Support the Book Conservation Fund

Numerous books owned by Mark Twain and his family are on display in the exhibition Marks on Paper: Mark Twain's Personal Library.

Even more of these books are in storage at the archives of The Mark Twain House & Museum, unable to be shown because of their delicate condition.

Now you can help us conserve and protect the books that Mark Twain loved.

Our curatorial staff has identified those volumes in greatest need of conservation. Priority items are texts owned by Mark Twain, such as his Bible, which was given to passengers of the Quaker City voyage that led to his writing The Innocents Abroad, and his copy of Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. The latter was one of Twain's favorites, yet the book's disintegrating spine required its removal from the exhibition. For a list of other books in our archives that require conservation, click here.

The preservation of these important objects is central to the museum's mission. These books are in an advanced state of disrepair and require work to fix hinges and bindings to make them structurally safe for research and exhibition use.

Please consider a generous donation to help us conserve and protect Mark Twain's Marks on Paper.

Yes! I want to help protect Mark Twain's books.

• Library Contributor - $25
  It costs about $250 to repair just the hinge of a book. Your gift, combined with those from 10 other contributors, can help us restore one of Mark Twain's treasured books.
  
• Library Fellow - $50
  The book restoration process begins with a conservation assessment. Your gift of $50 will help pay to assess one book in our collection.
  
• Library Patron - $100
  A $100 gift to the Book Conservation Fund will be used to pay for the delicate restoration of one book.
  
• Library Sponsor - $250
  A full conservation of one of Mark Twain's cherished books could cost up to $2,500. Your gift at the $250 level will enable us to begin the conservation of one book.
  

In Honor of Ralph Elliot, Trustee

The Book Conservation Fund is accepting donations as a memorial to Ralph G. Elliot, a member of the Board of Trustees of The Mark Twain House & Museum, who died in February.

"Ralph had a long and illustrious history of service to our community and this museum, having been a generous supporter and an active member of our Board of Trustees. As chairman of the endowment and planned giving committees, he brought his vast knowledge, good counsel and remarkable wit to every meeting and event that he attended," said John V. Boyer, executive director of The Mark Twain House & Museum.

Given Ralph's affection for Twain, his deep interest in history and his lifelong love of books, the Board of Trustees felt it would honor his memory if gifts were made to the Book Conservation Fund at The Mark Twain House & Museum.

Your gift to the Book Conservation Fund will be recognized in an upcoming newsletter. A formal acknowledgement will be sent for tax purposes.

For more about Ralph Elliot's remarkable career as an attorney and community leader, go to:
http://www.legacy.com/HartfordCourant/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=3232372