Heritage Preservation (organization)

Heritage Preservation (organization) was an American nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage collections. Active from 1973 until its merger into the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation in 2016, the organization engaged with a broad network of museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and conservation professionals to promote policies, training, and emergency preparedness.

History

Heritage Preservation was founded in 1973 amid a period of institutional growth for Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Gallery of Art, and American Alliance of Museums constituencies seeking coordinated conservation advocacy. Early collaborations involved partnerships with National Trust for Historic Preservation, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Institute for Conservation, Getty Conservation Institute, and Metropolitan Museum of Art colleagues addressing threats identified during events like the 1972 Hurricane Agnes and concerns raised after the 1974 Nixon Library establishment debates. In the 1980s Heritage Preservation developed programs in concert with National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Council on Library and Information Resources, and international bodies such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and International Council on Monuments and Sites. The organization gained prominence following the 1990s focus on disaster response after incidents involving Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and regional flood events like the 1993 Great Flood of 1993. In 2016 Heritage Preservation merged operations with the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation and its legacy programs were integrated with conservation and cultural heritage entities including Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts and Society of American Archivists.

Mission and Programs

Heritage Preservation’s mission emphasized protection of tangible collections held by institutions such as New York Public Library, Boston Public Library, Chicago History Museum, Harvard University, and Yale University museums through advocacy, education, and resource development. Programmatic initiatives linked with stakeholders like National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Library and Archives of Canada, British Museum, and Smithsonian American Art Museum focused on preventive conservation, disaster readiness, and policy influence. Signature programs included the Heritage Health Index survey in collaboration with Institute of Museum and Library Services and American Association for State and Local History, partnerships with Federal Emergency Management Agency on cultural property protection, and training delivered with Red Cross and World Monuments Fund. Advocacy work engaged policymakers associated with U.S. Congress, Presidential Commission on Museums and Libraries, National Historic Preservation Act implementers, and international frameworks such as UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Collections and Activities

Heritage Preservation did not itself amass a large physical collection but facilitated stewardship across collections held by Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and university repositories like Columbia University and Princeton University. Activities included conducting national surveys with partners such as National Endowment for the Humanities and Council on Library and Information Resources, publishing practical guides for institutions ranging from Small Museum Association affiliates to major institutions like Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum, and organizing conferences with entities such as International Council of Museums, ICOMOS, American Association of Museums, Association of Research Libraries, and Bibliographical Society of America. Emergency response and training programs saw collaboration with New York City Fire Department, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles Fire Department, and regional preservation networks including Southeast Museum Conference and Mid-Atlantic Conservation Conference.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Heritage Preservation operated with a board drawn from leaders at American Institute for Conservation, Association of State and Territorial Historic Preservation Officers, Council on Library and Information Resources, National Archives and Records Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution. Staff included professionals from institutions such as Getty Conservation Institute, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Brooklyn Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Art, Peabody Essex Museum, and National Gallery of Canada. Funding sources combined grants from National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, and corporate sponsors including partnerships with Bank of America philanthropic initiatives and foundations like the Rockefeller Foundation. Project funding and in-kind support came from collaborations with American Library Association, Society of American Archivists, Association of Art Museum Directors, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and state-level arts councils.

Impact and Criticism

Heritage Preservation influenced disaster preparedness, professional standards, and resource allocation for stewardship across institutions including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, and numerous regional museums and archives. The Heritage Health Index survey informed grantmaking by Institute of Museum and Library Services and policy deliberations involving U.S. Congress appropriations committees and National Endowment for the Humanities program officers. Critics pointed to challenges in long-term sustainability similar to debates surrounding National Trust for Historic Preservation and raised concerns echoed in discussions involving American Alliance of Museums about nonprofit consolidation, duplication with organizations like American Institute for Conservation, and the balance between national advocacy and local service delivery. Supporters highlighted collaborations with FEMA and Red Cross that improved emergency response at institutions such as Museum of the City of New York, American Museum of Natural History, and smaller historical societies.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.