Preserving and Conserving Your Documents

Saturday, July 18, 1:30 - 3:00
Martin Tuohy, Archivist

Every important document, photograph, or recording will deteriorate or get damaged over time. Even the ink on the Declaration of Independence has faded into barely readable text. Digital data can deteriorate within five years if kept on the original storage media. What practical steps can we take to preserve our historical document collections? How far should we expend effort and money to prolong the life of a document? 

This workshop will introduce family historians and local history enthusiasts to basic preservation practices. Workshop participants will learn in everyday terms how paper, photographic prints and negatives, blueprints, magnetic media, and digital media deteriorate - and what simple steps and products can slow or stop that deterioration. Topics to be covered include "inherent vice," proper storage location and housing, environmental control, archival supplies, "silent disasters," and preservation versus conservation. Participants also will learn how to assess risk and make cost-benefit decisions about preservation and conservation. Examples from the National Museum of the American Sailor's archival collection will be used to illustrate some of the common problems and potential solutions.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required by July 17. Please send your name, phone number, and the name of the workshop to: glnm@navy.mil or (847) 688-3154 ext. 217.

Care and Preservation of Textiles
Saturday, August 15 1:30-3 PM 
Kari Atkinson, Collections Manager

Textiles, be they museum artifacts or family heirlooms, are delicate, fascinating, and often times irreplaceable objects. Damage comes far too easy and is usually irreversible. However, there are simple methods of storage and general care that, when done correctly, can protect your textiles and ensure their preservation.

Please join the Museum's Collection Manager, Kari Atkinson, as she discusses simple techniques for textile preservation including boxing, rolling, or hanging; proper storage materials; methods of cleaning; and when to call a professional conservator. 

Participants are encouraged to bring a photograph of a textile and will receive a complementary pair of cotton gloves to take home. Please do not bring any textiles to the workshop.
This event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required. Please send your name, phone number, and the name of the workshop to: glnm@navy.mil or (847) 688-3154 ext. 208.

About the Great Lakes Naval Museum:
The Naval History and Heritage Command's Great Lakes Naval Museum is located in the National Register-listed Hostess House (Building 42) at 610 Farragut Avenue, Great Lakes, Illinois 60088-2618. The Great Lakes Naval Museum's parking lot is accessible to the public just north of Naval Station Great Lakes' main gate and just east of Sheridan Road, about one-half mile north of Buckley Road (Illinois Route 137). The Great Lakes Naval Museum also is accessible by Metra commuter trains from the Great Lakes train station, located about one-half mile southwest of the museum. Details about visiting the Great Lakes Naval Museum can be found online at Great Lakes Naval Museum or by calling (847) 688-3154.