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A Division of the Iowa Department of
Cultural Affairs |
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April-May 2008 |
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In This Issue · Celebrate
Community History May 19 ·
REAP/HRDP Applications Due May 15 · “Hollywood in the
Heartland” Project Receives Financial Boost ·
Historical Foundation Names Executive
Director · Thread by Thread:
Battle Flags Meticulously Prepared for Display ·
Historical Society Board Tours ISU ·
A Great Women’s Suffrage Resource ·
Care of Collections Workshop May 29-30 ·
South Dakota
State Historical Society Annual History Conference ·
Inspire
Today’s Youth to Become Tomorrow’s Preservationists ·
Save
America’s Treasures Solicits Applications Other Links of Interest Become a Member of
the State Historical Society of Iowa Contact Us State Historical Society of Museum, Library, Archives, Museum Store, Café Baratta’s 600 E. Locust (515) 281-5111 State Historical Society of (319) 335-3916 Historic Sites American
Gothic House, Eldon Blood
Run, Edel
Blacksmith Shop, Montauk,
Clermont Toolesboro
Mounds, Toolesboro Western
Historic |
Celebrate Community History May 19
At the event, registration and a continental breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. with the Recognition and Awards Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium. A buffet lunch and individual awards will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the atrium. Workshops will follow in the afternoon from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Awards will be presented in the following categories: 2007 National Register of Historic Places, Outstanding Preservation Practices, Certified Local Government, Cultural and Entertainment Districts announcement, Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance’s Best of Preservation, National History Day Kids Count!, Benjamin F. Shambaugh, Mills-Noun and Loren Horton Community History Awards. This year’s workshops are: ·
Care & Feeding of Your
Historic Property: If
you own a historic property and want to know more about how to maintain it,
restore it or find out more about the National Register of Historic Places,
this workshop provides an overview of sources available across the state. ·
Funding Possibilities
Roundtable:
Looking for financial help fixing up your historic property or are you a
nonprofit in need of grant resources? This workshop will be a “show-and-tell”
discussion about finding – and getting – money for projects. ·
“ The State Historical Society of Iowa is now accepting applications for the FY09 REAP/HRDP grant cycle. Between the regular round last
year and the special round for documentary collections early this year, the
State Historical Society of Iowa awarded $626,194 in REAP/HRDP grants
to 44 organizations across the state for historic preservation, museum
and documentary collections projects. The Historical Resource
Development Program (HRDP) is funded by the Resource Enhancement and
Protection Act (REAP), passed by the Iowa General Assembly in 1989. Through REAP, local government
units, various organizations and private individuals can receive funding for
eligible projects. REAP/HRDP provides grants to preserve, conserve, interpret
and educate the public about historical resources. REAP/HRDP grants require
organizations to supply matching funds. Projects funded in this grant
cycle will begin July 1 and must be completed by Oct. 31, 2010. Projects are
evaluated based on the significance of the historical resource; the proposed
scope of work; the project’s impact on the local community; and the degree to
which the budget is reasonable, appropriate to the project, complete and
mathematically correct. Visit www.iowahistory.org for new grant guidelines and application procedure or contact grants manager Kristen Vander Molen at (515) 281-4228. A new exhibit of Archives holdings in the Reading Room
at the Among the materials on display is a copy of Bob Feller’s birth certificate, official baseball card and autographed glove. The Hall of Fame pitcher was born and raised in Van Meter and played for the Cleveland Indians from 1936-1956. Other items include Secretary of State Corporation
Correspondence, photographs, a pair of 19th century rule books and
an 1882 score book. This exhibit provides not only a brief glimpse at The State Historical Library Reading Room is located in
the The State Historic Preservation Office has received a
$45,300 Preserve America grant to support a project documenting The competitive matching grants fund Preserve America Communities, State Historic Preservation Offices and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to support their preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education and historic preservation planning. The SHPO project, “ People with information about Iowans, movie houses and properties associated with the film industry are encouraged to visit www.iowahistory.org and click on “Historic Preservation” to fill out a survey form. Results will be available next year on IHPA’s Web site at www.iowapreservation.org. Contact SHPO’s Paula Mohr at paula.mohr@iowa.gov or 515-281-6826 for more information.
chairman emeritus and CEO of Pella Corporation (1999-2002), and administrator for the Terrace Hill Commission (1988-1998), where she reorganized and restructured the Terrace Hill Foundation in the early 1990’s. Filer’s first priorities are to work with foundation
board members to develop new strategies for fund development and to organize
a Gala slated for October 24, 2008 at the Filer and her husband, Tom, live in By Sheila Hanke, Conservator and
Collections Manager Great care and consideration is given to the selection of a flag for display. The flag rotation schedule is made one year in advance to ensure that treatment can be completed and the event be precisely planned. Why do we take such care in selecting and planning the flag rotations? The flag collection is part of the permanent collection that provides the physical documentation of this state’s people, events and experiences. The Battle Flag Project staff are respnsible for the care and exhibition of this collection. Before any flag is exhibited the Battle Flag Project staff must examine, document, execute treatment and document again.
Then the Battle Flag Project staff meets to evaluate the findings and make a recommendation for exhibition or not. If the recommendation is for exhibition a treatment proposal is made and the flag is added to the rotation schedule. Previous conservation treatments obscure the field of most of the flag collection disrupting the overall aesthetics. The treatments also hide some condition problems. Only the careful, painstaking removal of these previous treatments reveal the true flag in all its detail. At this point the flag is re-evaluated and a treatment plan is developed. Often the treatment plan calls for surface cleaning, removal of distortion (unless caused by inherent vice), easing of folds and creases, consolidation of paint fragments, alignment of fragments and detangling of fringe. This phase usually lasts 3 months. Due to the fragile nature of the flag collection and its national importance passive mounts or compression mounts are utilized. These types of mounts place little to no stress on the flags fibers. Most flags require a consolidating underlay of stabiltex or complete encapsulation in stabiltex. Fragments and unstable areas of loss are secured with hand stitching. This phase usually lasts 3 to 6 months. For some flags, the area of loss is in significant areas requiring a digital print simulation of the missing parts. This is applied to the mount to visually fill in areas of loss in the flag while not altering the flag itself. All treatments must be reversible. A structure of support is created from an aluminum grid platform constructed by museum staff. The mount is then constructed of inert materials that will not hurt the flag. The mount is padded with Ethafoam, padded with polyester felt, and covered with muslin fabric. Once the mount is secured with either linen tape or cording & grommets, the flag is positioned on top of it and lies passively. The flag is then protected by a UV-4 filter plex cover. The flag is then transported on a rolling table to a freight elevator that opens directly onto the exhibition floor. Great care is taken to ensure that all thresholds are non-jarring and that the pathway is clutter free. A guide person is assigned to oversee the move. The gallery is temporarily closed to the public during the installation phase. Once installed, the mount enables visitors to examine it closely while protecting the flag. The flag itself is then monitored for light, temperature and humidity. If the flag is transported to the Capitol Building for display the flag is soft packed. Soft packed means that the flag is wrapped in bubble wrap and secured with a box constructed of acid-free corrugated board. This creates a microclimate for the flag. It also provides for safe handling of the edges so the mount and flag are not disturbed. It is then loaded into a cube van for transportation. A team of 5 experienced staff are needed to oversee the movement. Capitol Police provide security during installation. Once in the Capitol Building the flag is installed in the NE Capitol flag case. This case has been retrofitted with the appropriate environmental equipment and lighting to provide ideal exhibition conditions. The whole process usually takes 6 months of dedicated work by the Battle Flag staff along with the assistance of installations and exhibits. The planning, examination, treatment proposals, documentation, stabilization and/or conservation treatment, and research are all important components promoting the long-term preservation and interpretation of the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Battle Flag collection. The The book contains essays by 17 of By addressing topics in Iowa history that embrace broader historiographical issues in American history, such as the nature of Progressivism and Populism, the debate over whether women’s expanded roles in wartime carried over to postwar periods, and the place of quantification in history, the essayists contribute substantially to debates at the national level at the same time that they interpret Iowa’s distinctive culture. This collection of well-written and accessible essays
will engage any reader with a serious interest in Iowa History Reader is available for sale at bookstores
or directly from the The Big Read: “The Call of the
Wild” by Jack London Various
statewide events, April 18-May 28 Visit www.Iowahistory.org
for complete schedule and details. Living History Saturdays April
19, 12-3 p.m., State Historical Building 600 E. Locust, Civil
War re-enactors tell what life was like on the front. National History Day – Junior
Division April
28, State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Students
in grades 6-8 compete in an exciting academic enrichment program that helps
them learn about historical issues, ideas, people and events around the theme
“Conflict and Compromise in History.” Movies at the Museum: “In the
Mirror of Maya Deren” May 1
at 7 p.m. & May 3 at 2 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Stunning
portrait of Maya Deren, the most important and innovative avant-garde
filmmaker in the history of American cinema. Tickets are $5 at www.iowatix.com or at the door. Bring a
nonperishable food item for the Food Bank of National History Day – Senior
Division May 5,
State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Students
in grades 9-12 compete in an exciting academic enrichment program that helps
them learn about historical issues, ideas, people and events around the theme
“Conflict and Compromise in History.” National Register Workshop May 9,
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Decorah Understand
what it means to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, how
to research a historic property, and the procedures for nominating a property
to the National Register. Workshop will be at the Vesterheim’s Cultural Express Presents:
Vietnamese Tet May 10,
1-3 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, You’re invited to a celebration of the Vietnamese New
Year, or “Tet.” For Vietnamese, TET marks the beginning of spring, a time for
renewing friendships and visiting family members. Event includes food
samplings, dragon dance, traditional cultural performances, fashion show and
Q&A. Youth Activity Day: Nature Hike May 10,
2-3 p.m., Western Historic Check out natural history at the For
ages 8 and up. Call (71) 366-4900. May Day History May 11,
2-3 p.m., Western Historic WHTC staff will present the traditions and history of May Day,
including the “how” and “why” it is celebrated today. For ages 10 and up. Call (712)
366-4900. HRDP/REAP Grant Deadline May 15 Visit www.iowahistory.org
for new grant guidelines and application procedure or contact grants manager
Kristen Vander Molen at (515) 281-4228. National History Day in May 16,
5-9 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, National
History Day students selected to represent Celebrate Community History May 19,
8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust See
related article.
Museum,
Morrill Hall, Carrie Chapman Catt Hall and other significant historical
markers. In the evening, board members attended a lecture presentation by the
Ames Historical Society on the 100th anniversary of the Great New
York to Paris Auto Race which went through The
Board convened their regular meeting on day two at the If you’re looking for a detailed look at women’s
suffrage in 19th-century The 26-page chapter offers a very detailed look at the
movement in Call (515) 281-6200 or (319) 335-3916 for more information. The Iowa Museum Association presents “Collections Care
on Exhibit” May 29-30 at the The two-day workshop answer questions like “what are best practices in mounting artifacts for exhibition?” and “what are good ways to build archival storage boxes, clothing forms and hangers for care of historic garments?” Participants will have a chance to put what they learn to practice with hands-on activities. Historical Society Conservator Pete Sixbey and State Curator Jerome Thompson are among the workshop presenters. Cost for the workshop is $75 for IMA members, $95 for non-members. Attendance is limited so only two people from a single organization will be accepted. Early registration is encouraged. To register or for more information, visit www.iowamuseums.org and click on
“Event Listings.” Additional workshops will be held at the Archives, libraries, museums and historic preservation
organizations across The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is
now accepting applications for its “Connecting to Collections Bookshelf,” a
core set of books, DVDs, online resources and an annotated bibliography that
are essential to the care of collections. Two thousand copies will be
distributed. Priority is given to small institutions. No matching
requirements. Visit the American
Association for State and Local History Web site for application and more
information. The 2008 South Dakota State Historical Society Annual
History Conference will be held May 2-3 in The Society’s Archaeological Research Center (ARC) in The keynote address will be given by Dr. Brad Tennant,
an assistant professor of history at Online registration is available. For further
information, visit the SDSHS Web site at www.sdhistory.org and click
on “History Conference, 2008,” or call the The American Association of
State and Local History (AASLH) is proud to partner, once again, with The
History Channel on the Save Our History Grant Program, an initiative that focuses on preserving local history. The History Channel will again
award grants of up to $10,000 to fund partnerships between history
organizations and schools or youth groups on projects
that teach students about their local history and
actively engage them in its preservation. Applications
are due June 6. Visit The
History Channel Web site for complete guidelines, requirements and
applications.
Intellectual and cultural artifacts and nationally
significant historic structures and sites. Grant amounts range from $25,000
to $700,000 to conserve collections and from $125,000 to $700,000 for
historic property and sites projects. All the awards must be matched 1:1. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, May 20.
Complete guidelines, applications and information, as well as a database of
previous Save America Treasure’s awardees, can be found on the National Park Service Web
site. For general information contact Kimber Craine at the President’s Committee
on the Arts and the Humanities or call (202) 682-5661. |
