Twenty Years of Conservation
Improvements through CAP
The Friends of Iolani Palace | CAP Year: 2006 |
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Exterior of Iolani Palace |
Iolani Palace was built in Honolulu, Hawaii in the early 1880s as a grandiose abode for the Hawaiian royal family. After a century of serving as governmental headquarters, the Palace became a historic house museum in 1978. The Friends of Iolani Palace participated in the Conservation Assessment Program in 2006 and selected Beverly Perkins (conservator) and Spencer Leineweber (architect) to conduct their assessments.
One of the top collections priorities was new storage equipment. In November 2007, seven new SpaceSaver storage units with shelves and dividers were installed for the painting collection. This was made possible through a donation from an estate. Additional collections storage funding was secured in 2008 from a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant for storage furniture materials. This grant funded an Elsec 764 environmental data-logger and archival materials. In addition, rolled textile storage was installed in April 2009 with the help of a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Textile Storage Before CAP |
Textile Storage After CAP |
Another priority identified by both the assessors was to create the new position of Facility Manager. This position was added in the spring of 2007 and has improved coordination between Palace staff and contractors. That same year, operating, security and maintenance issues were addressed, and the Palace’s first formal disaster plan was adopted by the Board of Directors.
The entire furniture collection was surveyed in 2008 through a Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. Iolani Palace was the first museum in Hawaii to secure this grant. The collection was divided into Western, Asian, and Hawaiian sections for examination by three different specialists. This survey has helped to prioritize furniture for treatment.
A furniture conservation project, funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Cynthia Wood Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, designed conservation treatments for selected upholstered collection items.
In the words of Malia Van Heukelem, "CAP has truly set the course for addressing the highest needs of the building and collections. Object conservator Beverly Perkins and preservation architect Spencer Leineweber have continued to be amazing supporters long after their assessments were completed. They have volunteered expertise, supported grant applications, and connected us to other consultants whenever we sought their help."
Thanks to Malia Van Heukelem for her help with this article.
Photos courtesy of The Friends of Iolani Palace
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