Conservation Archives - Page 3 of 6 - St Augustine Light House

Discoveries at the Barracks

Discoveries at the Barracks

amy.gress2018-03-21T16:11:54-04:00March 21st, 2018|

The World War II-era United States Coast Guard (USCG) structure on site is currently being restored after serving as office space for many years at the Museum. The structure was constructed after the US entered into World War II. Before December 1941, the US military was in various stages of mobilization that included increasing military personnel, munitions and equipment. The official telegram that head keeper Daniels received, which initiated a military mobilization plan that [...]

Conservation Around Site – Harpoon

amy.gress2017-03-15T08:00:01-04:00March 15th, 2017|

People have hunted whales around the world for thousands of years, primarily for meat and blubber. In America, the practice really took off in the colonial 18th century and hit its peak in the mid-19th. The most lucrative product at this point was whale oil, derived from boiling down blubber or harvesting the head of sperm whales. As the American industry grew and expanded, so did the whaling practices and technology, which is where our [...]

Clothing Mysteries

amy.gress2016-10-26T08:00:54-04:00October 26th, 2016|

The vast majority of artifacts that come through conservation are from our shipwrecks excavated by LAMP. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of objects from the Storm and Anniversary wrecks waiting to be worked on. However, conservation activities for the LAMP sites have slowed down as we pack up and organize for the new building construction. There was also a little event called Hurricane Matthew that stifled conservation duties. We boarded up the Light [...]

What’s in a Collection? Grand Army of the Republic Button

amy.gress2023-03-28T12:44:58-04:00October 5th, 2016|

In this blog post we are taking a closer look at an artifact recovered from archaeological investigations at the Lighthouse in 1996. The small object pictured is a domed brass button with the letter G, A and R artistically embossed on the surface. The letter GAR refers to the Grand Army of the Republic. Front face of the GAR button. For those unfamiliar with this organization GAR was founded in Illinois, 1866 by [...]

Sifting through the muck

Sifting through the muck

amy.gress2016-09-28T08:00:17-04:00September 28th, 2016|

Every year, our research arm, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), heads out on the water to either survey for new wrecks, target test potential anomalies from said surveys or locate and excavate archaeological sites underwater. How exactly does LAMP work underwater and get the artifacts for the conservation team? Unlike a “traditional” land site, we cannot simply dig up the dirt and move it to the side with shovels and wheelbarrows. We instead do [...]

Conservation On The Move

Conservation On The Move

amy.gress2016-08-24T08:00:48-04:00August 24th, 2016|

The most exciting news around the Lighthouse these days is the imminent construction of new buildings for archaeology and conservation. The new Maritime Archaeology & Education Center will be approximately 2,500 square feet dedicated to offices, public education, exhibits and laboratory space. This community facility will be a welcome addition to the Lighthouse grounds and a fantastic experience for the guests. « Learn more about the Maritime Archaeology & Education Center and see a video from First [...]

2016 Field School Conservation Work

2016 Field School Conservation Work

amy.gress2016-07-27T08:00:19-04:00July 27th, 2016|

Summer is winding down and the 2016 Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) field school has successfully concluded. This year we had 12 students from across the country come to the Lighthouse. They came to learn about underwater archaeology, enhance their diving skills and help excavate our new Anniversary Wreck site. They also were able to learn about the important work that goes on post-field school, such as public outreach and conservation. With such a large [...]

Saying Goodbye to the Rudder

amy.gress2016-06-29T02:00:58-04:00June 29th, 2016|

Ordinarily, in the conservation blog posts, new artifacts are discussed. Ones being worked on or items that have been finished and are ready to join the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum collection. However, this month’s post is about an artifact that is leaving our grounds and heading back from whence it came. In October 2005, a large northeaster hit the First Coast area. Because of the wind and storm surges, large shipwreck timbers were [...]

Continuing Conservation: The Beat Goes On!

Continuing Conservation: The Beat Goes On!

amy.gress2016-05-25T08:00:38-04:00May 25th, 2016|

In the previous blogs, I have discussed the varied and lengthy conservation techniques of Storm Wreck pieces. Typically, these methods start from the moment a site is discovered and an artifact is disturbed. Once the immediate environment and surroundings have changed, an artifact will start going through new corrosion changes. Students and/or LAMP divers have to treat objects very carefully underwater while they are dredging and carrying them up to the surface. Once on the [...]

Wrecked! Uncover the Secrets Behind Artifact Conservation

Wrecked! Uncover the Secrets Behind Artifact Conservation

amy.gress2020-01-14T11:50:40-05:00April 20th, 2016|

How do you restore an artifact that's been on the ocean floor for over 200 years? From the moment we began excavating the 1782 British loyalist shipwreck off St. Augustine's coast in 2010, our team of archaeological conservators faced the monumental task of cleaning up all of the recovered artifacts. Over the six field seasons spent diving on this wreck, now the subject of our new Wrecked! exhibition, more than 600 artifacts were recovered. Each one requires [...]

Conservation

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