The Center for Jewish History is known for its state-of-the-art facilities for the archiving, conserving, and digitization of historic material. Joining institutions around the United States, the Center is observing National Preservation Week–April 27 through May 3–with a series of blog posts about preserving artifacts at home and with free public events at its beautiful building at 15 West 16th Street in New York City.
The events will highlight the preservation of the collections of each of our Partners: American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Details about the programs and how to attend:
Monday, April 28 (tours at 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.): Come on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Center’s preservation spaces: the Conservation Laboratory, the Digitization Laboratory, and the Archival Processing Center. There will be tours at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., but space is limited. To reserve your free ticket, please email us at RSVP@cjh.org.
Tuesday, April 29, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Join us at our “Ask the Experts” information and demonstration evening. Come with a question about archival preservation, or bring something from your collection–for example, a photograph, scrapbook or audiovisual material. Library professionals will offer advice and handouts about how to–and how not to–preserve your pieces of history at home. Reserve your free ticket by emailing us at RSVP@cjh.org.
Tuesday, April 29, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Wednesday, April 30, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m: An exciting chance to help create a permanent art installation. Visitors will watch the progress of a major new work by Pittsburgh-based artist Diane Samuels–and help her complete it as well. Samuels, who created the Luminous Manuscript in the Center’s Great Hall, has created a mosaic from tiny “tiles” made of paper from more than 30 countries. Center users wrote letters or characters by hand on each “tile,” representing the 57 alphabets in the Center’s archives. Together, these bits of paper will form an oversized global map measuring 7 feet high and 12 feet wide. Uniting this collection of small but important symbols into an archive in its own right will be a highlight of the Center’s participation in National Preservation Week.
More posts in our National Preservation Week series:
Your Digital Family Album: A System for Safekeeping
Start Making Sense: Ordering the Chaos of AV Material
For Delicate Books, Safe and Snug Houses
Defending Precious Artifacts from Mold and More
Organizing Digital Files: Getting Your Photos and Scans in Shape