Der Freischütz Frieze
A carved historical frieze depicting scenes from Weber's opera Der Freischütz — a museum object whose surface and structural needs have been documented by Filson conservators.
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Underwrite the care of one specific thing.
Each year the Filson identifies and funds the restoration and conservation of items in the collection. The projects below are open for adoption — fund the work on a specific artifact, follow its conservation, and have your name recorded on the project.
About the program
Conservation, by the line item.
The Filson actively works each year to identify, research, and fund the restoration and conservation of items in the collection — preserving them for future generations.
Adopters receive regular updates on the condition and conservation progress of the piece, a private viewing at the Filson once the item is restored and returned, and (if recognition is desired) public acknowledgment on the Filson’s website. Family, friends, community groups, and other interested parties can also fundraise cooperatively to adopt a single artifact.
Open for adoption
Six projects, today.
Each project page on the Filson’s catalog details the artifact’s significance, the damage and disrepair, the conservation work to be done, and the total cost. The development team will share that detail when you reach out.
Painted Tintype of Horace Walker
A nineteenth-century painted tintype portrait of Horace Walker. Treatment supports surface stabilization and a custom housing for safe long-term storage in the Filson’s photographic collection.
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B’nai B’rith Louisville Lodge No. 14 Records
Records of B’nai B’rith Louisville Lodge No. 14 from the Filson’s Jewish Collections initiative. Treatment supports cleaning, stabilization, and arrangement of a multi-volume run for permanent research access.
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Koch Portraits
A pair of nineteenth-century Koch family portraits. Treatment includes surface cleaning, structural stabilization, and conservation of frames in the museum collection.
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The Wedding — G. Caliman Coxe
The Wedding by Louisville artist G. Caliman Coxe — a major work in the Filson’s museum collection. Conservation includes surface treatment and frame work to return the painting to public display condition.
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Lewis & Jemima Castleman Portraits
A paired set of portraits of Lewis and Jemima Castleman from the museum collection. Conservation treats both panels and their original frames as a single project, returning them to display together.
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Reach the development team.
Email or call Brenna Cundiff, Director of Development. She’ll share the project detail you’d like to consider, walk through the conservation plan and cost, and answer any questions.