There are many options and factors when it comes to preserving family heirlooms, when you know the right places to look. If you have ever wondered where to direct a patron looking for local preservation resources, the following list will hopefully prove informative and helpful:
Local Binderies (Book restoration and binding services)
- Ace Bindery Corp.
2323 Main St. PGH, PA 15215
412-784-3669 - Steadfast Book Bindery
333 Meade St. Wilkingsburg, PA 15221
412-244-1149 - Pittsburgh Binding, Inc.
2538 Mission St. PGH, PA 15203
412-481-8108 - Wert Bookbinding, Inc.
9975 Allentown Blvd. Grantville, PA 17028
717-469-0626/800-344-9378
Conservation Services (Objects, Paintings, Frames and Gold Leaf)
- Alba Art Conservation 352-216-2738
- Bernicky-Belman Fine Art Conservation Services 412-421-2518
- Patricia Buss (painting) patty.buss@gmail.com
- Emilie Cohen Studios 412-605-0281
- Daulton Fine Art Conservation (painting) cdaulton@gmail.com 724-850-8300
- Foulke Fine Art Conservation 412-321-0779
- Hartmann Conservation 717-574-3579
- Patty West (painting) pattyhusswest@gmail.com 412-519-9611
- Rhonda Wozniak 412-322-7021
Conservation Services (Books, Paper, Photographs and Textile)
- Wendy Bennett (paper) wen.bennett@gmail.com 412-608-7600
- Jim Burke (photo) Jvjburke@gmail.com
- Csilla Crisanti (book/paper) csillacrisanti@gmail.com 412-657-5574
- Jamison Art Conservation 216-367-2966
- Mark S. Johnson & Associates 412-853-7159
- Christine Maurhoff Textile Conservation 412-848-2701
- Textile Conservation & Restoration Studio 330-545-1936
Audio, Video & Film Transfer Services
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh REcollection Studio
- Preservation Technologies – The Media Preserve 724-779-2111
There are also many web resources and local organizations with plenty of preservation information.
Community Preservation and Disaster Recovery Organizations
- Alliance for Response – PGH Chapter Disaster response/education
- PA Cultural Response Team (PaCRT) Statewide response team for disaster recovery for cultural institutions
- Young Preservationists Association of PGH 412-342-8972
- PA Cultural Resilience Network Disaster response/ education through Philadelphia’s CCAHA (See below)
- Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation 412-471-5808 Local organization committed to historic preservation for sustainable communities
Web Resources
- American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Contains information on selecting a conservator and covers many current topics in the field
- Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) Resources for collection care, services, and education opportunities
- CoOL – Conservation OnLine Includes conservation resources, names of people and vendors, events, and publications
- Conserv-O-Grams – National Park Service A series on preservation and conservation topics in short leaflets
- Library of Congress Reference to many storage and care concerns and photocopying issues
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Offers tips on storage and preservation on a wide range of media
- Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) Their “Technical Leaflet” series discusses preservation concerns and offers conservation services. For a list of leaflets available, search under the link “Caring for Your Collections”
You may always contact Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Conservation, Preservation and Access Department (CP&A) for questions and guidance as well!
- preservation@carnegielibrary.org
- Preservation Lab: 412-622-5785 (Tara Walsh, Preservation Librarian)
- Preservation Office: 412-622-5599 (Jackie Mignogna, Coordinator)
Happy Conserving!
Emma Pyle, Conservation Technician, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Emma–This is awesome! Beth–Shaler