The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has learned that it is a recipient of a “Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections” grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The project upgrades environmental controls, and improves fire and security systems in the Cody Firearms Museum (CFM). The $300,000 NEH award requires a $100,000 match from the Center.
The grant ensures that the Center’s collection of 7,000 firearms and more than 20,000 related objects continue to be safely stored and maintained long into the future. The funds make it possible for engineers to connect CFM galleries to the Center’s central plant, eliminating outdated boilers and providing clean, efficient atomizer humidification in the CFM.
The NEH-funded project also expands the fire and security systems of the CFM using the latest advances in fire detection technology and security. The Center’s Operating Engineer, Philip Anthony, is project director and expects the Center to gain significant reductions in energy consumption and an increase in collections safety and security through the plan.
In 1975, the Olin Corporation, parent company to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, chose the Buffalo Bill Museum as the most appropriate facility for its collection. Then, in 1991, the Cody Firearms Museum opened where it showcased the Winchester Collection and other firearms.
For more information on the Cody Firearms Museum, visit centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms.
Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page. #100YearsMore
Contact: E-mail Lee Haines or call 307-578-4033.
