Engine at Full Power: How the conservation of USS Monitor’s main engine has become an avenue for outreach.

Summary

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 operated, and how the marine environment impacted its condition. This paper will discuss how the archaeological conservation process and treatment of the ship’s main engine has fostered new avenues of outreach through scientific analyses, historical research, and technical study. Information gathered by TMM and NOAA has not only aided in overall treatment decisions, but has also helped to fill out the bigger picture of Monitor's story and how it is presented today.                                                                                                             

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Transforming Narratives and Globalizing Access: Curation, Conservation and Social Engagement   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 591