Date of Award
9-2026
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Name
Conservation of Art and Cultural Heritage and Conservation Science and Imaging , M.A./M.S.
Department
Art Conservation Department
Advisor
Theresa J. Smith
Advisor
Theresa J. Smith
Department Home page
https://artconservation.buffalostate.edu/
First Reader
Theresa J. Smith
Second Reader
Jiuan Jiuan Chen
Third Reader
Rebecca Ploeger, Ph.D.
Fourth Reader
Glennis E. Rayermann, Ph.D.
Abstract
This Master’s Project examines the treatment and analysis of two letters written by George Washington in the collection of the Buffalo History Museum. The primary objectives of this project included investigating the materials used to create the letters and using the information about the materials and condition of the letters to design and execute a treatment protocol for their preservation. A secondary goal of this project was to transcribe and make accessible the contents of each letter. Multiple methods of technical imaging and scientific analysis were also employed to gain a deeper understanding of the materials, contents, and conditions of the letters. Both letters were revealed to be iron gall ink on handmade, laid paper. One letter, a 1778 letter written to Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Benjamin Harrison V, was able to undergo extensive treatment, including a full calcium phytate treatment. The second letter, a 1796 letter written to Secretary of War James McHenry, did not undergo any treatment due to the presence of arsenic detected on the letter. While treatment was not performed, causes for arsenic contamination in cultural heritage collections, health and safety protocols, and alternatives to treatment were explored.
Recommended Citation
Miromonti, Katherine. 2025. President Washington, Phytate, and the Poison Letter: The Analysis and Conservation of Two George Washington Letters. Master's Project, SUNY Buffalo State University.
