This project therefore necessitated an exceptional amount of co-operation between the various parties in order that both building and submarine progressed according to schedule. Financial and commercial factors meant that the step-by-step preparation of the boat had to be fitted around the dynamics of the building construction work. For example internally operational submarines past and present are painted white so as to maximize the working light for the crew inside, so in about two thirds of the internal space of Holland I is painted white, but, where there was no real interpretation benefit we have used the wax sealant. The areas chosen had to be in exceptionally good condition so that the paint would look right and was done primarily in order to enhance visitors understanding of the submarine. However some parts of the original paint were restored. Traditional restoration has until Holland I been the approach and in some cases this does not produce the best strategy for conservation. No large twentieth century maritime artifact had been treated in this way before. However the Museum chose to seal the hull with a wax finish frequently used by archaeological conservators in order to protect the surface of the submarine but also to show the true state of the metal - the wax is like a varnish or lacquer and clearly shows all the detailed ageing. Conventional restoration would have seen the hull extensively filled, patched and painted - largely disguising the reality of its aged and corroded state. Previous interference/restorations would not be reversed or disguisedĪn example of the conservation approach is the hull of the submarine which has a rough weathered appearance and is no longer in a sea worthy condition.There would be minimal restoration of both surface finishes and component parts.The key points on innovation in regard to the conservation plan are as follows: Designs were now prepared for a purpose built environmentally controlled gallery in which to house the submarineAt the same time a plan was prepared by the Museum curator working in partnership with freelance museum conservator Ian Clark for the remedial conservation and display of the submarine. In 2001 the chloride removal process was considered to be complete. The submarine spent five years soaking inside a purpose built glass fibre tank built around the vessel. For Holland I the Museum adopted a passive soaking process that would take much longer but which carried less risk. Experiments with active electrolysis to treat corroding objects had in some instances caused considerable damage. A major concern was that the process itself could damage the artifact. A process typically carried out on the laboratory workbench had to be scaled up a thousand times. The methodology of chloride extraction was well established with respect to archaeological and marine artifacts, however the treatment of an historic object the size of Holland I (120 tons, 16.3 x 3.3 m) was a major innovation. The Museum adopted the strategy of (1) reducing the chlorides levels of the vessel and therefore reducing the sensitivity of the submarine to air and water and (2) building an environmentally controlled gallery for the long term display of the vessel where moisture levels could be strictly controlled. Chloride sponsored corrosion in iron and steel proceeds approximately five times the rate of corrosion where chloride levels are low. The corrosion of Holland I was particularly acute because the vessel had absorbed high levels of chloride during the 69 years spent as a wreck on the seabed. The conservation process outlined below began in 1995 and was completed in June 2001 The Museum recognized that a sophisticated conservation package was needed if the vessel was to be preserved for the long term. In 1993, after eleven years on open-air display at the Museum, it became apparent that chloride-sponsored corrosion was causing the rapid deterioration of the submarine. The Royal Navy's first submarine launched in 1901 was salvaged from the seabed by the Museum in 1982. PO12 Conservation of the submarine "Holland I"
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