The Grafton Community Library has received a grant award of $7,500 from the Lower Hudson Conference for the preservation and conservation of its Anti-Rent War banner, “Down with the Rent.”
This banner, which is the only known banner of its kind, represents the unique period in New York State history known as the Anti-Rent Wars (1830s-1860s).
The banner was donated to the Library by Mina Hydorn Stuart. It belonged to her grandfather Peter Hydorn who was very active in Grafton Anti-Rent War activities. The conservation work will be performed by the highly acclaimed conservator Gwen Spicer of Spicer Art Conservation, LLC. Upon completion of the conservation work the banner will be re-hung in Grafton Town Hall.
The Lower Hudson Conference awarded $124,755 in conservation treatment grants to 25 organizations, located in 22 counties, in association with the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a state agency.
These grants fund treatment by professional conservators to aid in stabilizing, preserving and making accessible to the public an array of unique objects in collections of New York State’s museums, historical and cultural organizations of all sizes.
The grants were awarded to non-profit organizations with stewardship responsibility for cultural collections. The awards were for prioritized, urgently needed conservation of objects that, once treated, will impact public interpretive programs, exhibitions and education.
The 2008 grants will support treatment and conservation of Grafton’s Anti-Rent War banner as well as other textile treatments including a 19th century silk mourning sampler, a civil war secessionist flag, a silk wedding dress and an 18th century crewelwork as well as 18th, 19th and 20th century oil paintings, 20th century photographs, objects of Judaica, and a print from the Oneida Community, leather and needlepoint-upholstered furniture and a contemporary outdoor sculpture from institutions throughout upstate New York.