October 19, 2008
Dry Clean Only, Do Not Bathe In Sunlight
The Washington Post reports that conservators are concerned about putting the blood-stained coat that Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated back on public display. Textile experts fear that exposure to UV light could ruin the garment, so returning the coat to the perpetual lobby display it enjoyed until the recent restoration of Ford's Theater, where it was visible from the street, might not be a possibility. But surely even a careworn 19th-century Brooks Brothers coat is far from the most light-sensitive object that can be seen and displayed in D.C. What about featuring the coat in a rotating exhibit set somewhat deeper than the front entrance? Deep storage and full sunshine can't be the only display options.
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Maybe I'm crazy for suggesting this... but why can't they use UV-blocking tinted glass?
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stop, alweis, you might be talking sense!
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alweis, I was thinking the same thing. It couldn't be that hard to replace a few panes of glass, could it?
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Wait a minute... Lincoln was wearing Brooks Brothers when he was assassinated? Fascinating!
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When was the coat visible from the street? It used to be displayed downstairs with all the other museum artifacts they had.
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They discuss that even UV blocking glass does not block all UV light.
I think they should give it to the Smithsonian and let them display it or preserve it.