A04_SOW_.docx

Statement of Work Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Conservation Treatment for King Family Home Historic Furnishings

PX.P0340057.A

1. SCOPE:

Under the terms and conditions outlined below, the Contractor will conduct a mix of stabilizing and restorative conservation treatment on 15 historic furnishings as well as provide a treatment report of all work completed on the items, and recommendations for subsequent care. The conservation treatment of the historic furnishings, supplemental treatment report, and recommendations for subsequent care will a. prolong the existence of the original furnishings; b. prepare them for exhibit; and c. provide a permanent record of treatment procedures performed and materials applied so that park staff can use it in the future to assess condition and determine previous decision-making processes. The project includes transporting historic furnishings throughout the lifespan of the conservation treatment.

The Contractor will manage day-to-day operation of the conservation treatment, transportation of the furnishings, and writing, editing, and finalizing the treatment report and after care guide. The Contractor will include photographs of before/during/and after treatment, drawings, analytical results, spectra, and digital images related to the conservation treatment in the final treatment report. The Contractor will produce a finalized treatment report and after care guide and provide the park with an electronic .pdf copy and two printed, spiral-bound copies of each document.

2. CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY:

The information developed under this task order is the property of the U.S. government and shall be kept in strict confidence. The Contractor shall not share photographs or information about this project on social media. The Contractor may share photographs of the park from areas accessible to the public on social media.

3. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The work shall be completed within the Contractor’s facility(ies).

4. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The work shall begin following the issuance of the contract and will proceed by the schedule for submittals no more than 12 months after the contract award date.

5. INTRODUCTION:

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District (MALU) recently acquired the family home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, and their children located at 234 Sunset Ave. NE, Atlanta, Georgia along with material objects related to the dwelling and occupants. The historic furnishings included in the acquisition consist of all types of materials from wood to textiles to ceramics to antique cars and total nearly 2000 objects. The historic furnishings were all left inside the home and used by the family or kept in storage until the park acquired the collection in 2018. The historic furnishings display advanced deterioration due to prolonged use by the family and periods of storage that did not incorporate long-term preservation practices. The historic furnishings are currently housed in climate-controlled storage at MALU and all of the objects require some type of conservation treatment in order for them to be placed on exhibit or kept in stable condition for storage. This project will conserve select historic furnishings from the King Family Home in preparation for their future exhibition.

6. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

MALU, located at 450 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA. 30312, was established on October 10, 1980, by Public Law 96-428 (PL 96-428) and its boundary was expanded in 2018 when the park was redesignated from a historic site to a historical park by way of Public Law 115-108 (PL 115-108). The park is responsible for interpreting and preserving for the benefit, inspiration, and education of present and future generations the places where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried. MALU increased its boundary to include the home where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was living with his family at the time of his tragic assassination and the same space where Coretta Scott King started the King Center before it moved outside of the home (1965-1972). To support an authentic visitor experience, the mix of stabilizing and restorative conservation treatment of the 15 historic furnishings will stabilize vulnerable materials, mitigate active deterioration, and ensure each object is suitably prepared for future exhibition in a controlled environment.

Conducting conservation treatment by implementing the least intrusive conservation treatment strategy necessary will prolong the lifespan of the historic furnishings while keeping the historic character of the objects and by documenting all of the conservation treatment in writing through the treatment report, it will leave the park staff with detailed records to help assess future conditions. This project advances the National Park Service's (NPS) mission to preserve unimpaired cultural resources for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations and advances the park’s mission of preserving and protecting the places where Martin Luther King, Jr. lived for the inspiration and education of present and future generations.

Currently, MALU staff have information from a Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) Collection Condition Survey (CCS) on the historic furnishings included in the King Family Home Collection. This CCS provides a prioritization list and recommendations for conservation treatment. The treatment proposals in the CCS are the basis for this contract, portions included below. The full survey report will be provided after award and before conservation work begins. The park is requesting the Contractor follow these recommendations with further restorative conservation treatment measures where necessary for exhibition. The table below will outline conservation type for each historic furnishing.

The successful completion of this project will mean that by the end of the third quarter of 2027, MALU and park staff will have 15 historic furnishings from the King Family Home collection conserved and will have a treatment report that documents remediation including photographs of before/during/and after treatment, drawings, analytical results, spectra, digital images, the condition of the object, alterations to the object, what parts are original materials and what has been added or removed during previous treatments, and the procedures performed and the materials and methods used for the current conservation treatment project, along with an after care guide for long-term preservation.

7. REQUIRED CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

The Contractor required for this work must have demonstrated experience in the successful completion of similar conservation treatment projects on historic furnishings from inception to completion and maintain membership in or accreditation by a professional conservation organization. Experience working with the NPS is desirable but not required as well as possessing professional liability insurance coverage. Ideal candidates will also possess the following qualifications:

Experience managing restoration-type conservation treatment projects.

Membership in American Institute for Conservation (AIC).

Background knowledge of conservation treatment methods to produce re-treatable objects in the future.

Extensive training in both theory and practice of conservation.

Commercial General Liability Insurance Coverage.

Property Damage Insurance Coverage.

A secure storage area.

A smoke detection system.

A fire suppression system.

An HVAC system that keeps conditions between 55-77 degrees Fahrenheit and 44-55 percent humidity.

Experience treating mixed media objects with restorative conservation techniques.

Experience treating mixed media objects with stabilizing conservation techniques.

Background knowledge of National Park Service museum collection management policies.

Background knowledge of National Park Service museum conservation treatment guidelines.

Familiarity with the National Park Service Museum Handbook. Museum Handbook - Museums & Collections (U.S. National Park Service) Ability to work sensitively around historic objects.

Ability to work sensitively in and around historic structures.

Familiarity with NPS Museum Handbook, Part I, Chapter 8: Conservation Treatment.

Familiarity with NPS Museum Handbook, Part III, Chapter 7: Using Museum Collections in Exhibits.

Familiarity with NPS Museum Handbook, Part III, Chapter 8: Museum Collections in Historic Furnished Structures.

Working knowledge of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding website accessibility for finished products.

Skill in using software to plan, monitor, and organize projects.

Skill in managing, leading, communicating, and collaborating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to accomplish project goals.

Skill in producing creative solutions.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Strong interpersonal skills.

8. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall evaluate the treatment recommendations to develop a proposal for submittal, including narratives and a detailed cost estimate to fulfill the requirement. An optional site visit opportunity for prospective bidders will be offered during the solicitation period. Proposals will be evaluated based on DOI-NPS technical evaluation criteria. An opportunity for the Contractor to pose questions and clarification requests for the NPS shall be provided.

The proposal shall include sections for Treatment, Transportation, and Safety plans. The proposal shall also include a prior example of a treatment report for work completed (with appropriate redactions to protect privacy as needed); a sample completed care guide (with appropriate redactions to protect privacy as needed); and proof of insurance for commercial general liability coverage and property damage coverage. The proposal shall describe all work necessary to thoroughly clean, vacuum, repair, control oxidation, restore finishes, apply protective coatings, replace missing parts and features, return basic functionality, and/or install archival-quality mounts or supports. Other details should include planned methods of removal from storage locations to safely protect objects and facilities, transportation particulars per type of vehicles and/or trailers, number of staff required, etc. Regarding most historic furnishings referenced herein, emphasis should be on stabilization to achieve good museum object condition, and not a full restoration per se. Damage and modifications to objects incurred historically via wear and tear use, including repairs, toned losses, replacement of features, etc. is considered historic character. Preservation of such features is in keeping with interpretation of historic use of park resources over a continuum of time, from the time the King family purchased the items to 1972. However, restorative conservation treatment is requested on certain historic furnishings listed in the table below in order for their proper exhibition.

Conservation treatment shall include at a minimum photographic documentation before, during, and after treatment, preservation of historic materials to the greatest extent possible, limited in-kind replacement of features, thorough cleaning, sensitive handling and relocation, and other treatments as specified to achieve a good condition description for each museum object. Treatment shall comply with professional conservation best practices and the recommendations provided by the CCS. However, the Contractor may present to the COR additional treatments if necessary for the historic furnishings to be on exhibit for approval by the park. The COR may provide additional guidance regarding treatment of specific objects as requested.

Proposed treatments must consider the fragile nature of objects, potential for missing component parts, and the possible discovery of non-apparent damaged features. Replacement in-kind of materials may be necessary in some instances, though repairing and preserving existing material is preferred. The proposed treatment must protect the object for a period of at least five years as part of cyclic treatments. Applied surface treatments and finishes must be protected using microcrystalline wax or other approved coating.

The cost estimate shall include the total sum cost for Phase I and II. The estimate must reference each Phase Number to indicate the sum proposed cost and a line-item breakdown of the Contractor’s estimated costs per item. Points to be addressed include hourly rates, transportation, supplies for treatments and mounts, approximate time frame to complete treatment of each object and deliver the finished products to MALU, and submittal of final report and care guide. The Proposal shall include:

Treatment Plan: The Contractor shall submit a plan, based on data provided, to indicate proposed processes, techniques, recommendations for NPS consideration, and extent of treatment for each object. The narrative should address SOW directions listed in the attachments section under King Family Home Prioritization List, Phase I and II tasks, and discuss facilities planned for use, tools, equipment, and chemical products, prior related experience, alternate treatment recommendations for NPS consideration, and other pertinent points.

Transportation Plan: The Contractor shall submit a plan to indicate proposed methods of packing and transportation of all products from MALU sites to the Contractor’s facility, and back to MALU sites. The narrative shall detail the vehicles, number of staff, trailers, dollies, carts, powered lifting equipment, packing materials, and routes to be used. The narrative should discuss mitigating steps taken to avoid damage to features of the cultural landscape, historic structures, and/or museum objects. The Contractor shall include proposed timeframes for on-site pickup and final delivery. Maps and floor plans of the facilities are included as attachments. Measurements are approximate and shall be verified by the Contractor during the on-site visit. Note facility details:

Museum Temporary Storage/Resource Management Office: 530 Auburn Avenue NE | Atlanta, GA 30132 This historic structure is currently a mixed-use space. The home, built circa 1895, is operating now as office space and temporary museum storage. Museum objects from the King Family Home collection are stored within the temporary storage areas on the first floor. A total of # museum objects will be removed from storage within. The facility has two entrances with the front entrance, at the north side of the building, having a clearance of 36 in. x 83.5 in. leading to a wide porch with 3 stairs. The back entrance, at the east side of the building, has a 32 in. x 84.5 in. clearance that leads to a small porch with 3 stairs. The interior of the structure has three openings and one door on the first floor that would require the Contractor to maneuver. Two openings lead into the temporary storage areas. The first opening has a clearance of 63 in. x 88.25 in. and the second opening has a clearance of 42.5 in. x 83.5 in. A pass-through in the hall that leads between both openings has a clearance of 43.5 in. x 89.5 in. The back entrance is part of a mud room, and the interior door has a clearance of 32 in. x 84 in.

Museum Temporary Storage/Maintenance Facility: 412 John Wesley Dobbs NE | Atlanta, GA 30312 This facility’s main use is for office space and a workshop with outbuildings for facilities and preservation crew usage. Museum objects from the King Family Home collection are stored within the temporary storage room on the second floor. A total of # museum objects will be removed from storage within. The facility has an entrance door leading up to the stairs with a 34 in x 81 in. clearance and two rolling bay doors with a 10 ft. x 10 ft. clearance (each) on the south side of the building. The facility has an entrance door on the east side of the building, used as the main entrance for reception area, with another interior entrance door. Each door has a 36 in. x 86 in. clearance. There is another door to get from the office/reception area to the second-floor walkway, and it has a clearance of 34.5 in. x 81 in. The door to the temporary museum area has a clearance of 35 in. x 82 in.

Safety Plan: The Contractor shall provide a written safety plan for review by the COR prior to the onset of work. The plan shall include standard DOI-NPS points as well as the Contractor’s strategies for preventing injuries, reporting emergencies, and other relevant methods to ensure safety. The Contractor is expected to comply with all OSHA and DOI regulations, including use of personal protective equipment, utilizing transport dollies and/or powered lifts, and limitations on unassisted lifting of heavy loads. The objects were used and recovered from within the King Family Home, with data suggesting no harmful contaminants present on the furnishings. A mold remediation project was completed on several objects from the King Family Home collection within the last five years, and those objects have been deemed absent of active mold.

9. PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The goal of this project is to 1. Provide a mix of stabilizing and restorative conservation treatment to high priority historic furnishings, and 2. Complete the treatment report and recommended after care guide. This work is to be performed off-site.

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, facilities, and travel necessary to execute conservation treatments on the historic furnishings listed and described below.

9.1 Project Phases

The Contractor will complete the work in two phases:

Phase I: Conservation Treatment

1. Conduct hands-on conservation treatment of the historic furnishings upon approval from the Park Curatorial Staff and COR by way of the Contractor’s Proposal.

412 John Wesley Dobbs73

Restoration

Stabilization

Phase II: Treatment Report, and After Care Guide

1. Document and photograph the 15 historic furnishings in detail before, during, and after treatment, producing a final Treatment Report, and, at minimum, a full-view obverse and a full-view reverse photograph of each object. The report will reference inventory data, include drawings, analytical results, spectra, narratives describing conservation techniques, chemicals used, component parts removed, features restored, discoveries made, storage and exhibit mounts, and other data to serve as a record of treatment.

2. Compile recommendations for after care and cyclic maintenance of the 15 historic furnishings to include historic housekeeping while on exhibit, an exhibit rotation schedule if necessary, and preventative measures for long-term care and preservation. After Care Guide must include Contractor’s recommendations for improvements to object storage and exhibit conditions as well as general suggestions for ongoing preventive care.

3. Provide both printed and electronic copies of the Treatment Report and After Care Guide. Submittals of the printed final reports shall be printed on both sides, bound, and inclusive of all project data including image contact sheets. The electronic final copies shall be formatted for submittal within a single combined .pdf file. Image files in .jpg or .tif format shall be arranged in folders labeled by inventory numbers.

4. Upon completion of the treatment and delivery of the Treatment Report and After Care Guide, the Contractor shall meet with the park superintendent and designated curatorial staff to review the results of the treatment. The close-out meeting shall also cover the Contractor’s recommendations for future storage and exhibition of the treated objects.

9.2 Guidelines for Paper and Electronic Deliverables

Editing and Production for Treatment Reports and After Care Guides:

Using the most recent editions of the Harpers Ferry Center Editorial Guide, the Denver Service Center Editorial Style Guide, the Chicago Manual of Style, edit and format the text per the following:

· Standardization within the document of:

· Grammar and spelling

· Fonts and format

· Table of contents

· Forms, charts, and tables

· Section introductions and headings

· Headers, footers, photo caption and footnotes Inclusion of photographs:

· The document shall include color photographs inserted into the text at appropriate sizes for descriptive purposes.

· They shall be provided in digital format with a size of 4x6 at 150dpi.

· All cover art shall be provided in digital format in a size of 8.5x11 at 300 dpi.

· The front cover shall be a color photograph or artwork with title and standard NPS identifier.

· The Contractor shall provide the following via a secure file transfer site provided by the NPS:

· Digital files with full color images of each object in an uncompressed TIFF format and JPEGS with Dublin Core metadata provided for each image. The images shall be filename with the inventory number associated with the original list. If there is more than one object per original number they shall be labeled as “a, .b, .c” accordingly. This number shall also appear in the image. This can either be on a card during image capture or added as a layer in Adobe Photoshop after the images are taken.

· A signed release form granting copyrights of all photographs to the park. (See NPS Museum Handbook, Part III, Figure 3.4, p. 3:78, Assignment of Copyright by Contractor.). The Contractor may keep a copy of each image for private or educational use. Images kept by the Contractor shall not be used in for-profit publications, for commercial distribution, or for exhibitions by the surveyor or any other individual or institution without written permission from the Superintendent or Park Curator. The credit line shall include the following information: "Courtesy of the National Park Service," Park Name, Object Name, Object Date, Catalog Number.

· Photographs included in the final document shall also be provided to the park in digital format with a size of at least 300dpi.

· The final report and all photos shall be submitted via a secure file share link through the NPS.

Production of the document – Deliverable shall be in Digital Format:

As applicable:

· All cover art shall be provided in digital format in a size of at least 300 dpi.

· The front cover shall be a (full bleed/no bleed) color photograph or artwork with title and identifiers.

· The back cover shall be a (full bleed/no bleed), (color), photograph or artwork.

· Covers shall be approved by the COR via secure file sharing.

· The Contractor shall provide MALU with a draft digital file of the final document in MS Word for review via secure file sharing.

If necessary, the COR shall send the draft to interested parties for peer review and comment. Comments and edits shall be tracked via track changes in MS Word and shall be returned to the COR. Any pages containing changes required in the final draft shall be returned to the contractor within thirty (30) calendar days.

The Contractor shall make the requested changes and provide the COR with a digital final review draft and signature page within thirty (30) calendar days. The “signature draft” copy shall be in the final digital production format, including covers for separate printing and binding.

The final document review shall be completed by the COR and the park. Signatures shall be electronic (pdf). The signature page shall be returned to the contractor within thirty (30) calendar days. There should be no substantial changes in text at this time, however some pages with minor errors may be returned to the contractor for corrections at this time.

Within thirty (30) calendar days the contractor shall provide the COR with the final documents in digital .pdf format along with two (2) printed, spiral bound copies of each final document.

Final deliverables become property of the NPS once the reports are submitted.

Final on-site inspection of the work shall be coordinated through the COR.

10. PROJECT SCHEDULE AND SUBMISSION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor will submit a proposed timeline, which will be approved by NPS. The following schedule is a suggested timeline. All work will be completed no later than eighteen months from the kick-off meeting. The NPS shall provide consolidated comments within the stated review period of any submissions.

11. STIPULATIONS

· All documentation (metadata, photographs, care & instructions) produced in connection with this project are to become the property of NPS. All documentation shall be delivered to the NPS during the lifecycle of the project based upon the mutually agreed schedule. Restricted access materials will be marked. The completed documentation may be used and reproduced in any fashion that the NPS chooses, with appropriate consideration given to confidential information and credit given to the necessary entity.

· The Contractor's quality control efforts shall ensure that all draft and final deliverables are completed documents, as specified, that have been reviewed for academic excellence, professional and copy quality, and technical accuracy. Documents not displaying such efforts will not be accepted.

· The Contractor will not subcontract any portion of this project without prior NPS approval.

· The Treatment Report Final Review copy will be submitted to the park Superintendent for approval. Upon final review and approval, the NPS will provide the executed signature pages to the Contractor for inclusion into the final digital and print documents.

12. FEE AND PAYMENT:

Progress payments to the Contractors shall be made based on proper and acceptable invoices submitted consistent with the quality requirements described in the Special Considerations below.

13. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION:

No Government-Furnished Property, Material, or Equipment shall be provided for this requirement. The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, expertise, and supervision to complete the tasks as indicated. Government-Furnished Information (GFI) in the form of inventory records, images of historic furnishings, excerpts from the CCs, and site maps have been provided in the attachments section. Additional documentation or descriptive data may be made available upon request.

14. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS:

The historic furnishings intended for conservation treatment are located at two different DOI-NPS-MALU federal facilities with controlled access, including 530 Auburn Avenue NE and 412 John Wesley Dobbs NE. The Contractor and COR shall confer to determine the appropriate dates and times for access to these controlled spaces.

Removal from and installation of objects shall be planned to occur Monday through Friday from 9:00AM-5:00PM to avoid disruptions to operations. The Contractor shall be escorted by NPS staff while on NPS-MALU premises.

15. ATTACHMENTS:

A. NPS Inventory Records B. Historic Furnishings Images C. KFH Collection Condition Survey (CCS) Excerpts D. MALU Maps of Offices and Storage Facilities

16. POINTS OF CONTACT:

Christina Kirby, 404-596-3282, christina_kirby@nps.gov Ash Phillips, 404-550-7858, ashley_phillips@nps.gov image1.jpg