The glamorous work of museum exhibit conservation
Conservation work continues at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum! Here we are cleaning a World War I field uniform worn in France by a local East Greenwich, RI, resident. This Bissel vacuum has the perfect attachment for cleaning moth residue without stressing the fabric or seams. It’s slow and tedious work. Every crevice has to […]
Varnum Armory curator to join the Rhode Island State Battle Flag Conservation Project Committee
The Varnum Memorial Armory Museum‘s curator, Patrick Donovan, will join the Rhode Island State Battle Flag Conservation Project Committee. The State of Rhode Island has 80 incredibly historic battle flags dating from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, and World War I. Unfortunately those flags were improperly displayed for many decades. Resources have […]
Varnum House Museum Temporarily Closed for Renovations
The Varnum House Museum will be closed for tours for the next several weekends while the historic 1773 mansion undergoes some much-needed renovations. In 2016, the Varnum House Museum won a generous $69,585 Champlin Foundation grant towards exterior painting, ceiling replacement and repair, window restoration, and chimney repair. Great progress on several of these projects […]
Varnum Continentals help preserve 1843 militia flag in North Kingstown
The Varnum Continentals are providing assistance in saving yet another Rhode Island historical treasure. This time, it’s a rare and beautiful, hand-painted, silk 1843 militia flag currently in storage at the North Kingstown Free Library. The flag will be professionally conserved and mounted for display at a site to be determined. The militia unit depicted […]