PRESERVING NAVY HISTORY Museums derive their identities and products — education programs and exhibits — from their artifacts. In order for artifacts to be available for use in exhibits and research inquiries, they must be physically and intellectually cared for year-round. This care ensures the artifacts are physically able to withstand the pressures of exhibition now and into the future and enough data about the artifacts exists to make them valuable for exhibition and study. SIGNIFICANT ACQUISITIONS In 2018, we added 266 new artifacts to the collection, expanding our holdings in areas such as deep submergence history, submarine operations, and undersea technology. Notable acquisitions included: CONTROL ROOM EQUIPMENT FROM NR-1, the world’s only nuclear-powered research submersible. TWO SWIMMER LAUNCHED CHARGES, experimental weapons developed in the 1970s for use by Navy SEALs. HAND CONTROLLERS FROM DSRV MYSTIC used to pilot and position the long-serving rescue vehicle. THE OFFICE TELEPHONE OF DR. WALDO K. LYON, founder and chief scientist of the Arctic Submarine Laboratory. A RARE BQR-3A SONAR CONSOLE, a type used aboard only a few post-World War II submarines to receive sonar data. STORAGE IMPROVEMENTS A major project and collections care improvement completed in 2018 was the installation of 1,500 square feet of compact collections storage on the 3rd floor. This project allows for future collections growth and small artifact storage consolidation. Two sections of compact shelving provide housing for smaller artifacts, documents, rolled textiles, and plaques. An added benefit of this type of storage system, the units close together to mitigate earthquake damage. 9
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