USS Monitor (Other Keyword)
1-8 (8 Records)
Underwater archaeological sites are typically inaccessible to the general public. The public’s interaction with such sites occurs through connections made with excavated artifacts. However, the conservation of these artifacts, especially if they come from a marine environment, can take decades. Interpreting conservation to the public promotes understanding of the lengthy treatment process, thereby fostering support for the project and creating a connection to the artifacts and their history. USS...
Conserving and Interpreting USS Monitor: Connecting the Past, Present, and Future (2016)
NOAA’s Monitor Collection, consisting of over 200 tons of artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the famed Civil War ironclad, is the focus of the world’s largest marine archaeological metals conservation project at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia. But the Monitor Collection represents farm more than a series of advanced conservation challenges; it embodies a physical connection between America’s 19th-century history, technology, and culture, our modern efforts to conserve...
Dry Ice Blasting Research and Testing for the Conservation of Metal Objects (2018)
The objects recovered from USS Monitor are large, composite pieces that require complex conservation treatments. An innovative conservation technique currently implemented by the Batten Conservation Complex (BCC) is dry ice blasting. Dry ice blasting involves the use of solid carbon dioxide pellets as an abrasive, and has the potential to be used on a variety of materials for the removal of marine concretion and corrosion. The BCC has researched the use of dry ice blasting as a conservation...
Engine at Full Power: How the conservation of USS Monitor’s main engine has become an avenue for outreach. (2013)
In 1987, The Mariners’ Museum (TMM) became the official repository for all objects recovered from the wreck of the USS Monitor. Starting in the 90’s, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began recovering large portions of the ironclad, which led to the retrieval of engineer John Ericsson’s 20-ton steam engine in 2001. Over the last decade, the conservation process has enabled experts to collaborate and provide insight into where and how the engine was fabricated, how it...
Investigating Maker’s Marks Discovered on Artifacts from the Engine Room of the USS Monitor (2018)
The life of the Union Civil War ironclad USS Monitor is well known and its famous battle against the CSS Virginia well documented; but, there are still many stories to be discovered, especially those of the men who built the vessel in just over 100 days. Conservation of artifacts recovered from Monitor’s wreck site is ongoing at The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. During the conservation process maker’s marks have been found on several objects from the ship’s engine room....
Monitoring Two Decades of Progress: An Update on the Conservation of USS Monitor (2018)
Between 1998 and 2002, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) archaeologists and experts from the U.S. Navy recovered approximately 210-tons of artifacts from the wreck site of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor. Upon recovery, NOAA transferred all objects to The Mariners’ Museum and Park (TMMP) in Newport News, Virginia for conservation, curation, and display. Over the past 19 years, TMMP staff have made much progress in the conservation and stabilization of Monitor...
Piecing Together History: Conservation of a Wool Coat from USS Monitor (2018)
On December 31st 1862, during the USS Monitor’s final hours, the ironclad’s crew discarded many personal items in its gun turret in preparation to crossing the deck and hopefully reach rescue boats. Recovered with the turret in 2002 through a joint effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Navy, these personal belongings are being conserved by a team of specialists within the Batten Conservation Complex at The Mariners’ Museum and Park (TMMP) in Newport...
A Step Toward Exhibition: Digital Reconstruction of Monitor Spaces (2018)
210 tons of USS Monitor, including the majority of the engine room and the iconic turret, were recovered between 1998 and 2002 and are currently being conserved at The Mariners’ Museum and Park. While object treatments are ongoing, staff estimate that there are approximately 20 years of work left to finish the project. Even though the completion of conservation is two decades out, planning for the display of all the artifacts in the museum’s exhibition space is already underway. To assist in the...