Hagley Awarded Prestigious Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Public Relations Coordinator
(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hagley Awarded Prestigious Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Wilmington, Delaware – September 2010 – Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Hagley will conduct a detailed conservation survey of its collection of 600 pioneering synthetic textile fiber “firsts.” Such artifacts include research and wear- tested and manufactured articles of clothing made of nylon, Orlon ®, Dacron ®, and other man-made fibers created by the DuPont Company. Many of the items belong to the original DuPont Museum Collection, which was donated to Hagley in 1954. Among these items are the first woven pieces of nylon (1935), the first nylon football pants introduce by Notre Dame (1941), an Orlon ® three-piece suit (1948), and the first Dacron ® trousers (1948).
Hagley Executive Director Geoff Halfpenny comments, “I am delighted that this IMLS grant will allow our museum curatorial colleagues to further the care of this unique collection, which is so highly regarded in the museum field. Through this grant, we are bringing in nationally-regarded conservators, Kathy Francis of the Francis Textile Conservation LLC and Christine Paulocik of the Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to assist with this survey.”
“We are thrilled to see the rising number and caliber of conservation applications,” says IMLS Acting Director Marsha L. Semmel. “There’s a clear correlation between states’ increased conservation efforts, which have been stimulated by IMLS’s Connecting to Collections conservation initiative, and museums taking action at the institutional level.”
Program Statement
Conservation Project Support awards help museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections. The grants are awarded through competitive peer review and require, at least, a 100 percent match by the applicant. These grants help museums develop a logical, institution-wide approach to caring for their collections. The program is an essential component of the Institute’s goal of sustaining cultural heritage as a means of creating and sustaining a nation of learners. Applicants apply for the project that meets the institution’s highest conservation needs.
Vital Statistics:
Number of applications: 148
Number of awards: 33
Total amount awarded: $3,184,977 nationwide

About IMLS
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

About Hagley Museum and Library
Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Hagley is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org
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