$7,500 for the conservation of two marble sculptures “Lotus Eater” and “Sandalphon,” created by sculptor Emma Stebbins (1860). Stebbins was the first woman to receive a public art commission from New York City. These works were completed while living in Rome with her partner, the actress Charlotte Cushman.
Indian Octagonal Carved and Inlayed Table Late-19th or early-20th century
Year Conserved
2022
Holding Institution
The Friends of Alice Austen House
Object Name/Description
$3,880 for the conservation of a late-19th or early-20th century Indian octagonal carved and inlayed table. Owned by photographer Alice Austen and her partner Gertrude Tate, it is one of few original objects in the house. The table helps tell the story of the challenges facing LGBTQ+ couples at the turn of the century as well as their eventual eviction from the house and separation. Conservator: Traditional Line Ltd.
$7,500 for the conservation of a late 19th century Nigerian face mask (Mwaw) surmounted by double headed antelope, horse, and two leopards. The mask will be featured in an upcoming exhibition focused on the abstraction of the human form in African, Oceanic, and Pre-Columbian/Pre-Hispanic works.
$4,588 for the conservation of five stoneware vessels made by free Black potter Thomas W. Commeraw who operated his own pottery in lower Manhattan from about 1797 to 1819. The pottery will be featured in an upcoming exhibition telling the story of his life.
Conservator: Give Me A Break Conservation Services
Wooden Drawer For 19th & early 20th Century School Records of Chinese Immigrant Students in Manhattan
Year Conserved
2022
Holding Institution
Museum of Chinese in America
Object Name/Description
$2,200 for the conservation of a wooden drawer that holds school records of Chinese immigrant students born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who attended various schools in Manhattan.
To be exhibited in the new core exhibition, the drawer and its records help share stories of the expansion and development of Chinatown.
$7,500 for the conservation of oil on canvas of Lucille Armstrong (c.1940), dancer and wife of jazz musician Louis Armstrong, painted by artist Samuel Countee. The painting figures prominently in the house tour and serves as an introduction of the importance of Lucille who dedicated her life to preserving her husband’s legacy and serving her community.