About Jenn Cruickshank Conservation, LLC
Jenn Cruickshank Conservation, LLC was founded in 2024 based on the simple idea that everyone should be able to preserve their history. Our founder, an artist by training, spent 26 years as a Conservator for the Maryland State Archives, preserving the history of the state of Maryland. After honing the most highly sought after technical skills possible, our founder realized that there was a major gap - while national and state government documents and historical records might be preserved, the history of counties, municipalities, companies, and most importantly families were being neglected. Of particular concern to our founder was the fact that so many communities, particularly communities of color, have their history, artifacts, documents and story at risk of loss due to the lack of knowledge on how to begin presentation initiatives.
After helping friends preserve their cherished family documents and photographs, our founder realized that the general public needed their own conservator on call. Jenn Foltz Cruickshank then founded Jenn Cruickshank Conservation, LLC to help everyone preserve their own history for the future.
About Jenn Foltz Cruickshank
Jenn Foltz Cruickshank is a passionate conservator and advocate for the preservation of history. Jenn spent 26 years at the Maryland State Archives before she decided to bring her passion for conservation to all and founded Jenn Cruickshank Conservation, LLC. Jenn holds an undergraduate degree in studio art and a minor in museum studies, as well as numerous certifications and specialist professional coursework.
An avid presenter, Jenn has provided lectures and presentations at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Four Rivers Heritage Workshop, Conference of Maryland Court Law Directors, Counsel of State Archivists, Mid-Atlantic Region Archivist’s conference, the Banneker-Douglass Museum, and the Anne Arundel County Genealogical Society. Jenn is also serves as a resource and partner for numerous small institutions, historical societies, and membership organizations.
Jenn is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC), the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC), and the Washington Conservation Guild (WCG).
What is conservation?
Conservation refers to the practice of preserving and protecting artifacts, documents, and artworks to ensure their longevity and integrity. Conservation involves both preventive measures to stop damage to paper and objects and remedial measures to repair damage that has already taken place. Preventative conservation includes proper storage conditions, such as temperature, humidity, light exposure and compatible storage materials and handling techniques to minimize deterioration. Remedial conservation involves techniques to restore damage with repairs that stablalize the object.. Methods include cleaning (removing dirt and stains), mending (using archival materials to repair tears or holes), stabilization (addressing structural issues to prevent further damage), restoration (reintegrating lost elements or enhancing aesthetic appearance, while respecting the original material and context), and reformatting (digitizing documents to reduce handling).
Conservation is a multidisciplinary field combining art, history, chemistry, material science, and other disciplines to preserve our history for tomorrow.
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