Tag Archives: artifacts

Removing Items from the Collection at the National Air and Space Museum

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Visitors to the National Air and Space Museum don’t often get to see the work that goes on behind the scenes. This is especially true in terms of the labor that goes into collecting and caring for our artifacts. Many may wonder where all the air and space stuff (we call them artifacts) comes from. The answer is from a variety of places, including the United States Air Force, NASA, and the general public. These artifacts vary; some are large (aircraft and spacecraft) but many are relatively small (aircraft equipment or military or commercial airline uniforms and insignia, for example, or items of popular culture—air and space toys and games).

SR-71

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

 

Ray Guns

Four toy ray guns from the Museum’s space popular culture collection.

Museum stewardship demands that we manage our collections carefully. Part of our responsibility is to acquire material based on well-defined criteria and, in similar fashion, we occasionally choose to remove items from the collection (we call it deaccessioning).  To help us sort out what to collect, what to keep, and what to remove, we have a collections rationale—a document that guides these decisions. It is a category-by-category justification of our collecting practices. The collections rationale takes into account such things as an object’s historical significance, rarity, and our ability to care for it. These are updated every five years or so. Periodic reviews of the collection, using the rationale as a guide, may indicate that an object or objects no longer fits the Museum’s collecting objectives and should be deaccessioned. This is a decision that goes through a careful process of review, with the aim of finding a home for the objects at another museum.

Since 2006 we have deaccessioned a number of large objects: a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress went to the Mighty 8th Museum in Savannah, Georgia; a Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress “Swoose” went to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio; a Curtiss C-46F Commando went to the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York; a McDonnell KDD-1 Katydid Drone went to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon; a Grumman X-29 full-scale model went to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in East Garden City, New York; two 1/3-scale models of Mercury capsules went to the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamagordo, New Mexico, and the Penn-Harris Planetarium in Mishawaka, Indiana; a Vanguard I mockup went to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. We’ve also deaccessioned a number of smaller artifacts to museums and educational institutions.

Grumman X-29

A full-scale model of the Grumman X-29 formerly on display in the Beyond the Limits gallery at the Museum in Washington, DC, now belongs to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in East Garden City, New York.

Early in 2012, our Aeronautics Department and Space History Department completed their work on the Museum collections rationales, including a listing of candidate objects for deaccession. Among the candidates from the Aeronautics Department are aircraft, aircraft engines, items of award (plaques, certificates, etc.) and personal equipment (flight clothing, full and partial pressure suits, etc.). Those from the Space History Department include items of human spaceflight, rockets and missiles, guidance, navigation and control, the space sciences, and civilian applications satellites.

We have now made this list of candidate deaccessions available to the museum community.  Initially, this effort will focus on working with the Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums, an international consortia of air and space museums, then seek to broaden outreach to the Smithsonian Affiliations program, and the American Association of Museums (AAM) communities. The list of items we plan to deaccession may be viewed on our website. Here members of the museum communities mentioned above will be able to review what we have made available and contact us to acquire these artifacts.

Institutional policy in regard to deaccessioning objects from the Museum’s collection dictates that the artifacts rightfully should go to other museums and educational institutions with a similar mission and goals and not to the general public. As part of our stewardship responsibilities we must see to it that these objects end up in good hands after they leave our control.

Dominic A. Pisano is a curator in the Aeronautics Department of the National Air and Space Museum.

Where There is Wool, There is a Way

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My coworkers and I are fortunate: every day, we get to touch pieces of history that few others ever lay hands on and seldom see. Why are we so privileged? We are helping to move some of the National Air and Space Museum’s collections from their previous storage site to new facilities at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Garber

Samantha Snell with wool service caps and garrison caps in various stages of preparation for shipment at the Paul E. Garber Facility. Photo by Eric Long.

The move team consists of contractors, interns, and volunteers overseen by project specialist Samantha Snell. In 2011 and 2012, following much planning, coordination and effort by staff, we helped pack up spacesuits; pressure garments for high-altitude flying; and fur and leather-based objects. This winter, we began the process of relocating more than 1,200 wool artifacts in the Museum’s collection. A year’s worth of blog posts could be devoted to the treasures contained in our shipping crates, such as uniform components like socks used during the exploits of Charles A. Lindbergh and Francis Gary Powers; a beret worn by Jacqueline Cochran; a graduation hood that belonged to Hugh Dryden; uniforms worn by Chuck Yeager, Kiffin Rockwell, Alexander de Seversky and William “Billy” Mitchell;  and even a plush gremlin!

Uniforms

Wool caps and coats, including a Pan Am stewardess topcoat and William “Billy” Mitchell’s U.S. Army dress coat are prepared for shipment at the Paul E. Garber Facility in Suitland, MD. From left to right, Katherine Watson, Amelia Kile, Ashley Koen, Stephanie Harris. Photo by Eric Long.

Representative examples of military uniforms used in World War I and World War II from major participating forces are part of the collection too, as well as civilian uniforms used by commercial airline pilots and flight attendants that reveal changing fashions and subtle (or not so subtle) messages about each airline’s corporate culture.

Each artifact has custom internal supports crafted to match its contours. These supports combat the disfiguring effects of gravity over time, which causes fabric to become stressed and prone to tearing at creases, folds, and seams. All the internal supports are made from archival, acid-free materials that help preserve the artifacts for as long as possible; so that future generations can learn from and enjoy them.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Members of the Move Team unpack wool caps and other artifacts from plastic shipping crates in the new storage facilities at the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Photo by Dane Penland.

The wool objects were being stored in the Museum’s facility in Suitland, Maryland. The buildings that make up this facility were constructed as early as the 1950s and were originally designed to house aircraft temporarily, so their use for small object storage was not ideal. The Udvar-Hazy Center’s new storage facility provides secure, climate-controlled storage designed specifically for small and medium-sized artifacts.  Now objects of like material and size can be stored together while not on display or loan. The result of this new storage space is maximized efficiency and benefit to the long-term preservation of these historic artifacts.

wool artifacts

Small wool artifacts, like this canteen used on Lindbergh’s Lockheed Sirius “Tingmissartoq,” are tracked in the Museum’s database using bar code scanning as they are relocated to new storage facilities at the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center. From left to right, Stephanie Harris, Amelia Kile. Photo by Dane Penland.

As the last deliveries of wool artifacts are being scheduled, we are beginning to pack the remainder of the textiles based on material, including cotton, polyester, and silk. Even when the last small artifact is safely moved, there will be more work to be done. In the new Emil Buehler Conservation Laboratory, treatment is already underway on certain artifacts that have recently arrived. For now, we are enjoying the opportunity to be involved in relocating this unique collection.

Amelia Brakeman Kile is lead move contractor in the Collections Department of the National Air and Space Museum

 

That’s One Small Step. . .

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These suits have come a long way. True, it’s only 37 miles from Suitland, Maryland to Chantilly, VA. On a good day, that’s less than an hour’s drive on the beltway. But today, like 42 years ago, these suits are worlds away from where they came.

 

Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit

Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit, flown on Apollo 11, is inspected and prepared for shipment at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility. From left to right, Amelia Kile, Samantha Snell, Lisa Young, and Stephanie Harris. Photo by Eric Long

On December 6th, the spacesuit that Neil Armstrong wore as he took his first steps on the Moon made the giant leap from outdated storage facilities to new, state-of-the-art collections storage at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. About 200 suits are being relocated from the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland this winter. These include Michael Collins’ Apollo 11 suit and many more used to develop spacesuit technology and train astronauts.

 

Garber

Spacesuits are loaded onto the “Big Blue” tractor-trailer in Suitland, MD. From left to right, Stephanie Harris, Scott Wood, Pat Robinson, and Christine Cannon. Photo by Eric Long.

Museum staff sometimes calls the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center “the promised land.”  In some ways, the place is a museum worker’s (and culture buff’s) dream come true. The reason for this name? Conditions are ideal for the long-term preservation of these national treasures. Temperature, relative humidity, exposure to light, the elements, and pollutants can all seriously affect the life-expectancy of these beloved artifacts, but each can be tightly controlled at the new facility. Simply having a permanent, secure building with modern infrastructure and adequate physical space for each spacesuit ensures that the National Air and Space Museum’s comprehensive collection of spacesuits will survive for years to come.

 

Hazy

Spacesuits are delivered to the new storage facility. From left to right, Cathy Lewis, Amelia Kile, Stephanie Harris, Christine Cannon, Katherine Watson, Samantha Snell, Scott Wood, and Pat Robinson. Photo by Dane Penland.

In the relatively short time I have worked with the Museum, much progress has been made in preparing this collection to move to its new home, as curator Cathy Lewis explained in a previous post. Many collections staff, volunteers, interns, contractors, and more than one curator and conservator have worked with purpose and diligence in the last decade toward this day and this goal. It opens a new chapter for the Museum, begun earlier this year with the framed art collection. Now this collection will be more accessible to researchers and staff, and in turn, the public. I am honored to participate in this moment.

This is one of many “small” artifact collections being relocated to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in the next several years, so check back for updates on our progress.

Amelia Brakeman Kile is lead move contractor in the Collections Division of the National Air and Space Museum

A Lindbergh Treasure Trove

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National Air and Space Museum staff are hard at work renovating the Pioneers of Flight gallery, scheduled to open later this year.  It will be filled with the fascinating stories of the colorful personalities of early aviation, including Jimmy Doolittle, Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, and Charles and Anne Lindbergh, plus Robert Goddard and other rocket pioneers.  One of the featured artifacts is the newly cleaned Lockheed Sirius Tingmissartoq, the dual cockpit plane that carried Charles and Anne Lindbergh on their exploratory trips across several continents in 1931 and 1933.  The trips made headlines and were the basis for two popular books written by Anne, North to the Orient and Listen, the Wind!

Cognizant of their place in history, the Lindberghs carefully saved the majority of items they packed for the trips. Now after several decades in storage, many will be on display for the first time.  Museum visitors will be amazed at the collection and will recognize Lindbergh’s impressive planning insight.  Because most people pack for travel at some point, visitors of all backgrounds will connect to the challenges of what to take on such lengthy trips.  From malted milk tablets (the granola bars of the day), to an almost 11 ft. long wooden sled, snowshoes and ice crampons (in case of emergency landing on Greenland’s ice cap) to a rubber boat with mast and sail (in case of emergency landing at sea), the plane was carefully packed with items to anticipate every possible emergency scenario.  More amusing objects include insect repellent and cans of food rations like beef tongue.

Tingmissartoq

The Lockheed Model 8 Sirius "Tingmissartoq" on display in the Pioneers of Flight gallery at the National Mall building.

Each time I work on an exhibition, I become intrigued with several specific artifacts.  With this gallery, one is the armbrust cup.  This strange object worn over the face, converts condensation from breath into drinking water – for use in emergency landings at sea.  Since weight restrictions were an ever-present challenge, the Lindberghs could take only a limited supply of water. Lindbergh had read about this new invention before his solo flight across the Atlantic and took one along.  He also took them along on the trips in the Sirius.  There is no record that he or Anne used them, thanks to smooth flights, but perhaps they helped provide peace of mind.  Obviously he considered them worth their added weight.

One question we had was the correct name of the artifact.  We encountered several spellings and were not sure which was correct.  In Anne’s books, it is listed as an “armburst” cup.  Finally, our curator did some excellent sleuthing and found the original patent, given to Charles W. Armbrust.  Who out there has heard of an Armbrust cup? Have you read Anne Lindbergh’s books listed above?  What did you think?  Let us know.

Armbrust Cup

The Armbrust Cup, worn over the face, converts condensation from breath into drinking water – for use in emergency landings at sea. Charles and Anne Lindbergh carried them on their exploratory trips across several continents in 1931 and 1933.

Tim Grove is Acting Chief of Education at the National Air and Space Museum, National Mall Building.

Shuttle-Era Shopping Spree

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Space shuttle Discovery approaches International Space Station during STS-120 mission. Photo courtesy NASA.

Being snowbound at home for a long weekend presented a perfect opportunity to go shopping online – for Space Shuttle artifacts!

A few days ago, NASA announced the second round of surplus property to be released from the Shuttle program when it ends later this year. Interested museums and educational institutions are eligible to browse a NASA-GSA website and request items for their collections and exhibits. The objects are free to a good home, but there will be shipping and handling charges. In the first round announced last fall, the Museum snagged several items on our wish list.

As Space Shuttle curator, I am coordinating the National Air and Space Museum’s collecting effort with several colleagues in the space history division primarily, though some items also draw the attention of colleagues in the aeronautics and archives divisions. Together we are seeking Shuttle-era artifacts that inform the intellectual basis of the national collection or match the long-established categories of objects within the collection. We are the Museum’s “personal shoppers.”

What is the intellectual foundation for the space history collection? As historians, we are engaged in an ongoing effort to understand the meaning of spaceflight in American history and culture, the technologies and institutions and people that make it possible, the successes and failures, and even the mundane routines of living and working in space. We seek material objects that enable us to document, display, and preserve our nation’s human spaceflight experience and to explore its significance in our research and exhibitions.

Already part of the National Collection: a Star Tracker that flew on 16 Space Shuttle missions, including Columbia's maiden voyage, and space food (scrambled eggs) that flew on STS-27. Just some examples of the types of Shuttle-era objects the Museum collects.

Our collections are organized in categories, rather like the biologists’ class-genus-species taxonomy.  We have broad programmatic categories (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, Space Station) and broad technical categories (crew equipment, rockets, spacecraft, etc.)  Specific artifacts are organized into such pigeonholes as avionics, clothing, computers, food, spacesuits, and tools.

So what was I shopping for online?  The conveniently alphabetized list of 653 object types started with Accelerometers and 13 long pages later ended with Wing Leading Edge batteries, with scores of sensors and transducers in between – the kind of stuff one might expect to see on a warehouse shelf but not in an exhibit.  But scrolling on, I spotted some real treasures, most of them flown in space:

  • a cycle-ergometer for crew exercise
  • an in-flight maintenance kit of 147 tools
  • some computers and camera equipment
  • parts of an extravehicular activity spacesuit (no complete suits are being released)
  • an Apollo 8 audio tape – wonder what that’s all about!
  • even a Shuttle emesis bag (to add to our impressive collection of airline barf bags)

Most of these items illuminate the realities of living and working in space.

I spent more time on this online “window shopping” than I’ve ever spent browsing in a shopping mall, but it was a very thoughtful exercise to look at each item and evaluate its significance. What is each object’s story? Is it worth preserving in the national collection? Why? How does it fit within, or stretch, our intellectual themes and artifact categories?

I will put these items in the Museum’s shopping cart and submit our request to NASA, along with a justification for each item. So far, we curators have selected and justified about 65 items after discussing their merits for the collection. Individually they may seem like a motley assortment, just as what you put in your grocery cart is a jumble. But each one has a place and a purpose in the Museum. Step by step, opportunity by opportunity, we are building a coherent collection of artifacts to document and preserve the history of human spaceflight in the Shuttle era.

Valerie Neal is in her 20th year as the Shuttle-era human spaceflight curator in the National Air and Space Museum’s Space History Division.