A preservation assessment of 260 artifacts from
the 1820s to the 1970s that help document the social, economic, political, and
cultural history and contributions of African Americans, particularly in the
American Midwest and Kansas City, Missouri.
Collections include historic farming equipment, military uniforms,
medical equipment, textiles and quilts, furniture, and sculptures. These objects are used by researchers ranging
from K-12 to PhD students, from the general public to textbook publishers.
The mission of the Black
Archives of Mid-America, Inc. is to collect, preserve and make available to the
public materials documenting the social, economic, political and cultural
contributions of African Americans to the central United States, with emphasis
on Kansas City, Missouri. The Black Archives serves the community by offering
itself as an educational resource and repository of culture, music, art, theater,
education, the military, medicine, sports, and community affairs. The goals of this project are to consult with
an experienced conservator in conducting a preservation assessment and the
creation of a preservation plan for three dimensional collection items such as
historic farm tools, medical equipment, textiles such as quilts, military
uniforms and designer gowns, furniture, and sculptures. These items represent the socio-economic
evolution of Africans Americans in the Midwest and are integral to understanding
our shared history as Americans.