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Abstract
The Battleship North Carolina, one of the most decorated American warships from the Second World War, is a floating museum designated as the state's WWII memorial to the 10,000 men and women in all branches of services who gave their lives in battle. One of the unique items on loan to the museum’s collection is a rubber terrain model map shown in three-dimensional relief. While this style of map was not uncommon during World War II, these model maps are historically significant and present new challenges for conservators to preserve both the original intent of the object and the material it is made of. Working closely with the curatorial staff, several objectives for the treatment were identified including methods for transporting the map through the tight bulkheads of the ship, accommodating the museum’s unique storage needs, mitigating the deterioration factors of rubber, and ensuring the overall preventative measures would not impede the accessibility of the map. Addressing these treatment goals involved manufacturing a custom-made Plexiglas support to aid in transportation and transition from storage to display as well as to create an oxygen-free microclimate for the stabilization of the map’s rubber components.
Résumé – Le cuirassé North Carolina, l'un des navires de guerre américains les plus décorés de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, est un musée flottant consacré à la mémoire des 10,000 hommes et femmes de la Caroline du Nord, de toutes les branches des forces armées, qui ont donné leur vie au cours de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. En plus d'abriter une collection variée d'archives, d'artéfacts et de textiles, il représente aussi les autres navires précédents qui ont porté le même nom. L'un des objets uniques prêtés à la collection est une maquette de terrain, une carte topographique en trois dimensions, faite de caoutchouc. Bien que ce style de carte ne fût pas rare au cours de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, ces maquettes sont valorisées pour les connections historiques qu'elles portent, tout en présentant de nouveaux défis pour les restaurateurs qui doivent préserver à la fois l'intention originale de l'objet et la matière dont il est fait. Une étroite collaboration avec le personnel de la conservation a permis d'identifier plusieurs objectifs pour le traitement dont des méthodes pour le transport de la maquette à travers les étroites cloisons du navire et l'assurance que l'ensemble des mesures préventives n'aurait aucune incidence sur sa visibilité.
Resumen – El buque de guerra North Carolina, uno de los barcos Americanos mas decorados de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, es un museo flotante designado como el monumento de Carolina del Norte a los 10,000 hombres y mujeres del Estado en todas las ramas de servicio que dieron sus vidas durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Además de su diversa colección de archivos, artefactos y textiles, también representa a todos los barcos llamados North Carolina. Uno de los objetos únicos, en préstamo a la colección, es un mapa tridimensional de goma/caucho modelo de relieve de terreno. Siendo que este estilo de mapa no era fuera de lo común durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, estos mapas son significativos y presentan nuevos desafíos de preservación para los conservadores en el empeño de preservar tanto la intención original del objeto como el material del que esta fabricado. Trabajando de cerca con el personal de curaduría, identificamos varios objetivos incluyendo métodos para transportar el mapa a través de los mamparos angostos del barco y asegurar que las medidas preventivas generales no impacten la visibilidad del mismo.
Resumo – O encouraçado North Carolina, um dos mais condecorados navios de guerra norte-americanos da II Guerra Mundial, é um museu flutuante apontado como monumento do estado da Carolina do Norte aos dez mil homens e mulheres, de todos os ramos de serviços, que deram suas vidas durante a guerra. Além de uma variada coleção de arquivos, artefatos e tecidos, também representa todos os [outros] navios denominados North Carolina. Um dos itens exclusivos em empréstimo à coleção é um mapa modelo com terreno emborrachado em relevo em três dimensões. Apesar de esse estilo de mapa ser comum durante a II Guerra Mundial, esses mapas modelos estão imbuídos de significado e apresentam novos desafios de preservação para conservadores, a fim de manter o propósito original do objeto, tanto quanto o material o qual foi confeccionado. Em trabalho conjunto com curadores, foram identificados vários objetivos para o tratamento, incluindo métodos de transporte do mapa por meio de anteparos justos [firmes], garantindo que medidas preventivas gerais não impeçam a visibilidade do mapa. Addressing these treatment goals involved manufacturing a custom-made Plexiglas support to aid in transportation and transition from storage to display as well as to create an oxygen-free microclimate for the stabilization of the map's rubber components.
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the generous advice offered by Grace White for her suggestions with the paper aspects and Yvonne Shashoua for her suggestions in the oxygen free and mounting systems. Thank you to the curation and exhibition staff at the Battleship North Carolina, Mary Ames Booker and Kim Sincox, and to the Friends of the Battleship for funding this project.
Source of Materials
Plexiglas
Triad Plastic Supply, Inc.
108 Griffith Plaza Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103, USA
800-849-7527
Coroplast, Ethafoam, Acid Free Tissue, and Volara Talas
330 Morgan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
USA; 212-219-0770
Escal
Keepsafe Microclimate Systems
9 Oneida Ave.
Toronto, ON, Canada M5V 1M3
416-703-4696
Aluminum Tape
Lowe's Home Improvement
3840 East 10th St.
Greenville, NC 27858, USA
252-754-6640
Oxygen Absorber 750cc, Oxygen Indicator Tablets, and Humidity Indicator Cards
Sorbent Systems
13700 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90061, USA
310-715-6600
Heat Sealer
Technopack Corp.
7865 NW 46 St.
Doral, FL 33166, USA
305-594-9000
ColorpHast pH Test Strips
Lab Safety Supply
PO Box 1368
Janesville, WI 53546-1368, USA
800-356-0783
Novus Acrylic Cleaners and Weld On
Ridout Plastics Company Inc.
5535 Ruffin Road
San Diego, CA 92123, USA
858-560-1551
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Susanne Grieve
Susanne Grieve graduated with a BA from the University of West Florida in anthropology, while specializing in archaeology and conservation. She then completed an internship with the Clemson Conservation Center before finishing an MA in conservation at the University College London. While serving as Senior Conservator at The Mariners’ Museum, she worked with the Antarctic Heritage Trust in Antarctica on conservation of the historic bases in 2008 and again in 2012. Grieve is currently the Director of Conservation at East Carolina University. Address: East Carolina University, Department of History, Eller House, 302 9th Street, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; [email protected].
Nicole Wittig
Nicole Wittig graduated with a BA from Bryn Mawr College in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology with concentrations in anthropology and geoarchaeology. She worked as a Cultural Resource Management technician before returning to academia to pursue a Master's Degree in Maritime Archaeology from East Carolina University, focusing on underwater archaeology and conservation. In 2010, she completed an internship at The Institute of Nautical Archaeology's Nixon Griffis Conservation Laboratory in Bodrum, Turkey. Wittig finished a second internship at the National Museum of Bermuda in April 2012 assisting in completion of a new display – Shipwreck Island. Address: As for Grieve; [email protected].
Emily Powell
Emily T. Powell graduated with a BA from The Catholic University of America in History with a focus on public history and archival research. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Public History from East Carolina University with concentration in maritime history and conservation. Emily was the ECU 2011-2012 Barbara and Matthew Landers Graduate Fellow in Maritime History and has just completed an assistantship as the conservator for the dental collections of the William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library at East Carolina University. Address: As for Grieve; [email protected].