Baltimore Maryland – (March 16, 2011) - How can you preserve your family heirlooms? Find out how museum experts do it. Why do you need archival boxes for your old textiles and papers and where can you get them? The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) will bring four experts together (appraiser, textiles, furniture and paper)  for “ How to Care for your Own Collection” on Saturday, March 26th from 2 pm to 4 pm.  This   panel of conservators will deconstruct the mysteries and steer participants in the right direction to care for their own collections. To register for the program, call 410-685-3750 ext 337 or estafford@mdhs.org, $20 per person; $15 for MdHS members.

 The four presenters will conduct brief lectures and then take questions from the audience.  Todd Peenstra is an appraisal expert from M. S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans.  Julia Woodward is a Textile Conservator who studied at the Royal School of Needlework in London and has worked on the textiles of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. for many years.  Bruce Schuettinger’s   area of expertise is furniture conservation.  His clients include the Library of Congress, Folger Shakespeare Library and the U.S. State Department.  Stephanie Jewell is a paper conservator who works for the Walters Art Museum.  The seminar will take place in France Hall, Maryland Historical Society, 201 West Monument St., Baltimore Md.

 The Maryland Historical Society was founded in 1844 and is the world’s largest museum and library dedicated to the history of Maryland. Occupying an entire city block in the Mount Vernon district of Baltimore, the society’s mission is to “collect, preserve, and interpret the objects and materials that reflect Maryland’s diverse cultural heritage.” The Society is home to the original manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner and publishes a quarterly titled “Maryland Historical Magazine.” More information about the Maryland Historical Society can be found online at http://www.mdhs.org/

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