Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards Grant to Forbes House MuseumForbes House MuseumSeptember 25, 2020
September 25, 2020
Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards Grant to Forbes House Museum
MILTON, MA– September 25, 2020 – The national Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded the Forbes House Museum a $47,000 grant to improve its collections care and management.
Embroidered silk robe depicting dragons, benevolent and powerful figures in Chinese mythology (photo courtesy of the Forbes House Museum)
The two-year award, through the IMLS “Inspire! Grants for Small Museums” program, will help the museum upgrade its collections archiving with a comprehensive database, improving proficiency and effectiveness so that anyone from visiting scholars to community historians can access and locate an item easily.
“This is a very competitive grant program and we’re honored to be selected as an awardee,” says Heidi Vaughan, Forbes House Museum Executive Director.“Our collection truly has been underutilized, but the work we’ve mapped out over the next two years will change all that.”
The museum’s collection comprises over 3500 objects, including Chinese export porcelain, silver, paintings and furniture; Civil War and President Lincoln memorabilia; and Forbes family belongings, such as American and European painting, furniture and decorative arts. Recent acquisitions include a Chinese export silver trophy awarded to Captain Robert Bennet Forbes for winning the Pearl River regatta in January 1839, and considered a keystone artifact confirming the manufacture of Chinese export silver as early as the 1830s.
“Rare objects such as the trophy help us tell the fascinating stories of the Forbes family and their lives in China,” says Susan Lachevre, museum trustee and head of the Collections and Education Committee.With improved collection access, Lachevre anticipates that museum staff, trustees and volunteers will be able to create new exhibits and programming and update its current house tours by incorporating new knowledge and interpretations.
Japanese porcelain cat, made in Kaga, late 19th-early 20th century (photo courtesy of the Forbes House Museum)
“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” says IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, grant number IGSM-245464-OMS-20.
For information about museum exhibits, tours and programming, call 617-696-1815 or visit forbeshousemuseum.org.
About the Forbes House Museum:
Inspired by the Forbes family legacy of entrepreneurship, social action and philanthropy, the Forbes House Museum fosters discourse around civic engagement and cultural awareness. Built in 1833, the Greek Revival home at 215 Adams Street in Milton has been a house museum since 1964 and listed on the National Register of Historic since 1966.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services:
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
