Readers of this blog will have noticed our determination to bring you as much news about the wreck of Costa Concordia as we can. Adam Frost has talked to you about the character of Captain Schettino, about the removal of the dead and of the thousands of tons of fuel from the hull of the ship, about the environmental threat that the hulk still poses for the delicate marine environment in which Concordia went down. We will continue to bring you updates on this most challenging salvage operation until the job is done.

In the upcoming days and weeks, however, Adam and others will be shifting the conversation to pick up on the energy surrounding SS United States. This year is the 60th anniversary of her launching and there seems to be a growing sense that this, the largest and last of the great 20th-century ocean liners, should be saved. The local importance of United States cannot be overstated, since she was built right here at Newport News Shipbuilding and many of those employees are still with us.

Check in with the web site for the SS United States Conservancy for updates on the efforts to save this beautiful vessel, and follow this blog for information about United States from our collections that can be had no where else.