Museum Techniques – Conserving Recent Acquisitions

Contributed by: Liz McDermott, Conservation Technician

PAFA recently acquired a large collection of prints by American painter and printmaker Ellen Lanyon (1926-2013). Along with the artwork, the collection included over 300 3-D objects. The objects are quite unique because they were actually the subjects of Lanyon’s prints.

Before we can place the objects in long-term storage, there are a few activities that need to be done. All objects require cleaning, cataloging, and custom housing. Below are two examples of some the unique objects found in the collection.

Can you find these objects in the many works by Ellen Lanyon in our permanent collection? Let us know!

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