Conservation
Preserving Our Future
The permanent collection of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame celebrates the sport of thoroughbred racing in America. The Museum houses more than 27,000 objects in its diverse collection of art, artifacts, and memorabilia that showcase the sport's history from the 1800s to today. These objects allow the Museum to share stories relating to the history of thoroughbred racing in America in our galleries, special exhibits, and educational programming. In order to preserve these historic objects for the future, the staff at the Museum follows industry best practices for climate control, collections storage, exhibit installations, and museum environments. However, some objects require outside conservation treatment from professionals to ensure their longevity. In 2024, the Museum launched "Preserving Our Future" to encourage sponsorship for ongoing conservation and digitization projects.
The Museum is seeking support for the conservation treatment of the painting Horse with Jockey, 1889, by Henry Stull. The painting requires surface cleaning, removal of oxidized varnish, consolidation, and stabilization within the frame. Currently there are plans to have the painting on display in Keeneland Library's The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers traveling exhibit that will be hosted by the Museum this summer.
Please consider contributing the continued preservation and care of the Museum's collection: Donation Form
Gifts are 100 percent tax-deductible and each donor will be acknowledged in our Annual Report, on the gallery page on the Museum’s website, in What’s Happening emails, on social media, and in the Hall of Fame guide. Gifts of $1,000 or more will be acknowledged on exhibit labels for one year.
In 2024, thanks to this initiative, West Lake Conservators treated on six paintings in our collection galleries including James McLaughlin by C. C. Markhamone (below), John Cox Stevens by Charles Loring Elliott, Andrew Jackson by John Wood Dodge, and three steeplechase paintings by Thomas Percy Earl.
Please contact Collections Manager Annie Davis at (518) 584-0400 ext. 117 or adavis@racingmuseum.net for more info.
