As we look forward to Thanksgiving, we at CCAHA want to thank you, our friends, clients, and colleagues, who engage with and support our work every day. In this month's update, we pay tribute to a beloved CCAHA staff member who celebrated an exciting career milestone. We also look back with gratitude on a successful Fall Open House, and we look ahead to the first education program of 2024. Our Preservation Services team has been working to align our programming with strategic objectives set forth by the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). Read more below in the November newsletter.

Michelle Eisenberg

Executive Director

Thanks to All Who Joined Us for CCAHA's Fall Open House!

Last month, we were happy to welcome old and new friends into the lab for CCAHA's Fall Open House. Our staff members were delighted by everyone's enthusiasm and thoughtful questions. The program included objects from artists such as John T. Biggers, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Wharton Esherick, and Andy Warhol, as well as interactive, educational stations where guests were invited to get hands-on with some of the tools and materials we use in the lab. One of the highlights of the night was our Preservation Services department's photo booth, where guests posed with props representing the Agents of Deterioration. You can view those, along with more images from the night, on Instagram, and we look forward to sharing more projects with visitors in the spring.

Jilliann Wilcox Celebrates More Than 35 Years at CCAHA 

“This isn’t a job where you learn it, you know it, and that’s it,” Senior Conservation Assistant Jilliann Wilcox said in a recent interview. “This is constant learning and exposure to new problems. That fascinates me more than anything.”

Recently, CCAHA's longest-tenured staff member reached a new milestone. Jilliann Wilcox has been at CCAHA since 1987, and in that time, she has treated hundreds of thousands of historic documents and works of art on paper. We sat down with Jilliann to learn how she got her start in the field and why she thinks "there is no better place" than CCAHA. Click here to read more.

Support CCAHA this #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday was established in 2012 with the simple goal of encouraging people to do good. This year's #GivingTuesday will fall on Tuesday, November 28, and we ask you to remember CCAHA in your charitable giving. CCAHA is a nonprofit, and individual donations help support every aspect of what we do. Through preservation planning, education programs, and grant writing assistance, we strive to increase access to collections that are part of our shared heritage. Your support makes our work possible, so please consider making a tax-deductible contribution, and thank you for understanding and appreciating the value of our work. Click here to support CCAHA.

Careers at CCAHA

CCAHA is seeking a full-time Photograph Conservator. The candidate should have demonstrated ability in treating both fine art and archival collections of photographic materials. The ability to work with peers and support staff in a collaborative environment is essential, as is the ability to independently plan and structure one's time to meet deadlines and billable goals.

Click here to learn more and apply.

Funding Opportunity: Save America's Treasures

Thinking about applying for a project involving CCAHA? We are here to help you prepare your application materials. Email Director of Business Development Daphne Mayer to get started.

The National Park Service is pleased to announce that the Save America's Treasures grant program is now accepting applications. Grants are available to fund two type of projects: "Collections" and "Preservation." Collections projects must be determined to be of national significance based on the supportive description of its significance within the application. Collections include artifacts, documents, sculptures, and other works of art. Preservation projects fund planning and "brick and mortar" preservation/conservation work on historic buildings and structures.

Deadline: Tuesday, December 19

Click here to learn more and apply.

Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) Program Updates

The New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education contracts with CCAHA to deliver statewide services supporting organizations that safeguard New York's historical documents and library research materials.

This week, DHPSNY staff shared the next installment of the DHPS Tips How-to video series, Assessing Photos for Housing Priorities. Resources are limited, and it's impractical to rehouse everything in a collection of photos or documents. That's why it's crucial to make informed decisions about what to prioritize. In this short video, learn key tips for identifying photographic materials that should be prioritized for housing.

For a complete list of upcoming DHPSNY education programs, visit dhpsny.org/education.

Upcoming Programs

CCAHA is committed to providing universal access to our programs.

Visit our Accessibility page for more information.

WEBINAR

ARCHIVES ARE NOT NEUTRAL

Date: Wednesday, November 29

Time: 12:00 PM ET

FREE

Click here to learn more and register.

While conventional wisdom holds that archivists should refrain from taking subjective stances in their work, there have been increasing calls in the field to recognize that the historical record from which archives are drawn is far from neutral. How can we expect archivists to remain objective when engaging with politically fraught materials that are potentially held within institutions founded on principles that do not reflect current societal values? CCAHA Director of Preservation Services Dyani Feige discusses the importance of recognizing that our own positions impact the work we do in collections fields.  

This webinar addresses Goal #3 of the FAIC’s Held In Trust Report on Diversity, Equity Inclusion, and Accessibility—to cultivate more equitable, diverse, and inclusive recruitment, advancement, and work environments. 

WEBINAR

QUEERING DIGITAL PRESERVATION

Date: Wednesday, December 6

Time: 12:00 PM ET

FREE

Click here to learn more and register.

Applying a queer studies approach to preservation, Richard Rinehart, Director of the Samek Art Museum at Bucknell University, asks how we can shift our own institutional practices and policies in museums, libraries, archives and galleries? This practice involves not only collecting digital artifacts by queer makers, but queering our own practices of digital preservation. Rinehart will present on this topic followed by an open discussion and Q&A.



This webinar addresses Goal #2 of the FAIC’s Held In Trust Report on Diversity, Equity Inclusion, and Accessibility—inclusive engagement with diverse communities.

WEBINAR

ACTIVIST ARCHIVES AND FRAMEWORKS OF CARE

Date: Thursday, January 11

Time: 12:00 PM ET

FREE

Click here to learn more and register.

Through her work with activists in communities marginalized by gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and HIV-status, Dr. Marika Cifor has developed a framework for understanding archives through the lenses of cure, care, and radical empathy. Through case studies, her presentation allows us to ask the question, how can the lessons be applied to your institution’s archives?

This webinar addresses Goal #2 of the FAIC’s Held In Trust Report on Diversity, Equity Inclusion, and Accessibility—inclusive engagement with diverse communities.

CCAHA and DHPSNY are committed to providing universal access to our programs. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs; please contact Camilla Dawson, Preservation Services Coordinator, by email at cdawson@ccaha.org or by phone at 215-545-0613 ext. 300.

For a full list of upcoming CCAHA and DHPSNY programs, visit ccaha.org/events.

The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts is a nonprofit, full-service facility with experts in a range of disciplines. We have been providing conservation and preservation services since 1977. Our mission is to provide expertise and leadership in the preservation of cultural heritage. Our conservators repair and stabilize books, photographs, and documents. Our preservation services staff works in the field, providing education programs and helping institutions plan for the future of their collections. We offer a wide range of digitization and reproduction services, as well as fundraising assistance, housing and framing, and more.