Washington, D.C. (June 10, 2010) - Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Chesterwood, a National Trust Historic Site, will transfer its archival collections to the Chapin Library at Williams College for preservation, digitization and access by faculty, students and scholars worldwide. America's foremost twentieth-century public sculptor, Daniel Chester French,1850-1931, lived at Chesterwood, his Stockbridge, Massachusetts country home, studio and gardens, for over thirty years, during which time he documented the creation of iconic pieces that included Minute Man (1875) and Abraham Lincoln (1922) for the Lincoln Memorial. The library will rehouse the Chesterwood Archives effective this month.

After decades of very limited public access to the collections, the National Trust decided to transfer the archives to an institution that could properly preserve and manage them while making the archives more easily available to the public. Considering various repositories, including the Library of Congress, which has a major collection of French papers, the National Trust selected the Chapin Library at Williams College because of its close proximity to Chesterwood, its growing collection of archives on American artists and a faculty willing and able to use the collections for research, teaching and exhibitions.

"The Chesterwood Archives are enormously valuable not only to America's legacy in the arts, but to our understanding of pivotal events and historic figures," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We strongly value our partnership with Williams College, which will ensure these cherished pieces of history will be properly preserved, understood and appreciated for generations to come."

Among the rarely seen collection is Daniel Chester French's account book, made public for the first time and valuable for its wealth of information on his sculptural commissions and smaller works of art, all far lesser known than his public works. The Chesterwood Archives also include the most extensive collection of photographs depicting French and his studio, giving art enthusiasts a unique glimpse into the type of work environment that inspired this revered 20th century artist. There are research photographs and postcard views for study purposes from ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, Italian Renaissance sculpture, modern French sculpture and American works by his contemporaries. French's scrapbooks, travel albums, correspondence and guest books also shed light on his relations with individuals who surrounded him.

A significant part of the collection also includes the personal papers, photographs and ephemera of the individual largely responsible for keeping Daniel Chester French's legacy alive - his daughter, Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973). Active in the arts as a sculptor herself, "Peggy's" fascinating life growing up in New York and Chesterwood is captured in audio recordings and transcripts of oral history interviews that paint an intimate portrait of her family. Among her papers are records of the bronze reproductions she made of French's plaster models, one of which, the standing figure of Lincoln located at the State Capital in Lincoln, Nebraska, can be seen on the grounds at Chesterwood.

"With this Williams College partnership, Daniel Chester French's prolific body of work and personal advocacy of the arts will become better known through future exhibitions, programs and publications in association with the Williams College Museum of Art and the Chapin Library," said Donna Hassler, director of Chesterwood. "The French family archives will be properly maintained at the Chapin Library by professional staff and made readily accessible to people interested in discovering more about the artistic career of Daniel Chester French, known in his time as the 'Dean of American Sculpture'."

"French deserves to be studied more extensively and intensively than has been the case in the past, and now the Chesterwood Archives can provide a constant source for study, exhibition and inspiration," said Robert L. Volz, custodian of the Chapin Library. "The collaboration between Chesterwood and the Chapin Library will do much to encourage research and publication about Daniel Chester French and his sculptures."

For more information on the complete Chesterwood Archives, visit www.chesterwood.org/FindingGuides.html.

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history - and the important moments of everyday life - took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America's stories.