The Trumbull County Historical Society has received a $202,634 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund a long-term project to properly preserve historic artifacts.
In addition, funds will be used to hire a collections manager to oversee the project and hire a museum collections conservator to ensure that best preservation practices are followed.
The Historical Society is receiving the funds from IMLS’s Museums for America program, a competitive annual grant program that funds the preservation of significant artifact collections throughout the nation. “These grants help museums at the institutional level and are essential for the vital role they play in their local communities,” said Paula Gangopadhyay, deputy director of the IMLS Office of Museum Services.
“We will receive $202,634 to catalog, condition-report, and properly store 15,000 artifacts in our collection that tell the stories of Trumbull County’s history,” said Director Meghan Reed.
“This project will assist us with identifying objects that need professional conservation work and create a database for the public to view our collection online,” said Julie Green, board president.
Specific items in this effort include two chairs made by attorney Clarence Darrow’s father; the exterior sign of The Looking Glass, a Black community newspaper in Warren during the Civil Rights Movement; dishware from the 1700s; two paintings by Warren artist John Bell; and General Electric’s “Lamps for Liberty” campaign memorabilia, created when G.E. received the contract to produce the lights for the Statue of Liberty in the 1980s.
In addition, the collection includes 180 pieces of furniture, 194 pieces of art, 1,500 American Indian stone tools, 2,500 household items, 2,300 items related to local businesses, 700 textile and clothing items, 120 sports artifacts, and 420 items related to military service.
“It is our responsibility to ensure the artifacts in our collection survive for future generations,” said Reed. “We take that charge very seriously. I am so very thrilled that this grant will allow us to further that goal for the current and future citizens of Trumbull County.”
Information on the collections manager position description will be published on the TCHS website in the coming weeks.
For more information on the Trumbull County Historical Society, call 330-394-4653 or visit the Trumbull County Historical Society website.
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