Wood is common as a structural material throughout Art and Archaeological collections. While there is a considerable amount of information on the behavior of wood in the longitudinal direction, failure is often perpendicular to the grain direction. This study concentrated on the cross-grained mechanical behavior of several woods and their response to changes in relative humidity. The mechanical behavior of these woods coupled with the dimensional response to relative humidity can be used to assess the potential for damage to restrained wood objects as well as determine allowable museum environmental fluctuations.