Updated_Statement_of_Work_0001.pdf

MAGGIE L. WALKER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

STATEMENT OF WORK

CONSERVATION TREATMENT OF EXHIBITED PHOTOGRAPHS & DOCUMENTS

PMIS 161912D

BACKGROUND

The residence at 110 1/2 East Leigh Street was built in 1883. The address became a prime location in the heart of Jackson Ward, the center of Richmond's African American business and social life at the turn of the century. The Walkers purchased the house in 1904 and soon began making changes. Central heating and electricity were added, and with the addition of several bedrooms and enclosed porches, the home increased from 9 to 28 rooms. In 1928 an elevator was added in the rear of the house to provide Mrs. Walker access to the second floor.

The Walker family owned the home until 1979, when it was purchased by the National Park Service.

Most of the furnishings throughout the home are original family pieces. They are valuable in understanding the 1904–1934 period of her occupancy. Together the house and the furnishings help us to learn more about Maggie Walker and the world in which she lived. Her community of Jackson Ward, a National Historic Landmark District, continues to exemplify the success of African American entrepreneurship.

The photographs in the home associated with the Period of Significance are in need of conservation treatment and reproduction in order to ensure their stability and preservation. Treating and reproducing the at-risk photographs is essential to maintaining the historic fabric and aesthetic design of the home.

SCOPE

This project meets the criteria established for the Civil Rights Commemoration Initiative. This project will accomplish artifact stabilization through specific conservation strategies that will minimize future damage and deterioration. It has been over 30 years since these documents were minimally treated by Park Service conservators. Since then, the specific conservation need for this project has been identified in many of the Park’s guiding documents, reports, and surveys including the 2018 Collections Condition Survey, Historic Furnishings Report, State of the Park, Foundation Document, and Resource Stewardship Assessment. The 2018 Collections Condition Survey cautioned against exhibit fatigue, noting that these artifacts suffer from fading, warping, staining, and yellowing. As part of this project, conservators from the NPS HACE Collections Conservation Branch lab will conduct a preliminary survey which will inform treatment methods. Prints on paper are some of the most sensitive museum materials and require stringent conditions to ensure their preservation. As opposed to the archival housing in the stable, collections storage building, the furnished house museum is more prone to seasonal swings in temperature and humidity variables.

Furthermore, because these are photosensitive materials and are on public display, they are exposed to visible (yet reduced) light during daylight hours.

The main concerns for these prints is the gradual loss of historic content due to light sensitivity and pest damage (insects and mold) as well as cracking, swelling, and shrinking due to humidity fluctuation. Placing these items in the proper archival enclosures in the collections storage building will dramatically decrease the agents of deterioration that are in place while on exhibit. However, as decorative and documentary wall hangings, these evocative items in the MAWA collection are some of the most personally significant documents that help illustrate the visitor experience with key interpretive themes. And therefore, they cannot simply be removed from display and rehoused in collections storage. Rather, their facsimiles must be printed and placed back on display in the museum so that they can continue to convey key interpretive themes.

The contractor shall unframe, rehouse, and reproduce images associated with the 18 frame packages. The original images shall be safely removed and placed in conservation-grade storage folders with appropriate labeling. Should specific treatment needs arise for the original materials, the contractor shall consult with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to determine appropriate treatment plans. The original material will be reproduced at a sufficiently high resolution (minimum 600 dpi) and printed with archival-grade pigment-based inks on a semi-matte conservation-grade paper comprised of at least 20% cotton fiber.

Additional 3-dimensional components (ribbons, seals, etc.) in three of the of the artifacts (images included below) will be reproduced either with digital imaging or with modern archival materials (cotton ribbon or colored muslin, for example). Seals, due to the difficulty in mimicking the 3-dimensional texture, may be digitally reproduced, enhanced with a metallic acrylic paint or pigment, and adhered with a archivally-stable adhesive directly to the reproduced image or ribbon. The ribbons should be replaced with modern materials that meet archival standards, such as pH-neutral cotton ribbon or cut archival-grade muslin. The reproduction ribbons should be colored, with either color-fast, conservation-grade dye, or painted with dilute acrylic paints to best replicate the extant material. No more than 5 items will need new mats cut. The rehoused collection materials, reproduction images, and digital files will be collected by NPS no more than 6 months after the contract has been awarded.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this project is to maintain the historic integrity of Maggie L. Walker’s home while preserving the original artifacts related to her life. The photographs currently on display in the home are in need of conservation intervention and rehousing. In an effort to ensure that the public fully understands and appreciates the home of Maggie L. Walker, reproductions of the original material will be made and returned to the exhibition area.

The framed images will be installed in the Maggie L. Walker furnished house museum, which is open to the public 12 months/year. The material will substantially enhance visitor experience.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor will have at least 5 years of experience in the field of photograph conservation and will be able to provide examples of previous treatments. In addition, the Contractor will have at least 5 years of experience in digitally reproducing original artwork for exhibition and will be able to provide examples of this work. The Contractor will also be able to provide examples of digitally reproducing and/or physically reproducing decorative components (seals and ribbons, for example) associated with three historic photographs and documents—images included below. The contractor will be located within daily commute limit of 10 hours overland from Lowell, MA (COR duty station).

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

All tasks shall be completed within 6 months of award.

REQUIRED TASKS

The Contractor shall:

1. Work closely with the COR and insure clear and accurate communication.

2. Allow three site visits by the COR to: a) insure a safe and secure delivery of the artifacts; b) assess project progress during conservation treatment and/or digital reproduction; and c) prior to project completion and artifact packing.

3. Provide treatment proposals to the COR and to the Park Curator for review and approval prior to beginning treatment.

4. Upon approval, remove and treat the artifacts as needed to insure safe preservation.

5. Reproduce the images at a sufficiently high resolution (minimum 600 dpi) and print with archival-grade pigment-based inks on a semi-matte conservation-grade paper comprised of at least 20% cotton fiber (the paper will closely match the appearance, texture and weight of the photographs currently in-situ.

6. Reproduce additional components (ribbons, seals, etc.)—images attached—as needed.

7. Once reproduced, the new images shall be placed into the original frame packages, with new mats, if necessary for aesthetic cohesion.

8. The pieces will be reviewed by the COR and packed for transport.

DELIVERY

The rehoused collection materials, reproduction images, and digital files will be collected by NPS upon completion of work.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY:

18 frame packages with historic images and framing material from the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All data, information and deliverables provided to or developed by the Contractor in relation to the services described in this Statement of Work are the property of the Government and shall be kept in strict confidence.

GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP

All notes, reports, and other documents produced as a result of performing the services described in this Statement of Work shall be and remain the sole property of the Government and may be used on any other work at no additional compensation to the contractor. The contractor may retain copies of all such materials.

POINTS OF CONTACT

Contracting Officer’s Representative Angela Campbell 978-954-2364 angela_campbell@nps.gov

REFERENCE IMAGES

mailto:angela_campbell@nps.gov