A monthly update on archival initiatives, work, and news by MOCA’s Research and Collections Center
April 2023

Conservation Treatment Begins on Joy Luck Restaurant Sign

This past Thursday, March 30th, conservator Anne Léculier King of A.M. Art Conservation began conservation treatment on our Joy Luck Restaurant sign. The first steps in the treatment process involved carefully removing the lettering fastened to the sign so that each of the components could undergo a thorough surface cleaning. 

Over the course of the day, Anne and our staff were pleased to welcome a few of the sponsors who helped us fund the cost of conservation and requested an opportunity to view the sign as it was being treated. Pearl and Esther Leung, whose grandfather Sai Fon Lung started the Joy Luck Restaurant at 57 Mott Street in the 1930s, took the opportunity of stopping by MOCA's archives at 3 Howard Street to also drop off two menus from their family's restaurant that they wished to add to MOCA's collection.

The sign has since been transported to Anne's professional conservation lab in White Plains, where she has all the tools and chemicals needed to complete the conservation process. We anticipate that the treatment will take approximately two months and look forward to sharing more updates once repair of the sign is complete.

Thank you so much to all of our generous sponsors for making the conservation of our Joy Luck Restaurant sign that was damaged during the fire possible! We would like to specially acknowledge Lillian Cheu, Pam Elam, Kerri Ann Lee, Franklin Leung, Alice M. Lee, Norma Chu, Carmel T. Leong, Victor Leung and all the members of Sai Fon Lung's family who sponsored the sign but we were not able to meet.

Sponsor an Object

Consider supporting MOCA's fire recovery efforts by sponsoring an object from MOCA's collection! Sponsoring an object entails contributing any amount--large or small--to help fund the repair of a treasured piece of Chinese American history that was damaged during the fire at MOCA's archives.

We post a profile for objects needing sponsorship on MOCA’s Facebook, Instagram, and Sponsor an Object webpage. Each object is selected based on exhibition and conservation priorities, and each profile features research into the object's history and significance, an assessment and photo documentation detailing its damage, and a proposed course of conservation treatment. 

MOCA offers Chinese-language translations for all of our Sponsor an Object webpages. Readers can easily navigate from English to Chinese pages by clicking the "En / ?" icon on the menu bar at the top of MOCA's webpages.

To thank sponsors who donate at specified levels, we include acknowledgement of sponsorship in the object’s catalog record, on an official certificate of sponsorship, and/or on exhibition display labels, depending on level of contribution. If you can support our conservation efforts by contributing any amount towards the repair of an object, please visit our Sponsor an Object page. 

Please click on an icon above to learn more about objects that still need additional sponsorship to reach the total conservation cost goal.

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