emulsion, numerous and significant cracks and tears in the paper, and large brown spots/stains

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat, repair tears, and clean

Photograph Description

Condition Description Treatment Needs

EISE 15151 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at Devil’s Den on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 36½”

Tightly rolled and numerous creases and cracks

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 15154 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at the “High Water Mark” on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 42”

Entire photograph is stuck to glass from frame

Separate photo from glass

EISE 15203 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 40”

Rolled, dirty, numerous stains, large crack, small hole, thins on reverse (insect damage?), and chips in edges

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 16363 Panorama photograph of Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 37”

Rolled Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 16364 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at Devil’s Den on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 33¼”

Rolled and large crease in center

Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat, repair crease, and clean

EISE 16365 Panorama photograph of 5000 soldiers spelling out the Tank Corps slogan "TREAT 'EM ROUGH" at Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 66¼”

Rolled Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

EISE 16366 Panorama group photograph of a Tank Corps unit at the “High Water Mark” on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt, 1918, 8 x 41⅜”

Rolled Humidify to relax paper so it will lay flat and clean

Two photographs consist of positives on opaque acetate film:

Photograph Description Condition Description Treatment Needs

EISE 3156a Hand-colored photograph of Mrs. E. Townsend Irwin, 1918, 4 x 5”

Shrunk and wrinkled causing distorted image, splits, and brittle

Create a reproduction of the same size for exhibit and conserve original if possible

EISE 3157a Hand-colored photograph of Mrs. E. Townsend Irwin, 1920, 4 x 5”

Shrunk and wrinkled causing distorted image, pieces of emulsion coming off, and brittle

Create a reproduction of the same size for exhibit and conserve original if possible

An attachment includes images of photographs, singly or in groups, to show their current condition.

4. TASKS

A. The contractor shall examine each of the photographs and prepare a treatment proposal for each one that includes a description of the current condition and the proposed treatment. (The group of 28 photographs cataloged as a group can be combined into a single proposal.) For the two photographs stuck to glass (EISE 3692b and EISE 15154), inpainting is acceptable to mitigate any damage occurring from separating the photographs from the glass. The contractor will assess the risk of damage and coordinate with the COR for approval to separate the images from glass before proceeding.

B. For each of the two hand-colored positives on film (EISE 3156a and EISE 3157a), the contractor shall include in the treatment proposal a method of creating a reproduction for exhibit. The reproduction should match the original photograph in size and appearance and should be made using materials with long-term stability and preservation in mind. Recommended methods of reproduction include preparation with an acetate recovery procedure, high-resolution digital image manipulation to remove distortion, or other industry standard methods. The contractor shall select the method that will result in the most accurate reproductions.

C. The contractor shall send the treatment proposals to the curator for his approval in writing and answer any resultant questions.

D. Upon receipt of the signed treatment proposals, the contractor shall proceed with the proposed treatments.

E. If unforeseen conditions or circumstances require a significant deviation from the approved treatment, the contactor will consult with the curator before proceeding further.

F. Upon completion of each treatment, the contractor shall prepare a treatment report that includes documentation on before treatment condition, treatment performed, and before and after treatment images. The documentation images should be captured according to Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative level 3 guidelines and be labeled with appropriate metadata.

G. The contractor shall provide the documentation deliverables, described above, on an encrypted external hard drive with hard copies of the treatment reports printed on archival buffered paper.

H. The contractor shall rehouse each of the photographs and the two pieces of glass from frames in appropriate containers (envelopes, folders, boxes, etc.) suitable for long-term storage, made of archival quality materials.

I. The contractor shall pack the photographs, pieces of glass, reproductions, and documentation deliverables in an appropriate manner to prevent deterioration or damage during transport.

5. POINT OF CONTACT

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Jonathan Holdsworth Structures Preservation Branch Supervisor

(717) 338-4475 jonathan_holdsworth@nps.gov

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

All work specified shall be completed by June 30, 2023.

7. TRANSPORTATION

The government will transport the photographs to and from the contractor’s location. This location must fall within 10 hours’ travel time (by road) of the park.