Dubuque County Historical Society (National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium)

The Dubuque County Historical Society will conserve native son and nationally known artist Alexander Simplot's painting of the steamboat Virginia titled Steamboat Taking on Wood. Simplot is best known for his highly detailed lithographs made from sketches of Civil War battlefields for Harper's Weekly. Rare because it is executed in oil, the conserved painting will be featured in an exhibit marking the Civil War sesquicentennial at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, marking the work's first public viewing. The historical society will share the conservation process with the public when the painting is exhibited, and a special event will introduce the restored painting with a discussion of Simplot and his national and local importance.