NEW YORK: Hurricane Sandy
Preserving Historic Performance and Museum Collections
In September 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the northeastern United States, resulting in at least 233 deaths and damage estimated at over $70 billion. The Smithsonian provided conservation expertise and equipment to help New York City museums and performing arts institutions affected by the storm.
The Smithsonian assembled two truckloads of conservation supplies for use by various organizations and participated in Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) coordination.
Another effort focused on the Martha Graham Dance Company. Smithsonian conservation experts assessed damage at the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York, whose costumes, ephemera, and important collections of theatrical sets, many designed by Isamu Noguchi, were flooded for several days. Working closely with staff and volunteers from the American Institute for Conservation, the materials were either removed and freeze dried or removed to a warehouse for air drying. The Smithsonian supported transportation of the paper collections and arranged for freeze drying, to mitigate mold, with BELFOR USA on a pro bono basis. The collections have since been stabilized and returned to the Company.