Historical Society Receives Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections
Lawrence Reger of Heritage Preservation (left) and Eryl Wentworth and Martin Burke of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic works (right) present the joint award to Colleen Remsberg and Mark Hudson of the Historical Society of Frederick County.
The Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland, has been selected to receive the 2006 Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections. The annual award is presented jointly by Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).
The Historical Society of Frederick County is one of the smallest organizations to have received this prestigious national award since its inception in 1999. Previous recipients include nationally prominent organizations such as Colonial Williamsburg, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and smaller museums such as the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and the Sam Noble Museum of Oklahoma Natural History.
The award was presented at a ceremony on International Museum Day, Thursday, May 18, at the Society’s Frederick County Heritage Preservation Center adjacent to the Roger Brooke Taney House.
The selection committee of distinguished conservation professionals called the Historical Society of Frederick County “a gem.” They said that the attention the Society has given to care of collections can serve as a model for smaller museums and historical societies everywhere. “Staffs of small museums are often constrained by a lack of resources,” said Eryl Wentworth, Executive Director of the AIC. “The experience of the Historical Society of Frederick County in making collections care a top priority and applying for all types of grants to support collections is inspirational.”
New book storage.
Safe and secure storage for fragile objects is a problem for all museums, especially small historical societies. The Heritage Health Index, the recent survey of conditions of collections nationwide, found that only 21% of small museums and historical societies have the majority of their collections stored appropriately. The Historical Society of Frederick County is bucking that trend. Its Frederick County Heritage Preservation Center, created by renovating a garage adjacent to one of its buildings, provides sophisticated storage for the Society’s diverse collections. With discrete climate controlled zones for storing general artifacts, textiles, and archival materials, the Center is a community resource that safely houses not only the Society’s collections, but also those of local government and non-profit organizations.
Of special note is the Society’s Emergency Operations Plan, which has been updated regularly since its adoption in 2002. Lawrence Reger, President of Heritage Preservation, said, “The Heritage Health Index found that 80% of collecting institutions nationwide do not have an emergency plan that includes collections, with staff trained to carry it out. At small museums and historical societies the figure is 86%. For an institution of this size to have planned so comprehensively for potential threats to its precious collections is highly commendable.”
The new storage building.
Since securing in 1989 a $4,818 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a conservation assessment, the Society has made steady progress in improving all aspects of the way it cares for its collections. A Conservation Plan and a Collections Management Policy have been developed. Grants from the Maryland Historical Trust have funded security system improvements, UV light filters, and environmental monitoring equipment. In all these projects the Society has made extensive use of professional conservators. The Society is the first and only county historical society in Maryland to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.
“Collections care has been a chief priority for our organization for many years,” said Historical Society of Frederick County Executive Director Mark Hudson. “The Board of Directors and staff have committed extraordinary organizational resources toward assuring that these treasures receive the care and protection they deserve.” The Historical Society’s collections include thousands of items that document the lives of the people of Frederick County. Decorative and fine arts, textiles, furniture, photographs, rare books, and manuscripts are among the collection’s strengths. The Society’s growing collection of Frederick Town tall case clocks are among the favorites of museum visitors.