Blog - Varnum Continentals

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Thomas Nichols Letter at the Varnum Armory … a Stunning 18th-Century African American Artifact

February 11, 2021 By Patrick Donovan

Tired and tempted to just throw it all away, I stuck my hand one more time into a large moldy cardboard box filled with random receipts, notes, and other mid-20th-century detritus. It had belonged to one of our founding members who had long since passed. Digging through this old box was part of a (still on-going) gargantuan effort to properly re-pack everything in storage at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum located at 6 Main St. here in East Greenwich, RI.

Anyway, I grabbed another fistful of paper from the box. But, this time, my fingers felt something… different… OLD paper? I carefully pulled it out. This was clearly 18th-century paper and it appeared to be a letter. Torn in four pieces, the fragile document had been crudely glued to a more modern piece of white paper. What I read, blew my mind.

Thomas Nichols Letter After Conservation

The following transcription contains the letter’s original spelling, punctuation, and grammar:

“Windham January 18th 1781

Onered Master & Mistress I take this opportunity to inform you of my citiation att this time & desire your ade = after I drove 3 waggons as far as Windham I hade waggoner tookaway my badge of driving & ordered me to gard ye waggons which I refused & turned back to colonel green att Covintree & ye wagoner sent back two men after me Ye Colonal did not blame me but told ye men and me to go on again & that I should take my waggon again but being over worried with this tramp I got but 3 miles further than where I left ye waggons in So. Windham att ye house of one Dan Murdock where I have been confined with my old fits But have good care taken of me But I have a desire to Return to you Not having any money Nor Clows fit to wair & all strangers to me makes it something difficult for me I have had a Doctor and a Surgans mate to me which advize me to go to xxx corps of invalids at Boston where I may be under half pay During Life Remaining in this poor State of Body But I ante able to go thether Neither do I incline to with out advice from you But I have a desire that Master or Mistress would go to Colonel Green & see if you cant git me Discharged from ye War, it being very Disagreabell to my mind as well as Destructive to my helth I suppose I could ride on a horse or att least in a Slay if you could obtain a Discharge for me So that I may Return to my Master and his family again baring[?] the will of god & your pleasure So No more att this time But I Remain your humble & dutiful Thomas ‘N’ His mark

December 31 1780 These lines I recv’d from ye Surgeon’s mate where as Thomas Nickols a soldier belonging to ye first Regiment in Rhode Island State hath been for some time attended with fits in this place & still likely to Remain unfit for military life”

Freed from enslavement in exchange for his service in Colonel Christopher Greene’s First Rhode Island Regiment, African American Thomas Nichols had written (by dictating to an unknown person) this letter to his former “master and mistress”, Benjamin & Phoebe Nichols of Warwick, RI. They owned a farm near the town line with East Greenwich at the time. Thomas is asking for their help in getting a discharge from service since the Revolutionary War had been, as he said, “very disagreeable to [his] mind as well as destructive to [his] health.” Thomas signs the letter with his mark, “N”, making it clear that he had dictated it to someone else. Perhaps the scribe was the surgeon’s mate, who is mentioned at the end of the letter as having received “these lines” and noting that Thomas is unfit for continued military service and will likely remain so into the future. It’s not clear if “these lines” refer to the preceding or subsequent content (or both?). I think “these lines” refers to the statement starting with “whereas…”.

Sadly, Thomas would not be granted a discharge. Instead, he was transferred on March 1, 1781 to the Corps of Invalids – at half pay – then located at Boston, MA. The Invalid Corps was created as a means for sick or wounded soldiers to continue to serve (mostly as guards) if their condition was deemed not too severe. Although both a doctor and surgeon’s mate had suggested he go to the Invalid Corps, Thomas said he didn’t want to go without first getting advice from his former master. However, we do not know if Benjamin or Phoebe Nichols ever responded to his plea for help. What happened to Thomas after his transfer is also not known. What did he do in the Invalid Corps? Did he survive the Revolutionary War? Did he return home and live out his life as a free man? Did he marry and have a family? Are there direct descendants alive today? I’m still hoping to find answers to these questions and more.

We do know that Thomas became free from enslavement when he enlisted into the 1st Rhode Island Regiment on May 22, 1778 at Warwick, RI. He went through training and drill in East Greenwich, RI. After the devastation of the Philadelphia campaign and the long winter at Valley Forge, General James Mitchell Varnum of East Greenwich had presented to General Washington a plan to raise more troops in Rhode Island by granting freedom to enslaved people in exchange for their service. Washington did not oppose the plan. The Rhode Island General Assembly soon put it into law and included a provision to pay slaveholders for the loss of their “property”. The policy to allow “every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave” to serve turned out to be quite unpopular. And so, the policy was ended in June of that same year. With only this small window of opportunity, less than 200 African Americans ended up serving in the unit.

First Rhode Island soldier at the Siege of Yorktown

Just 3 months after enlisting, Thomas would experience his first, and probably last, combat at the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29. After a failed attempt to besiege Newport and force the evacuation of the Crown forces from Aquidneck Island, American forces began withdrawing to the north. The green, untested 1st Rhode Island Regiment played a role in helping to hold off attacks by British and Hessian forces as the main American force under General Sullivan’s command retreated. The 1st Rhode Island had 3 men killed, 9 wounded, and 11 were missing in action. Thomas Nichols was among the wounded. How he was wounded and how severely is unknown. This combat experience may very well be the explanation for the mentions of his “old fits”. Perhaps there was some sort of neurological damage caused by a Crown musket ball. And/or maybe the experience left him mentally affected. He did say specifically that “War [was] very disagreeable to [his] mind…”.

This letter, written 2 years after the Battle of Rhode Island, is emotionally charged. He pitifully says he has “no money nor clothes fit to wear”. And reading that everyone is a stranger to him leaves me with the impression he is feeling helpless, scared, and alone. You can’t help but feel sad for Thomas’s plight and his desperate wish to go home. How bad could things have been for him to wish he could “return to [his] Master”? Did Thomas know whether this meant returning to a state of enslavement? Was he suffering from PTSD?

Recent tour and viewing of Thomas Nichols letter

Historical letters and documents can raise more questions than they answer sometimes. Regardless, this ragged old little piece of paper gives us an incredibly rare and unique view inside the life of a Black soldier serving and fighting for the American cause in its War of Independence. Roughly 7,000 African Americans served that cause between 1775 and 1783.

It is worth noting that very little material culture and written records exist today from the Revolutionary War compared to more recent military conflicts. This lack of primary source material makes it much more difficult for us to have a full and accurate understanding of our shared birth and national development as Americans. As you might imagine, there is even less original source material related to the experiences of people of color and their important contributions during this period. Because of all this, we believe that this letter a national treasure.

This astoundingly rare artifact highlighting the horrors, misery, and drudgery of war has been conserved by a professional document conservator and properly framed for long-term display. This work was generously funded by the Rhode Island Sons of the American Revolution. It is now on display in our 18th Century Room at the Varnum Armory Museum.

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Rhode Island’s Namesake Warships: Past, Present, and (Maybe) Future

February 9, 2021 By Brian Wallin

***“Continental Navy Sloop “Providence”, née “Katy”***

Rhode Island (and especially East Greenwich, RI) is justifiably proud of its reputation as the birthplace of the American Navy. On June 12, 1772, the General Assembly created the first formal colonial navy by authorizing two vessels, the flagship Katy and the gunboat Washington and placed them under the command of Captain (later Commodore) Abraham Whipple. On June 15, 1775, Whipple and the men of the Katy captured the tender to the notorious HMS Rose off Jamestown, RI. The Katy would be taken into the Continental Navy when it was established in 1775 and renamed Providence. But it was not until the American Civil War, that the Ocean State would have a warship named in its honor. The tradition has continued into the 21^st century… and maybe beyond.

The first ship to bear the name Rhode Island was a side-wheeler, built in New York as the commercial steamship John P. King. She was launched in 1860 and soon after was serious damaged by fire. Rebuilt and renamed Eagle, she was purchased by the Navy in June of 1861 and commissioned USS Rhode Island. She served primarily as a supply ship operating out of various ports on the East Coast (she also called in her namesake state visiting Newport, RI). She did engage and capture the Confederate blockade runner Venus and later caused a British contraband carrier ashore in 1862.

***Engraving of USS Monitor sinking, with USS Rhode Island in the background***

But, Rhode Island entered the history books in December of 1862. She had been ordered to tow the USS Monitor from Virginia to North Carolina. On the night of December 31, the two ships ran into stormy seas. The low-freeboard Monitor quickly began to take on water. The crew could not control the flooding with pumps and the vessel foundered and sank, taking 12 sailors and four officers to their deaths. The crew of the Rhode Island was credited with saving 47 men including the Monitor’s captain, John Bankhead, the last man off the sinking warship. The Monitor lay in her watery grave until August of 1973 when she was found. Over the next decades, a combination of government and private organizations worked to recover artifacts. Portions of the ship have undergone extensive conservation efforts, which continue. The remains of several of the crew were interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors in 2013. But what of the Rhode Island?

***USS Rhode Island anchored off Newport, RI, in 1866***

Several of the Rhode Island’s crew were awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor in the incident. After the loss of the Monitor, the 236-foot Rhode Island was converted to an auxiliary cruiser and armed with one 11-inch and eight 8-inch guns, a 30-pound Parrot rifle and a 12-pounder rifle. She went on to serve out the war along the Atlantic Coast, capturing another blockade runner in 1864 and taking part in the naval assault on Fort Fisher in 1865. In 1867, she was decommissioned and returned to commercial service as the SS Charleston and was finally abandoned in 1885.

***USS Rhode Island (BB-17) with original masts, c. 1906***

The second warship to bear the name USS Rhode Island (BB-17), was a state-of-the-art battleship launched at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1904. At her launching, she ran aground in a mud bank and it took two days to free her. She was commissioned on February 19, 1906 in time to participate in the round-the-world cruise of the Great White Fleet. The 16-thousand ton Rhode Island, manned by a crew of 812, carried four 12-inch guns in twin fore and aft turrets and eight 8-inch guns. She also carried a number of smaller caliber guns for close-in defense and, typical of battleship design of the times, carried four 21-inch submerged torpedo tubes. She could achieve a top speed of 19 knots from her twin, triple expansion steam engines that generated 19-thousand horsepower to her twin screws. Although she was launched with heavy masts, these were replaced with the familiar cage masts of the pre-World War II battleships.

***USS Rhode Island (BB-17) moored off Newport Navy Base, circa 1910***

She spent the bulk of her service life in the Atlantic Fleet in training activities and was sent to the Caribbean on two occasions between 1914 and 1916 to show the flag during the Mexican Revolution. Rhode Island served in anti-submarine patrols along the Atlantic coastline during World War I. At the end of hostilities, she brought home more than five thousand American troops in five crossings from Europe. She was briefly transferred to the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet in 1919, before being decommissioned a year later. Rhode Island fell victim to the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1923 and was sold for scrap on November of that year. Her ship’s bell remains on display at the Rhode Island State House.

***USS Rhode Island (BB-17) Bell at the RI State House***

No capital ship bore the name of the Ocean State in World War II, and it was not until July 9, 1994 that the Navy commissioned an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine as USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740). At 16-thousand tons and built at Electric Boat, she displaces as much as her early 20^th century battleship namesake and 560 feet in length is over a hundred feet longer. She carries Mk48 torpedoes and is armed with 24 Trident II ballistic missiles. Also, Stephen Colbert made the submarine the official vessel of his satirical television show back in 2007 after the crew sent him photos of a “Colbert Nation” poster taken in various (unclassified) areas of the sub (one of the ship’s crew was engaged to Colbert’s cousin).

During her service, Rhode Island has earned a coveted Battle “E” for Submarine Squadron 20 and the Omaha Trophy for superior performance and Fleet standards in strategic deterrence. She underwent nuclear refueling and modernization in 2018. In 2019, she launched an unarmed Trident II off Cape Canaveral, marking the 172^nd consecutive successful submarine-launching of a ballistic (SBLM) test flight. Rhode Island is currently home-ported at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia.

***USS Rhode Island performing the 172nd successful test flight of the Trident II D5 missile***

But what will the future hold? Here, imagination takes over. Now that the United States military has a Space Force, maybe there will be a futuristic vessel named in our state’s honor. At least, that was the thinking of creative minds in Hollywood.

Meet the starship USS Rhode Island NCC-72701. Back in 2001, in the 7^th season of the series “Star Trek: Voyager” titled “Endgame” (the series finale), viewers were introduced to the Nova-class science ship Rhode Island. According to her fictional biography, she entered service in the year 2409 and was armed with phasers and photon torpedoes (even though she was a science ship, things were wild and wooly in outer space).

***USS Rhode Island from the “Star Trek: Voyager” TV series***

She was also the first of her class to be equipped with a photonic displacer module, capable of generating a holographic sensor decoy to fool enemy craft. Rhode Island was also capable of modifying its hull appearance to further stymie opponents. All of that seems to question where her role as a science vessel ended and as a warcraft began. But, that is up to the imagination of science fiction writers, and besides, one really doesn’t have to be concerned for another four centuries or so.

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] New Display Cases at the Armory

January 9, 2021 By James Mitchell Varnum

At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, our new display case is coming along nicely. Most of its contents are related to the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, our state’s first volunteer infantry regiment to fight in the American Civil War.

Exhibit Space Renovations at the Varnum Armory

December 31, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, we have launched an exciting new project to build new, professional exhibit displays. This includes new blackout shades to restricts ultra-violet from damaging our historic documents, dyed textiles, and original photos. We are also laying out displays before the new display cases arrive.

The Varnum Memorial Armory Museum will be closed for tours as we do this work over the next month or so.

***Moving old displays out of the room provides the opportunity for a deep clean.***

***Installing blackout shades to preserve out exhibits.***

***Experimenting with exhibit layouts before the new display cases arrive.***

**And here are the new display cases, on long-term loan from the Naval War College in Newport, RI.**

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Caring for the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum’s Treasured Artifacts: Conservator Maria Vazquez

December 31, 2020 By Brian Wallin

Since our founding in 1907, the Varnum Continentals have collected artifacts representative of our national and local military history. For many years, numerous items were simply stored away. In recent years, the board of trustees has made a concerted effort to review the collection, identify items appropriate to our historic mission and present them to our visitors to reflect the chronology of military history from the pre-Revolutionary period to the more recent past.

A key aspect is the conservation of artifacts ensuring they are properly preserved. Our collection includes firearms, bladed weapons, and personal gear used by soldiers. Many soft goods, such as flags and uniforms, require a special type of conservation expertise.

And, it is here that the Varnum Continentals have gained the valued presence Maria Vazquez, a highly skilled textile conservator as a member of our volunteer family.

Maria Vazquez stands with the musician’s uniform coat of Bugler William Lewis of Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. He is also shown in an albumen photo wearing the same coat. Lewis was mortally wounded at the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek while heroically recapturing one of his battery’s guns. The coat is on a two-year loan to the Varnum Continentals from Pamplin Historical Park, a national museum in Petersburg, VA. Maria cleaned and repaired the garment as well as relocated buttons to conform to the original design. She made a custom form to mount it for long-term display. The Naval War College Museum is providing the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum with a mannequin display case.

Serendipity played a role in Maria’s coming to the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, according to Vice President and Armory Curator Patrick Donovan. “Our good friends at Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum in Warwick, RI, introduced her to me about 2 years ago,” he explained. “The museum owner, Anne Holst, knew that we had many 19^th and early 20^th century military textiles in need of attention and felt Maria would be interested in helping us since she was looking for volunteer opportunities to build her textile conservation resume.”

Patrick promptly invited Maria to visit the Armory Museum. Their first meeting encompassed more than two hours, during which they reviewed some of the collection and what needed to be done to preserve and improve them. She soon began her conservation of on the Armory Museum’s most historically-important military uniforms and flags.

“Maria ensures all our textiles are being stored and displayed properly” said Patrick. “She not only cleans and performs conservation work on them. She also creates the proper display for each item to exhibit them for the long term without harming the object.” He added that Maria’s presence as a member of the Varnum team has opened a number of doors for the future in terms of cooperation and sharing with some of our State’s and nation’s best institutions including the Naval War College Museum, Gettysburg National Military Park, Pamplin Historical Park, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and others.

In addition to literally saving our museum’s American Civil War uniform collection from devastating moth damage, Maria has been instrumental in our effort to save a group of historic flags from the Town of Bristol including what we now believe to be the oldest Colonial American flag in existence, the silk “Nathaniel Byfield” flag. Dating to circa 1690, this flag was the Colonel’s flag of Company A of the Bristol County Militia when Byfield was its commanding officer. He was an influential and wealthy judge at the time. He was also one of the original founders of the Town of Bristol. Patrick Donovan explained the significance of this acquisition, noting “this flag has been deemed a ‘national treasure’ as so few objects from this early period of our country’s history exist today.” The discovery and Maria’s conservation of this flag is the subject of a Rhode Island PBS documentary that is currently in production. It is expected to be broadcast in May of 2021.

***Maria Vazquez and Boston Museum of Fine Art conservator, Joy Bloser, discuss how to remove stains from the 17th Century “Byfield Flag”.***

The flag’s fragile condition and its historical importance has made this an extremely challenging project for Maria. But she is doing an amazing job. To help ensure success, the museum has consulted with several world-renowned conservators including the woman who conserved THE Star Spangled Banner itself (now on display at the Smithsonian). Completion of this project will be a tremendous accomplishment for both Maria bringing national attention to the Varnum organization.

Varnum News recently spoke with Maria about her passion for her profession and her contributions to the Armory Museum mission.

VARNUM NEWS: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you study?

MARIA VAZQUEZ: “I’m originally from Connecticut, but I live in Rhode Island now. I earned my Master of Science in Textile Conservation from the University of Rhode Island. I had applied to the University of Rhode Island to get my Masters in Historic Textiles and a textile conservation class was part of the curriculum. It was love at first sight. I didn’t realize that there were people that took care of these objects after they went into museums, or people that dressed mannequins for display. Organizing exhibitions to bring the stories of these objects to the public makes me really happy. Conservators are the caretakers for objects, but it also feels like we are the last voices these objects have.”

VN: What exactly is the role of a conservator? Are there specialty areas in the field?

MV: “A textile conservator’s role is as a custodian for textile objects. We analyze the objects to see if they need conservation, cleaning, or reversal of previous conservation in order to prevent deterioration and elongate the life of the objects we care for. We are trained to know what is best for these objects as far as their environment and hazards that might destroy them. Within textile conservation, you can specialize in various centuries of textiles. For instance, my area of expertise is textiles from 1780-1940. My concentration is in women’s clothing during that time period, but I’m learning a lot about men’s military uniforms and flags now as well.”

VN: What attracted you to working with the Armory collection?

MV: “Although my specialty has been with women’s clothing, military uniforms have always fascinated me because of the designs of the objects and what they have been through. I was eager to expand my expertise and try out a new area of my field.”

VN: How do you collaborate with the curator and other volunteers at the Armory?

MV: “Patrick, Tim Jackson, and I bounce ideas off of each other for fantastic things that we could do for exhibits as new objects come in and how we can help the public understand what people actually looked like from the various wars and time periods. We want to make their experience at the armory as immersive as possible, which tends to push us to make bigger and better displays: for instance, with the Lyman Aylesworth exhibit.”

“Patrick said that they had other pieces that belonged to him besides his coat, and I pointed out that we could mount them with the coat. When we needed a mount or stand made to help support the objects, we turned to Andy Santilli for his building skills and ingenious ideas. Patrick, Tim, Andy, and I come together to confer about ideas that we have for advanced displays, and there’s always someone with the expertise or an idea to solve any problem we’ve come up against. It’s a wonderful working environment of very supportive and caring individuals who are very passionate about this field. Another interesting item to restore was the saddle blanket used by (General Thomas) Chace.” (an East Greenwich resident, who commanded the 4^th Brigade of the Rhode Island Militia in the 1870’s).

VN: In acquisition of a potential artifact, is there a role for the conservator before the item is actually acquired?

MV: “Patrick will usually tell me about an object and any concerns he has for it before he acquires it. Sometimes, I can give him verification on an item’s authenticity or explain things that might make him hesitant. Most of the time, I need the object in front of me to confirm details about it because pictures can hide a lot.”

Patrick Donovan and Maria Vazquez are seen with three American Civil War uniforms conserved and mounted by the Varnum Armory for outside clients. The Confederate artillery general’s coat at the left is believed to have belonged to Edward Alexander, General Robert E. Lee’s Chief of Ordnance and Artillery. The center uniform belonged to Peter Schann of the 28th New Jersey regiment. It bears bullet holes and blood stains from the leg wound he sustained in the Battle of Chancellorsville. The third uniform also belonged to Schann who survived the war (and kept his leg), proudly retaining his original uniform as a symbol of his sacrifice and duty.

VN: The Armory has a number of uniforms, flags, etc., in storage at present. How do you go about choosing what item or artifact you want to work with?

MV: “Patrick has a spreadsheet of objects that are waiting for conservation in order of importance. When I first arrived, he wanted me to work on several Civil War uniforms and since then I’ve mostly had smaller projects to work on that can be completed within ten hours of work or so. That means that as new exciting objects come in to the museum, I can get them vacuumed, conserved, and mounted relatively quickly so they can go out on display.”

“After I finish the major flag project, I will have an opportunity to pick the new direction for my conservation at the museum. I’ll talk it over with Patrick and see what is in most dire need of re-mounting, but I’ll probably move on to working on all the dress forms in the World Wars Room. The Civil War Room required the most conservation time, so everything else will be less time consuming and go by more quickly. We have big plans for a LOT of uniforms being on display in the armory in the near future, so stay tuned.”

VN: Can you expand on a conservator’s role is determining what items can be conserved and to what degree? For example, to what degree is conservation appropriate and how do you decide?

MV: “Conservators consult with curators when conserving objects in order to understand the object’s history and how they want the object displayed, and whether it is possible or depending on the fragility of the object and how long it will be on display. For instance, a two-hundred-year-old uniform that has seen a lot of damage shouldn’t be mounted in a position where any of the seams are strained and might give out while on display. If a uniform has a bullet wound, it needs to be stabilized to prevent gravity from making the hole bigger or misshaping it, but the stabilization could be done in a contrasting color to highlight the hole, which allows it to be more obvious to the public, but also for the object to be safe for long-term display.”

VN: What is the most interesting, or perhaps unusual, project you have been involved in at the Armory?

MV: “We have a lot of objects with amazing stories that made them a pleasure to work with and bring to life. My favorite object is probably the wedding dress of Jesse Whalley’s wife. A local man who served in the Army in World War One, he was blinded in combat. His story is so moving that when his descendant mentioned some conservation necessary on the wedding dress, it was a pleasure to repair the modern damage done so that the dress can continue to be loved and passed down through their family. A kitten had gotten at the silk wedding dress, pulling at the belt, buttons, and pulling holes into the seams and skirt. I stitched a sheer silk organza behind the damaged areas to prevent them from getting worse and make it look like the damage never happened.”

VN: As noted earlier, the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum has entered into an agreement with the Town of Bristol to take custody of a number historic flags for restoration and then permanent loan to the museum. What is your role in this project?

MV: “The most impressive object that I’ve worked on is what we’re calling the Byfield Flag, which is purportedly the oldest Colonial American flag known to exist. The silk was shattering and badly wrinkled from being wrapped around its flag pole for forty years. The flag needed to be humidified before it could even be unrolled to allow the fibers to unroll flat without damaging the material. It then needed to be vacuumed delicately to prevent the loose pieces from moving away from their positions. The flag then needed to be pressed flat to move the weave back to where it wanted to lay without straining the seams and fringe. The flag was then sandwiched between two layers of silk crepe line so the damaged areas could be stabilized, the fringe could be straightened and the flag could be displayed flat.”

(Ed. Note: this project will be covered in the RIPBS documentary mentioned earlier).

VN: What tools and equipment are required for your work? What kind of environment is needed to conserve an item and how do you prepare an artifact to work on?

MV: “There are some unique tools, threads, and fabrics used specifically for conservation. All of the materials used for conservation have been tested by the AATCC (a national organization) to prove they won’t off-gas or deteriorate and cause damage to the textiles they are used with. Textiles need to be kept in a low relative humidity environment, ideally between 40 and 45%. Too low a humidity can caused textiles to break apart and too high can cause mold. Temperature is less important than humidity, but needs to be kept constant so the fibers aren’t expanding and contracting, which causes mechanical deterioration. I look over all the objects I work on to see if there’s any conservation necessary or new details about the object that I might notice and someone else hasn’t. I then clean off anything that won’t be picked up by a vacuum and vacuum it before conservation takes place and the object is mounted for display.”

Brendan Synnamon, expert appraiser for the Gettysburg National Memorial Park, joins Maria Vazquez and Andy Santilli to inspect a 32-star silk and cotton 1861 “Great Star” pattern flag after it was unfurled for the first time in some 40 years. It contains battle damage and what appear to be blood stains. It is believed the flag was given to Company H of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers when they left for Washington DC in 1861. The flag would have been carried at First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

VN: Are you also working with other organizations?

MV: “I am contacted by a variety of organizations such as museums, libraries, preservation societies, universities, colleagues, and auction houses for assistance with objects found or exhibits they want to put on display. For instance, the Bristol Historical Preservation Society asked me to organize, document, mount, and properly box their textile collection so that it could be displayed for exhibits, stored, and put into their database for easy searching. This led to the discovery of very special objects that they didn’t even know they had because they didn’t have a complete inventory.”

“The biggest museum I’ve ever done work for was the New York Historical Society that had me install a dress, wig, and turban for the Dolley Madison exhibit (2016). I custom made the wig to match one of Dolley Madison’s portraits and the experience was pretty epic.”

VN: What has working here at the Armory Museum meant to you?

MV: “Working at the Varnum Armory has given me a chance to network with a wide range of individuals and organizations, which has also helped museums across Rhode Island. Small organizations don’t have access to their own textile conservators; helping the history of the entire state of Rhode Island, instead of just one small part of it, is extremely rewarding. All of these interactions have benefitted me professionally because they have gotten my name out there for work and got me jobs to work on which are historically, extremely significant, and that has led to being a part of several PBS television shows catapulting my career further. I appreciate the Varnum Armory, and all its volunteers, for everything they do for me and I hope to continue to give back to the museum for many years to come.”

Patrick Donovan emphasized the importance of Maria’s presence on the Varnum team. “A key function is to ensure all the museum’s textiles and are being restored, and either stored or safely and properly displayed,” he said. “Her great experience gives our organization a lot of credibility in the museum and conservation world. This is opening a lot of doors for us,” added Patrick. “Maria’s contribution as a conservator, caring for the Varnum collection, is not only an important aspect to the Continental’s mission to preserve and share RI military history. It also allows us to serve as a preservation resource for other local organizations.”

Patrick emphasized the significance of having a conservator explaining that it is part of his effort as Curator to further professionalize the museum. It has drawn the attention of libraries, historical societies, and other museums in the area. “By amplifying these capabilities through our social media channels with the important help of Varnum Trustee and Webmaster, John D. Harvey, our reputation as a serious and capable institution has really blossomed,” he said. “By showing how truly important we are to the education and preservation of an important and interesting segment of Rhode Island’s history, we increase the public value of our organization. And this will only help us when it comes to funding and applying for grants in the future.”

The Armory Vice President expanded on the value of an in-house conservator. “We are now frequently involved with consulting and conservation services for other organizations since the word has gotten out that we have this in house expertise. It also gives donors and lending institutions confidence in our ability to properly care for our museum collection,” he said. “It is a sign of maturity. Having a textile conservator as part of our team has directly led to the acquisition of some major new Rhode Island military history artifacts. In fact, we just closed a long term loan with a family in Tennessee for an epic collection of Rhode Island artifacts from the Civil War.” He added that it was the ability to do conservation on uniforms that really helped convince the family to make the loan to the Varnum Armory Museum.

Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in a recent commentary on the role of conservators said that the preservation of vital artifacts is “a complex process involving intensive cleaning, painstaking repair, (and) storage in a controlled and safe environment.” This is now possible right within the Varnum Armory Museum (and the Varnum House Museum) thanks to our dedicated volunteer team. The importance of Maria Vazquez in this process is reflected in Secretary Bunch’s remarks speaking to the much larger conservation commitment of the Smithsonian. “Conservation ensures that our cultural and natural heritage will come alive for future scholars, students and citizens.” And that, thanks to Maria Vazquez, is now reflected right here within the Varnum organization. The Varnum Conservation Lab is, in effect, a new branch of the Varnum Continentals that we can all be very proud of.

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Protecting the Troops: Evolution of the German Combat Helmet

November 16, 2020 By Brian Wallin

Historically, armies have gone to war wearing a variety of protective gear, including forms of head coverings. But it took World War I’s rapid evolution of weapons and their destructive power to introduce the modern metal helmet. The collection of the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum contains a significant array of head coverings from combatants on all sides ranging from the American Revolution through the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II, and into the recent past.

Pickelhaube helmets — ***Pickelhaube Helmets*** ***at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum***

World War I, however, brought dramatic changes in the way troops were protected from head injuries. Within a week of the June 27, 1914 assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, thanks to the intricate arrangements of mutual military pacts, with Germany right in the center, Europe was plunged headlong into a conflict that would result in the deaths of millions and sow the seeds of a second world conflict some two decades later.

***German 27th Engineer Helmet and Gear***

Soldiers in 1914 went to war wearing uniforms more appropriate to the 19^th century parade ground than the battleground. Cloth caps were common among armies, better suited to defend against a saber slash than shrapnel. For example, German troops and their allies wore the “Pickelhaube” or “pickax bonnet” introduced in the mid 19^th century and used by armies in Europe and beyond (in fact, these are still worn in some countries for ceremonial purposes). The Varnum Armory’s “World Wars Room” houses a collection of these hardened leather helmets that were often decorated with a horsehair plume atop the spike and carried a polished metal unit ornament on the front. Varnum Trustee, Museum Armorer, and Army veteran Tim Jackson pointed out one example from the Armory collection that would have been worn by the German 27^th Engineer Regiment, along with several tools and a “broom handle” Mauser pistol and “potato masher” grenade carried by the engineers. “A cloth cover was often used to dull the shiny finish and ornamental decoration on the helmet”, he noted.

“The unprecedented carnage of the early war years quickly demonstrated to all combatants that sturdier head protection was vital” Jackson said. The French quickly recognized this importance. In 1915, they began issuing a steel combat helmet, known as the Adrian, to millions of Frenchmen in the trenches (some arriving U.S. troops were given Adrians until supplies of the Americans’ helmets arrived in quantity). The M15 Adrian helmet, credited to Indentent-General August-Louis Adrian, was recognized as one of the best designs of the period, with some 20-million manufactured and used by many other countries.

Interestingly, a recent study by scientists at Duke University demonstrated that the head injury protection offered by contemporary helmets does not differ much from their World War I-era ancestors. In fact, laboratory experiments determined that the Adrian proved to be more effective in protecting from brain trauma caused by direct overhead blasts than their contemporary counterparts. However, the Adrian was not intended to protect the wearer from a direct hit by a bullet. After World War I, the Adrian design would be improved with a stronger steel stamped from a single metal piece. It would remain in use through the end of World War II and by French police into the 1970s.

The British quickly produced their own design, the Brodie, named for its designer, John Leopold Brodie, a Latvian native. It was cheaper to make than the French design and was pressed from a single piece of steel. Eventually, modifications would make the Brodie design exceptionally protective against plunging shrapnel.

***US Army 23rd Infantry at Meuse-Argonne, 1918***

***German Helmet 1A1 (Post World War II)***

An American model, the M1917, called the Doughboy helmet or the “dishpan” (the Germans called it “the salad bowl”) would remain in use by U.S. forces with modifications until it was replaced by the Model M1 in 1942. By the end of World War I, some 7.5 million Brodies had been made including 1.5 million M1917 models, used by American forces. One drawback to the Brodie model was that it offered less protection to the lower part of the head or the neck than other types. The British would retain a Brodie style, with modifications, until 1944, when it was replaced with a newer design, the Mark III or “turtle” helmet.

“Meanwhile,” Tim Jackson noted, “in 1915, supplies of leather in Germany began to dwindle and thin metal or even pressurized felt or paper was used. It became quickly evident that these offered no protection against the rapidly evolving and increasingly deadly weapons including ricochets from rifle or machine gun bullets, direct or plunging artillery shells, and hand grenades.” Most head injuries came from shrapnel. In 1916, the German Army replaced the pickelhaubes with a new steel helmet, the “Stahlhelm”, which resembled a coal scuttle, offered greater protection to the wearer, and which would become that standard helmet for the German army (with variations) through World War II.

Jackson added that the German helmet became an icon in its own way. “The Stahlhelm was used in propaganda by the Allies as a symbol of the German enemy,” he said. “But, that did not detract from the effectiveness of the helmet to those who wore it. Fatalities from head wounds substantially decreased once the M1916 came into use”, he explained. “In fact, the Stahlhelm even offered some bullet resistance”.

Some M1916s were equipped with hornlike lugs on either side to allow attachment of a brow protection device but this accessory proved unpopular and did not achieve wide use. The Varnum Armory collection includes a number of examples of the World War I models, in paint schemes including the original grey and camouflage (introduced in 1918). The Model 1916 and its successors, the M1917 and M1918, were extremely popular with German forces and it is thought that Hitler rejected a more modern design because of the esteem held by World War I-era soldiers.

Improvements to the standard German helmet were made leading up to World War II. The resulting M1935, lighter in weight but with better steel and improved ventilation and headlining, became the standard. A number of variants with model numbers 1940 through 1944, were used by various Nazi forces, but taken out of service after the war. East German forces retained the World War II-era helmet to distinguish it from Western troops.

Progress in protection continued. When the West German Army was reactivated, troops were issued the US Army’s M1 helmet (designated the M56 by the Germans) and in 1992, a new Kevlar design the Gefectshelm M92, replaced the helmet design that had been in use through the Cold War era. The M92 is based on the American PASGT design.

“Our military headgear on display at the Museum goes back to the American Revolution,” said Armory Vice President and Curator Patrick Donovan. “We continue to add to our collection and plans call for displaying the evolution of military headgear into the 21^st Century.” From an exceptionally rare American Colonial Artilleryman’s leather helmet to modern US Army equipment, the Varnum Armory militaria provides visitors with a time capsule of centuries of progress in protective devices.

PASGT USA Helmet c.1980s — ***PASGT USA Helmet (circa 1980s***)

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] Albumen Photograph of Rhode Islander William Lewis, killed in the American Civil War

September 8, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

In collaboration with Robert Grandchamp, the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum has acquired an amazing framed, tinted albumen photograph of bugler William Lewis, who was killed in action during the American Civil War. He was a member of Battery G, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery.

Bugler Lewis was mortally wounded 19 October 1864 at the Battle of Cedar Creek saving a gun of Battery G from being captured. He died two days later and is buried at Winchester National Cemetery.

[FUNDRAISER] Help us acquire American Civil War sword of Capt. James H. Allen, 12th RI Infantry Regiment!

September 7, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

The Varnum Continentals‘ mission since 1907 has been to preserve and share Rhode Island’s rich military history and heritage. Our ultimate goal is to promote and encourage service – service of all kinds – to our state, country, and local communities.

This rare presentation sword was carried by James H. Allen (12th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment) in combat at the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War. It is a powerful symbol of the sacrifice and service that Rhode Island made during the War to preserve the Union and to end the ugly institution of slavery.

The Varnum Continentals have the chance to acquire this rare and special sword and put it on display at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum. Please help us save Rhode Island’s military history!

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James H. Allen’s (12th RI Infantry) American Civil War Sword

Union soldiers of the American Civil War walk among us at the Varnum Memorial Armory!

August 22, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

Our preservation production team is putting the finishing touches on a custom dress form for a rare New Jersey American Civil War uniform. This dress form shows the infantryman in motion and highlights a wound from being shot through the thigh at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.

Click here to see images from earlier in this process.

Preservation in Action at the Varnum Memorial Armory!

August 15, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

Here’s our preservation production team in action. They’re fabricating a custom dress form for a rare New Jersey American Civil War uniform that will show the infantryman in motion and highlight a wound from being shot through the thigh at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.

The display will be amazing. We can’t wait to show it to you!

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