22 AMERICANWAY
JULY 1 2009
S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S
Entering the gallery inWashington, D.C.’s
Smithsonian’sNationalMuseum of Ameri-
canHistory, where the Star-SpangledBan-
ner liesprotectedaftera recentlycompleted
eight-year conservation effort, is like walk-
ing into a cathedral. Voices instinctively
growhushed in the dim light of the exhibi-
tion hall. Seeing the very flag that inspired
ournational anthem isamovingexperience
formuseum visitors.
“Kids comment all the time about how
huge it is,” says Suzanne Thomassen-
Krauss, the chief conservator of the Star-
Spangled Banner Project. She oversaw the
cleaning and stabilizing of the tattered
object andworked together with conserva-
tors, advisors, designers, curators, educa-
tors, and architects for years to create an
TheNew-and-
ImprovedOldGlory
What has it taken tobring
back themajesty of theStar-
SpangledBanner?Eight years,
19 conservators, and awhole
lot of patience. But the result
is apowerful reminder of our
nation’s fight for independence.
By JimMorrison
