Piecing Together History: Conservation of a Wool Coat from USS Monitor

Summary

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 News, Virginia. This presentation will discuss the treatment steps needed to conserve one of the most iconic of these personal items, a wool coat left behind during the vessel’s sinking. From excavation of the artifact to its display within the Ironclad Revolution exhibit at TMMP, the conservation of the garment required the support and hard work of NOAA archaeologists, archaeological conservators, and textile conservators as well as TMMP’s exhibit design staff.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• From Excavation to Display – Research and Projects from the USS Monitor Center   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 212