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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

CSS Hampton's Flag Has Come Home to Norfolk

By now followers of our museum have probably become accustomed to what the national ensign of the Confederate States Gunboat Hampton looked like when it was officially accepted into the collection of the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2013.  It is what I like to call the "before" picture: 

The flag was not only desiccated from insufficient moisture, but it also suffered from an “acidic” environment caused by pollutants in the atmosphere.  It had also sustained damaging exposure to ultraviolet rays over the years.  Its loose and frayed hems have been painstakingly mended, its structural integrity has now been stabilized using archival-quality batting, and it is supported by its own frame.  This brings me to the "after" picture:



On Wednesday, the 22nd of April at 6 PM, this true rarity made its public debut in our main museum location at One Waterside Drive, inside Nauticus. 

Come and see it!


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1 comment:

  1. UnknownApril 23, 2015 at 4:55 PM

    I was there last night! A true gem that honors not only the CSS Hampton as a ship but also the spirit of men that built her right here in Hampton Roads at then Confederate held Gosport Navy Yard in 1862. The flag now resides less than a mile from its birth place. Also the various exhibits and displays at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum are like no other - "world class" because they are the real objects.

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