National Air and Space Museum Collections Care

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is a museum in Washington D.C. which is a part of the Smithsonian Institution. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, the institution is dedicated to human flight and space exploration. Its current location on the National Mall near L’Enfant Plaza opened to the public in 1976 and displays only a small fraction of the institute’s collection of aircraft and large space objects. Several of the objects not on display are housed in a vast hanger known as the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, which was specially constructed for the collection in 1993. The center also houses the museum’s conservation labs. Additional NASM artifacts from America’s military and space history are housed at their Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

EverGreene has a longstanding relationship with NASM, performing conditions assessments and implementing comprehensive treatment plans for objects and artifacts within their collection. Prior to beginning work, each piece is assessed and pre-treatment reports are created to detail conditions and outline treatment programs.

Artifact Conservation

Corona KH-4B Satellite Spy Camera: This satellite camera was designed to provide images of Soviet sites by using rotating cameras to produce high resolution panoramic film images on film. NASM has the only known surviving example of a Corona Camera on exhibit. EverGreene was contracted to assess and conserve the object at our studio. The satellite were disassembled, including the film canisters, nosecone, film transfer devices, and heat shield. Each element was thoroughly cleaned with brushes and vacuums with HEPA filters, as well as aqueous cleaned with detergents. Battery terminals were cleaned and isolated to avoid on-going deterioration. Corroding materials were removed or stabilized and treated with metal brighteners and corrosion inhibitors. The nosecone was polished and the ablative heat shield was filled, and in-painted.

Rocket, Missile Stands & Launchers, Garber Facility: EverGreene has treated several objects at the NASM Garber Facility, including Little John Rocket Launcher, Corporal Rocket Launcher, Mobile Missile Launcher, and Rocket Engine Stand. Conservation treatments included cleaning of failed coatings and loose corrosion products, removal of rust, application of corrosion inhibitors and powder coating using original specified paint colors. Each artifact was stripped of parts by the NASM staff prior to work being carried out. We transported each stand or launcher from the facility, treated each as specified, and returned the finished artifacts to the museum upon the completion of work.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Aircraft: This vast hanger-like structure houses much larger galleries where iconic planes, including the Enola Gay, a Concorde, an SR-71, a Space Shuttle Orbiter, and other historic planes could be displayed. Many are hung from the ceiling in a dramatic display within the cavernous space. EverGreene has been contracted by the Museum to perform regular cleaning of the 144 historic aircrafts and spacecrafts on a cyclical basis. Cleaning is performed with care to avoid damaging the historic paint and metal surfaces. This complex task requires safely navigating boom lifts between the tightly packed aircraft to reach all of the surfaces of the planes and scheduling the work to be completed before the museum opens to the public each day. Once a cycle is complete, which requires approximately 6 weeks, we begin the process over again.

Art Conservation

Ad Astra Sculpture: This 114 feet of stainless steel abstract artwork by Richard Lippold that has been standing at the Jefferson Drive entrance to NASM since 1976. EverGreene oversaw the dismantling and temporary storage of the sculpture in preparation for expansion and revitalization at NASM. We studied original documentation, documented the conditions of the sculpture, made recommendations to the client, and planned and executed the removal of the sculpture. We then facilitated its reinstallation once the foundation’s site work was complete.

National Air & Space Museum Murals: EverGreene addressed five monumental murals at NASM as a part of a major renovation of its exhibition and presentation spaces. The murals had been created for the museum during its construction in the mid-1970s and include:

• Weather
• The Evolution of Jet Aviation
• Fortress Under Fire
• Earth Flight Environment
• A Cosmic View

All five were removed and treated for asbestos containing materials (ACM), but only The Evolution of Jet Aviation was not reinstalled and conserved. We assessed, documented, and developed a plan to safely remove murals from the walls. Custom-designed enclosed scaffolding with negative-air containment, along with appropriate PPE, was used to mitigate exposure to ACM in the wall substrate. Murals were removed in 10-foot sections, rolled onto large sonotubes, and safely transported to our studio. A clean containment room was constructed in our studio so excess hazardous ACM wall materials could be removed from the back of each canvas. After cleaning and testing to confirm the absence of any ACM, the murals were rerolled in archival materials, crated, and returned to the Museum for storage. Once work on the renovations was complete the four murals were reinstalled. A team of five specialists carefully aligned and adhered each section of the monumental murals onto the newly refinished gallery walls. The seams in between canvas panels were restored, minor damage addressed, and a painted trim was added to frame each mural.