Preserving Pearl Harbor Documents Over the years, many of the sealed envelopes were opened by NARA staff responsible for answering reference requests. Unaware of their potential artifactual value, many of the rusted metal fasteners were removed and discarded. Today, as staff of Preservation Programs work to document and preserve these records, they are still being removed, but are being maintained as a part of the record. The photo above shows a closeup of small rocks found inside the Robert Niven Frizzell record. These rocks may have been introduced into the record during the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941. (ARC Series #299693) We in St. Louis are honored to be able to work with these records. While we gain insight into the damage that occurred that day by examining the physical aspects of the documents, we also learn about the individuals who served on board that day. Walter Hampton Lewis had a kewpie doll tattoo on his chest and had just been divorced by his wife. Curtis James Haynes left a despairing fiancée who wrote to the Navy in April, “I refuse to believe that he is gone until I hear it from some official source.” The damage to these records we preserve is as unique as each individual each record represents. Note: This is the final post in a series on conservation of Pearl Harbor documents.
Pop-upView Separately

Preserving Pearl Harbor Documents

Over the years, many of the sealed envelopes were opened by NARA staff responsible for answering reference requests. Unaware of their potential artifactual value, many of the rusted metal fasteners were removed and discarded. Today, as staff of Preservation Programs work to document and preserve these records, they are still being removed, but are being maintained as a part of the record.

The photo above shows a closeup of small rocks found inside the Robert Niven Frizzell record. These rocks may have been introduced into the record during the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941. (ARC Series #299693)

We in St. Louis are honored to be able to work with these records. While we gain insight into the damage that occurred that day by examining the physical aspects of the documents, we also learn about the individuals who served on board that day. Walter Hampton Lewis had a kewpie doll tattoo on his chest and had just been divorced by his wife. Curtis James Haynes left a despairing fiancée who wrote to the Navy in April, “I refuse to believe that he is gone until I hear it from some official source.” The damage to these records we preserve is as unique as each individual each record represents.

Note: This is the final post in a series on conservation of Pearl Harbor documents.

61 Notes/ Hide

  1. apollosglare reblogged this from preservearchives
  2. rrrrandomramblings reblogged this from preservearchives
  3. pathofmyself reblogged this from preservearchives
  4. This was featured in #History
  5. rainbowsandscholarship reblogged this from preservearchives
  6. trainsvestite reblogged this from preservearchives
  7. chartophylax reblogged this from preservearchives
  8. abookandatardis reblogged this from preservearchives
  9. middlemarching reblogged this from preservearchives
  10. dakreeeets reblogged this from preservearchives
  11. preservearchives posted this