Hi everyone!

My name is Kim, and I’m an intern at The Mariners’ Museum and Park in the Batten Conservation Complex this summer. I’m currently working towards my master’s degree in archaeological conservation at Cardiff University and am completing this internship as a requirement for my degree. My specialization is primarily focused on the conservation of marine archaeological artifacts. What better place than the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners’ Museum and Park! For those of you who follow the blog, I am in good company in the lab with assistant conservators Leslie and Laurie, two other Cardiff grads. I’m looking forward to spending my summer in Newport News and working on Monitor artifacts!

I will be working on several projects this summer, including the continued treatment of a few Monitor artifacts: small iron artifacts (studs, nuts, keys) from the port cannon carriage, copper alloy hammer from the starboard cannon, wood handle, and a concreted flange. More information about these treatments will be presented in a public lecture in August.

In addition to these treatments, I will also work alongside the rest of the Monitor team on some of the large artifacts in the “Tank Farm” and the turret later this summer. My second week is coming to a close, and it’s been a busy couple of weeks already! I’ve been fortunate enough to help Elsa and Laurie in the Tank Farm the last two weeks, removing artifacts from the tank and dry ice blasting them before resuming electrolysis.

The team has some fun conservation activities planned for this summer, so stay tuned for updates! Come see the large conservation tanks, and check our program of events with $1 admission to the museum all summer!