Protecting the War Flags Collection at the Capitol

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During the War Flags Collection, visitors to the Capitol often came to see the flags that their relatives had died fighting under. Their memories of the sacrifices made in service to our country and to this state are honored by this magnificent collection. But time has taken a toll on the fragile fabrics, with many of the stars and stripes torn. The weight of the staffs used to display the flags in oak and glass cased shelves causes stress that tears the delicate fabric, concentrating the damage at the points where they are joined together by stitches.

Textile conservators are working to preserve the war flags, but it is an expensive undertaking. With limited funding, it is not possible to conserve all of the flags in this remarkable collection. The committee and the Office of Legislative Management, which runs the 14-acre Capitol complex, has worked with one of the nation’s leading textile conservation specialists to encapsulate a number of them and keep them in storage for the long term.

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The encapsulation method required careful design to balance support and visibility for the embroidered and painted flags. Spicer and his team designed a unique pressure mount that consists of an aluminum honeycomb with a wooden border. The majority of the flag rests on a pillow of polyester needle-punched padding and pre-washed cotton fabric positioned to create a slight dome. The padded surface helps reduce stress on the cloth and the many layers of synthetic silk that are incorporated into the encapsulation process.

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