Mariners' Museum's USS Monitor Gun Turret is a Winner of the "Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts" Program

For Immediate Release

Mariners' Museum's USS Monitor Gun Turret is a Winner of the "Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts" Program
Nearly 100,000 votes cast by the public in program designed to create awareness of historic preservation.

Newport News, Va (November 3, 2011) – The Mariners’ Museum is pleased to announce that its nomination to the 2011 Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program, the USS Monitor’s gun turret, was selected as one of Virginia’s Top Ten Endangered Artifacts. More than 100,000 votes were cast by the public for all the nominations.

The program was designed and implemented by the Virginia Association of Museums to create awareness of the importance of preserving artifacts in the care of museums, libraries, and archives throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Mariners’ Museum was named by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the official repository for USS Monitor artifacts in 1987. In 2007, the Museum opened the $30-million USS Monitor Center, which houses artifacts including the Monitor’s iconic revolving gun turret. The Center is also home to the Batten Conservation Laboratory Complex. Both the USS Monitor Center and the Batten Complex were made possible by significant federal funding through NOAA.

The Mariners’ Museum submitted its application in light of the significant conservation challenges to Monitor artifacts and long-term funding uncertainties. Conserving some artifacts will take up to two decades.

“These precious artifacts suffer from two primary threats: The negative effects of 140 years of exposure to the corrosive waters of the Atlantic, and significant cuts to the federal funding that has sustained this project over the past 15 years,” said David Krop, Monitor Conservation Project Manager. “The support we have received from NOAA over the years has been critical to the success of this project and will continue to be critical to its future success.”

“All items on the VAM Top 10 Endangered Artifacts List, including USS Monitor’s revolving gun turret, require permanent care,” said Anna Holloway, The Mariners’ Museum’s Vice-President for Collections and Programs, and the curator for the USS Monitor Center. “The Mariners’ Museum, NOAA and these other great organizations are endeavoring to preserve these one-of-a-kind artifacts for future generations.”

Read more about the winning objects and view photographs of all nominations at www.vatop10artifacts.org.

About the Program

Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts is a project of the Virginia Collections Initiative and the Virginia Association of Museums and is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.

It also serves to complement Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Sites program organized by Preservation Virginia, a major partner in this program, and their outstanding work to recognize our irreplaceable historic places. (www.preservationvirginia.org/endangeredsites/)

For more information:
Contact: John Warren
(757) 591-7746
E-mail: pr@MarinersMuseum.org 

The Mariners' Museum, an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Association of Museums, preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings and other maritime artifacts. The museum is open from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M. Wednesday through Saturday, and 12 to 5 P.M. Sunday. It will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For information, visit www.MarinersMuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222 or (800) 581-7245, or write to The Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.

The Mariners' Museum and The South Street Seaport Museum of New York City are partners in America's National Maritime Museum, an innovative alliance recognized by an act of Congress in June 1998 to share collections, exhibitions, educational programs, publications, and other endeavors.