One of America's most beloved
treasures, the Star-Spangled Banner, is undergoing a long-term
preservation project that will span several years. The flag is
currently housed at the National Museum of American History in
Washington, D.C. Dr. Leonard Buckley, of the Naval Research
Laboratory's (NRL's) Chemistry Division, is a member of the technical
advisory team which is studying the condition of the flag and
recommending methods for its restoration and preservation. According
to Mr. Ronald E. Becker, Director of the Star-Spangled Banner
Preservation Project, Dr. Buckley's "participation on our
steering committee has given the project invaluable expertise,
which continues to be vital to our work."
Dr. Buckley was chosen for the
team due to his technical expertise in polymer science. The flag
is primarily comprised of wool fibers with a linen backing. Dr.
Buckley has studied a small sample of the flag's fibers with
a scanning electron microscope to help determine the proper method
for cleaning the aging flag. He has compared the flag's fibers
to other fiber samples from the same time period to evaluate
their structural similarities and extent of damage. His function
as a committee member is to provide technical guidance during
the entire restoration project.
The flag has been on public display
since approximately 1914. It is nearly impossible to control
the environmental conditions adversely affecting the flag. The
most significant factors contributing to the aging process have
been the ultraviolet lighting and the air pollution inside the
museum. There are also slight traces of iron and gunpowder dating
back to the War of 1812. It has previously been cleaned with
gasoline and in the 1800's it was cleaned with a high ammonia
concentrate.
The Star-Spangled Banner was
donated to the Smithsonian by the grandson of Fort McHenry's
commander, MAJ George Armistead, with the stipulation that it
would always remain in the public's view. Therefore, a glass-enclosed
laboratory is being constructed at the museum so that the flag
will be visible during the entire restoration project. The flag
is scheduled to be moved from its current location to the new
laboratory this fall. During the restoration period, a temporary
exhibition will be constructed near the conservation laboratory.
When the flag conservation project is complete, the flag will
return to a new display in the renovated "Flag
Hall."
The flag was originally constructed
by Ms. Mary Pickersgill and her daughter Ms. Caroline Purdy,
in the summer of 1813. It was the inspiration for Mr. Francis
Scott Key's poem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," which
was declared our national anthem by Congress in 1931.
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The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory provides the advanced scientific capabilities required to bolster our country's position of global naval leadership. The Laboratory, with a total complement of approximately 2,500 personnel, is located in southwest Washington, D.C., with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Monterey, Calif. NRL has served the Navy and the nation for over 90 years and continues to advance research further than you can imagine. For more information, visit the NRL website or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.