New York State Battleflag Conditions

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What do we know about the condition of New York’s Battle Flags?

• Most of the Civil War flags are in fair-to-poor condition
• All of New York’s battle flags are being damaged by the current method of display in the cases on the first floor of the Capitol
• The flags are crowded into cases in an uncontrolled environment
• Gravity is causing stresses on the rolled, vertical flags
• The flags became soiled from a century of exposure to dirt in the Capitol and the surrounding urban environment
• The flags, now wrapped in acid-free tissue for protection, were exposed to excessive amounts of light for over 100 years, which caused degradation of the fibers

Click on the images below to enlarge them

Two views of a crowded display case in the New State Capitol: 1997 on the left and 2000 on the right. During the fall of 2000, conservators wrapped the flags in acid-free tissue to protect them from light and dirt.

When flags are stored wrapped tightly around their staffs, they are damaged. Some flags in the Capitol collection have not been unrolled for over 130 years. The cloth tapes seen in this photograph were used to hold the rolled flags in place. Because they were too tight, they have caused the silk to break. The uneven color of this flag shows the pattern and extent of damage caused by light. At the microscopic level it is possible to see the effect of light damage on the fibers. Fibers that were originally long appear broken after exposure to light and hence the fabric is weaker.

This 1998 photograph shows flag fragments and soils accumulating in the bottom of this case, illustrating the ongoing deterioration of the flags.

Cotton and wool flags (such as the 101st Signal Battalion‘s flag, left) are in better condition than silk flags (such as the 111th Regiment’s flag, right). Light damages silk at a much faster rate than cotton or wool. Silk fabric is finer and more susceptible to damage when used as a flag.