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  • Beyond the Frame: Something to Remember

    • Art
    • Collections
    • Exploration
    • Technology
    • USS Monitor

    Art is fascinating in the way that it allows us to peer into the mind of an artist, see the world through their eyes, through the lens of their creativity. But there’s something very special about an artist allowing us to peek into their memory, especially a life changing one like this.

  • 20th Anniversary of USS Monitor’s Turret Recovery

    2022 marks the 20th anniversary of raising the famous ironclad’s gun turret off the ocean floor, where it sat for 140 years. Just like the innovative weapon, this feat was revolutionary. The divers, archaeologists, engineers - the US Navy, NOAA, and countless others, worked together to accomplish this mission. This video celebrates all of these people who made this happen!

  • BEYOND THE FRAME: Something to Remember

    In this episode, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the recovery of USS Monitor's turret - a story told through this work, a tale to be proud of - to pass on, and something to remember.

  • An Uplifting Story: Recovering Monitor’s Artifacts

    • Civil War
    • Conservation
    • USS Monitor

    On December 31, 1862, USS Monitor was caught in a storm and sank 16 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in more than 230 feet of water. It is believed the vessel went down stern first, turning over so that its revolutionary 120-ton revolving gun turret separated and became pinned under the ship on the seafloor.

  • USS Monitor Wellington Boot Re-Treatment

    • Conservation
    • USS Monitor

    This treatment is a “re-treatment.” Occasionally, we’ll have an object that needs to be re-treated for various reasons. In this case, the Wellington boot was on display in our Monitor Center gallery. It is one of two boots from USS Monitor excavated from the turret and is the most complete of the pair.

  • Spring (Dry Ice) Cleaning

    • Conservation
    • USS Monitor

    The Monitor crew is busy with spring cleaning. Dry ice cleaning, that is. Last month we tackled Monitor‘s skeg assembly.

  • Lifting and flipping USS Monitor’s Condenser 🏗️💦

    For the first time in 160 years, USS Monitor's condenser bed is right-side up! In this video series, you can watch our Conservation team separating the condenser and its support bed, flipping the bed, and lifting both elements into their new treatment tank.

  • USS Monitor Skeg Elements Move

    Watch our Conservation team move USS Monitor's skeg elements out of their treatment tanks and over to our tank farm where they will undergo dry-ice cleaning.

  • USS Monitor: Oil Reservoirs

    • Conservation
    • Technology
    • USS Monitor

    Oil reservoirs are a tool commonly found on USS Monitor‘s engine. Also known as an oil cup or lubricating cup, they were used on steam engines to keep valves and levers constantly lubricated.

  • Boring USS Monitor’s Dahlgren Guns

    Monitor’s guns are the largest guns to ever be bored, giving this significant conservation step its own mark in history. The removal of the marine material was the final mechanical cleaning step before the guns can be dried and put on display.

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