Library seeking funds to preserve its treasures

The cameras are up, the paintings rehung and the artifacts reunited with their places on shelves and tables. Now, staff at Flower Memorial Library just has to figure out how to clean and restore the library's impressive collection so it's beautiful for generations to come.

Paintings and historic items were stored during the library's restoration project, which was completed in 2007.

Since surveillance cameras were installed in April, more than 20 paintings have been rehung throughout the 229 Washington St. building, and many artifacts, such as candelabras, statues, candlestick holders and dishes, have been put back in the north and south reading rooms and the Marietta Holley and Bonaparte rooms.

In October, the library's board of trustees expressed interest in selling the paintings "The Tramp" by Eastman Johnson and "View of Yosemite" by Thomas Hill for up to $1,150,000 to a New York City art gallery. Library Director Barbara J. Wheeler said the paintings have no connection to the north country and she could use the revenue to pay for the cleaning and restoration of the rest of the collection.

The City Council put the kibosh on the idea, saying the artwork is part of the library's heritage and shouldn't be sold.

Mrs. Wheeler now is trying to find other ways to fund the cleaning and restoration of the collection, even though it may cost up to $100,000.

"We're looking at grants — anything, really, that would let us take care of our collection," Mrs. Wheeler said. "We're having a map restored right now by the West Lake Conservators and one of the workers came in to look at some of our other pieces. She said some of them are in worse shape than either you or I would have thought. On several of the paintings, the canvas is coming loose from the frame and it's starting to ripple. And they've never been cleaned. Some of them are pretty grimy."

Mrs. Wheeler said restoration of the 1850 map of Jefferson County will cost more than $3,000. She said at that rate, it could cost $75,000 to $100,000 to get the entire collection cleaned and restored.

"We have some amazing pieces here," she said. "We have 'Unconsciousness' by Launt Thompson, which is the only nude that artist ever created. A Utica gallery has a replica of it, but we have the original and we really need to take care of it."

Mrs. Wheeler said that if she can't find a grant to cover the entire collection's restoration, the city will "have to deal with it somehow."

"It's really something that needs to be addressed," she said. "They will have to put it in the budget."