Update CPC Small Grant Historic Northampton Pro Brush Storage/
Historic Northampton
46 Bridge Street Northampton, Massachusetts 01060-2428 • 413-584-6011
www.historicnorthampton.org • info@historicnorthampton.org
To: Sarah LaValley, Northampton Community Preservation Committee
From: Marie Panik, Historic Northampton
Date: September 20, 2019
Re: Written update on progress toward completion of the Pro Brush Collection Storage Grant funded by a small grant from the Northampton Community Preservation Fund.
As already reported, Historic Northampton has completed the preservation priorities listed in the 2009 Report of a Preservation Survey for the Pro Brush Collection. These measures needed
to take place before continuing to process the collection and focused on the stabilization of the collections storage environment and the installation of improved shelving. New storage
shelving was installed for the storage of scrapbooks, maps and larger objects. Archival-quality boxes were purchased to rehouse these items.
Current activities since the last report include the following:
Artifacts and product samples
The museum consulted with Richard Kerschner of Kerschner Museum Conservation Services, who viewed the storage cabinets identified as “2 large wooden multi-drawered cabinets” in the Sally
Romer Evans preliminary descriptive inventory of 1990. The cabinets are believed to be original to the company and possibly the silk companies in Florence, whose property and buildings
the Pro Brush Company purchased. Rick Kerschner stated that the wood would no longer pose a threat to the items as it had completely off-gased.
Polyethylene foam has been purchased and will be used to line the storage drawers. Several plastic items in a state of decomposition have been removed, bagged and separated for consultation
with Rick Kerschner. The objects are being sorted by object type (thermoplastic hairbrush backs with thermoplastic hairbrush backs; Cosmeon hairbrushes with Cosmeon hairbrushes).
The drawers will be lined with foam sheets cut to size to provide a cushion and minimize movement when drawers are opened.
Each item will be tagged with acid-free artifact tags which have been purchased; a drawer contents list will be drafted to minimize opening the drawers.
Accession records for the objects have been compiled. A list of accessions, particularly in the year 1986, was made. The same year (1986) the company donated its business archives,
employees made nine separate accessions. A work-study student from Smith College has begun the process of entering these accessions in the museum’s PastPerfect collections database.
Steel Dies: Richard Kerschner reviewed the storage of the steel dies and felt the current storage on steel shelving was more than adequate; storage boxes will therefore not be purchased
as originally planned.
Storage boxes have been purchased for items stored in the drawers which need better storage. These include loose bristles; buttons stored in bags; 20th century plastic products that
match the height of the drawers and large dinnerware.
Photographic Series
A preliminary inventory of the six cartons containing photographs has been made.
The 4 x 5 negatives appear to be made of safety film and in good condition based upon a lack of a vinegar smell indicating decomposition. The other boxes of photographs are predominately
8 x 10 photographs.
The photographs depict 1. Staff/Personnel Events (Annual Christmas Party, Golf Outings, 1954 Celebration), 2. Buildings and Grounds, 3. Manufacturing Processes and Staff at Work, 4.
Product Displays and 5. Publicity-related photographs taken for company newsletters and outside publications.
Two work-study students from Smith College, Fiona Wu and Abigail Benfield, are creating a folder-by-folder inventory of the photographs. They are counting the number of archival sleeve
protectors that will need to be ordered to rehouse the photographs. Many of the photographs have associated notes attached to them or written on containing envelopes. Each identifying
note will be stored with each associated photograph in its sleeve separated from the photograph with archival quality paper to prevent acid migration until the photographs can be accessioned.
Archival-quality storage boxes and folders have been purchased to house the photographs.
Newspaper Clippings
The collection contains newspaper clippings that have been taped to paper sheets stored in binders. The tape has turned brown and covers the corners of the articles. The clippings
will be removed from the binders and photocopied onto archival quality paper. Both the originals and photocopies will be rehoused in acid-free folders in acid-free boxes.
Maps
A spreadsheet listing of maps has been created and storage boxes for the maps have been ordered. When the space is available to roll open the maps and create containing folders, they
will be stored in the boxes on the new storage shelving.