Newsletter of
The Maryland State Archives
![Portrait of Madame J by Mary Cassatt [MSA SC 4680-10-10]](jeunefemme.jpg)
Since acquiring the Peabody Collection in 1996, the
Maryland Commission on Artistic Property has overseen loans of several
works of art from this prestigious collection to cultural institutions
throughout the country and abroad. Due to the wide range of artists
represented in the Peabody Collection, and its scope encompassing the 16th
through the 20th centuries, the Commission staff receives
many requests throughout any given year for reproduction images, as
well as for loan to special exhibitions. Perhaps the most high-profile
painting owned by the state, and the one most frequently inquired after
by the public is Portrait of Madame J by Mary Cassatt [MSA SC
4680-10-10]. In 2001, this portrait,
probably of Mary Cassatt’s sister-in-law Jennie Cassatt, painted in
1883, was loaned to the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao, Spain, for the
exhibition, An Intimate Vision: Women Impressionists. In 2006, Portrait of Madame J will be
exhibited at two foreign venues: The National Gallery in London, for
the exhibition, Americans in Paris, and at the National Museum
of Denmark, The Glyptotek, Copenhagen, for the exhibition, Women
and Impressionism. When not on loan out of state, Portrait of Madame J is on extended loan to the Baltimore Museum of Art where it is displayed in the permanent galleries.
Other recent loans from the collection have been for exhibitions at The J. Paul Getty Museum, The Portland Museum of Art, The Williams College Museum of Art, and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, among others.
Loan requests are considered by the sub-committee for exhibitions of the Commission on Artistic Property, and approved on a case-by-case basis. As is standard procedure in the museum field, the borrowing institution is responsible for paying the costs of any necessary conservation or preparation in order that the work of art can safely travel and be displayed. In this way, the Commission has been able to conserve several paintings over the past few years that would not otherwise have been treated.
So don’t be surprised if you happen upon a painting from the collection of the Maryland State Archives upon your travels around the country or elsewhere. The Commission on Artistic Property, on behalf of the State of Maryland, is proud to share these treasures from the Peabody Collection with members of the public around the world.
Archives Staff Host Academic Program in the State House
On
Saturday, October 15, Archives’ staff hosted a tour and
educational program in the State House for the Fellows of the
Winterthur
Program in Early American Culture. Curator of Artistic Property, Elaine
Rice
Bachmann (a graduate of the Winterthur Program), along with Assistant
Curator
Sasha Lourie, and Research Archivist Ryan Polk, conducted a “curator’s”
tour
that included an exploration of the dome, as well as public and private
spaces
throughout the building. Special emphasis was placed on demonstrating
the role
of
Questers Grant to Preserve Kent County Records
On October 18, 2005, the Archives hosted several members of
the Kitty Knight
Questers Chapter 1031, from Kent County, Maryland. The Questers, a
service
organization with 900 chapters based in the
In 2004, the Archives received a grant from the Questers for the restoration of two volumes of Kent County Court records covering 1694 to 1739, which were in danger of complete deterioration. Conservators Vicki Lee and Jenn Foltz Cruickshank repaired tears, cleaned debris, reinforced unstable bindings, and removed corrosive materials that were accelerating the deterioration of the paper and loss of information. Additionally, the staff of the Archives of Maryland scanned and transcribed the restored volumes, and placed fully searchable text and images of the original volumes online. The paper volumes were then retired from circulation with all access to the records now through the digital versions, Archives of Maryland Online (http://aomol.net) volumes 668 and 669.
During their visit, the Questers's members toured the Conservation Lab and listened to a presentation given by Vicki and Jenn about conservation techniques and 17th and 18th century paper, ink, and record keeping, while reviewing the restored volumes and others still awaiting repair. Jean Russo provided insight into the records, discussing interesting cases found in them and their value to researchers. The Archives greatly appreciates the support of the Questers and looks forward to working with them again in the future.