Collection: 34 document boxes and 6 oversized boxes containing newspaper clippings, photographs, cabinet cards, posters, programs, musical scores, books and scrapbook pages.

Authors: Various 

Contents: The collection consists of materials assembled from other Performing Arts collections.

It is divided into six series: I. American Circuses, II. Foreign Circuses, III. P.T. Barnum, IV. Dime Museums, V. Wild West Productions, and VI. Posters and Playbills.

 

This project is the first step in processing the collection for research purposes and enabling better access.

All files were previously kept in various acidic envelopes, some folded multiple times to fit in the box, and some overstuffed envelopes with mould damage.

 

The project is now finished, after more than 110 hours involving four staff members and all of the collection has been treated and rehoused.

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• Survey of the collection

• Ordering supplies

• Participating with the curators in decision-making concerning the oversized items

• Making an organizational spreadsheet on Excel and entering data for the inventory of moved documents, oversized documents, mouldy documents and special items.

• Removal of acidic envelopes and previous plastic pockets

• Mould removal on part of the collection, mainly photographs

• Rehousing in archival paper folders, Mylar pockets for photographs and new labelling

• Special items (books and various objects including a cased photograph) were numbered and rehoused inside a custom-made box.

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