Conservation of Siberian Collections

With the generous support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and The Stockman Family Foundation, anthropology conservators initiated a two year project in October, 2014 to examine, document, stabilize and rehouse portions of the museum’s Siberian ethnographic collection formed during the renown Jesup North Pacific Expedition of 1897-1902, an expedition that investigated the relationships between the peoples at each side of the Bering Strait.

This funding allowed us to hire two project conservators who are currently working on this important initiative with staff conservators. Consultation, on-site and by remote means such as Skype, will take place over the course of the project with a variety of native groups. An initial session was recently held with Yakut scholar Zinaida Ivanova-Unarova, who visited the museum and provided valuable information concerning cultural practices and material technology.

Additional Resources:

• Blog Post (July 14, 2015)
• The Guts and Glory of Object Conservation