Life Saving Measures: The Treatment and Display of a WWI Era Harlem Hellfighters Gas Mask
Purpose
This gas mask was part of the field gear used in WWI by a soldier in the 369th Infantry, an African-American regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters. It consists of a rubberized canvas facemask with glass eye pieces and elastic head straps connected to a painted steel canister by a cloth hose with corrugated rubber supports on the interior. Slated to go on view in the inaugural opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), it was in undisplayable condition. The facemask was extensively torn and extremely fragile, and the elastic straps were weak and easily damaged. The hose had ripped loose from the facemask and was itself deteriorated and deformed, with a large split along the seam.
Figure 1. Gas Mask Before Treatment.
The gas mask was considered such an important object that NMAAHC arranged for it to be treated by contract conservators under the supervision of staff conservator Antje Neumann. Successfully treating and permanently supporting the mask for safe storage, transport, and display required creative collaboration among conservators, curators, and mount makers.
Author(s)
Lara Kaplan
3301 Beech Avenue Baltimore, MD 21211
443-802-7780
lara@kaplanconservation.com
www.kaplanconservation.com
Connie Stromberg
7610 Marbury Road Bethesda, MD 20817
240-731-8208
c.stromberg@verizon.net
Antje Neumann
National Museum of African American History and Culture
3400 Pennsy Drive, MRC 851 Landover, MD 20785
301-328-1599
NeumannA@si.edu
https://nmaahc.si.edu/
Photo Credits:
Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture (Figs. 1, 3, 7, 10)
Connie Stromberg (Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6)
Deanna Hovey (Figs. 11, 12)
Lara Kaplan (Figs. 8, 9)
Antje Neumann (Fig. 13)
Publication: 2018
Description
Both internal and external supports were necessary to stabilize the object. To mend the tears in the facemask and provide structural support, a toned Hollytex lining was adhered to interior surfaces with solvent reactivated 1:1 Lascaux 303 HV: Lascaux 498HV, and the elastic head straps were encapsulated in nylon bobbinet.
Figure 2. Applying Toned Hollytex Lining to the Facemask.
Figure 3. Facemask after Stabilization.
An interior armature was created for the corrugated hose using a backer rod tube fitted with Volara “donuts” to imitate rubber rings within the hose that had crumbed away.
Figure 4. Internal Armature for Hose.
Figure 5. Armature in Place.
The torn seam was mended with toned Hollytex, again adhered with the solvent reactivated Lascaux mixture.
Figure 6. Mended Tear Clamped.
Figure 7. Hose After Stabilization and Mending.
The facemask and breathing tube were rejoined using a ring of Volara attached to the interior of the mask. This served much like a gasket on a vacuum cleaner bag, and could be gently eased into place around a metal ring at the end of the hose between the mouthpiece and the face mask, creating a secure attachment.
Figure 8. Test Fit of Volara Gasket on Mouthpiece.
Figure 9. Test Fit of Volara Gasket on Mouthpiece.
Figure 10. Volara Gasket Adhered to Interior of Facemask.
Finally, an external mount, meant to permanently stay with the object, was made to hold all the pieces of the mask in their proper orientation.
Figure 11. Completed Mount.
Figure 12. Completed Mount with Gas Mask Installed.
After some final mending, the mask was ready to be put on view.
Figure 13. Mask on Display.
Materials, Tools & Supplies
Acrylic Sheet Backer Rod (cylindrical polyethylene foam)
Brass Sheet Cotton Twill Tape
Fosshape (heat activated polyester felt)
Golden Fluid Acrylic colors (low-viscosity acrylic paints with a high pigment load)
Hollytex (spun bonded polyester with a calendared surface)
Japanese Paper
Lascaux 498HV (aqueous dispersion of butyl acrylate and methylmethacrylate thickened with acrylic butylester)
Lascaux 303HV (aqueous dispersion of butyl acrylate and methylmethacrylate thickened with acrylic butylester, replaces Lascaux 360HV)
Nylon bobbinet
Skala 360 polyester thread
Stainless Steel Wire, 50 lb
Sueded polyethylene
Teflon Tape (polytetrafluoroethylene)
Mylar (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film)
Volara (closed-cell polyethylene foam)
Construction
Step 1. Treatment of the Facemask
To prepare the lining for the facemask, a large piece of Hollytex was pre-toned with Golden fluid acrylic paints, and the 1:1 Lascaux 498HV:Lascaux 303HV mixture was evenly brushed on and allowed to dry. After reactivating the adhesive with small amounts of isopropanol or acetone in liquid form, the lining was applied to the interior of the facemask in sections, which allowed for greater control and safer handling. The same adhesive mixture was applied to the nylon bobbinet used to encapsulate the elastic head straps, however in this case it was reactivated with isopropanol fumes through Gore-Tex, and further secured with Skala 360 brown polyester thread.
Figure 2. Applying Toned Hollytex Lining to the Facemask.
Figure 3. Facemask after Stabilization.
Step 2. Treatment of the Breathing Hose
Brittle, crumbling chunks of the corrugated rubber rings on the interior of the hose were removed where the seam had split so that the permanent armature could be inserted. Hollytex strips, again toned with acrylic paint, were adhered to the torn seam edges with 1:1 Lascaux 498HV:Lascaux 303HV reactivated with liquid isopropanol. To create a strong yet flexible support, a bundle of several thin stainless steel wires were braided together for increased rigidity, and then inserted into a cut made along a piece of 7/8-inch backer rod. The backer rod was wrapped with Teflon tape, and 6 Volara donuts were placed over it to mimic the lost corrugated rubber rings.
Figure 4. Internal Armature for Hose.
The completed armature was placed inside the hose, the Hollytex was adhered together to mend the split seam, and the area was clamped in place with cotton twill tape over Mylar so that it could conform to the corrugations.
Figure 5. Armature in Place.
Figure 6. Mended Tear Clamped.
The Lascaux mixture was used to tack down a few lifting areas, and other small holes and seam gaps at the top and bottom of the tube were repaired with toned Japanese paper and more of the Lascaux mixture.
Figure 7. Hose After Stabilization and Mending.
Step 3. Joining the Hose to the Facemask
The hose and facemask were now stable enough to be safely joined together, which was done with the Volara ring ͞gasket. This was cut to the appropriate size and attached to the interior of the facemask with strips of toned Hollytex adhered with the solvent reactivated Lascaux mixture. The two components were kept separated until they were put in place on the external mount described in Step 4.
Figure 8. Test Fit of Volara Gasket͟ on Mouthpiec.
Figure 9. Test Fit of Volara Gasket on Mouthpiece.
Figure 10. Volara Gasket Adhered to Interior of Facemask.
Step 4. Creation of an External Mount
To ready the treated mask for display, a two-part external mount was created by Deanna Hovey of Brigid Mountmaking. The heavy glass eyes on the facemask are supported with brass circles covered with sueded polethylene, which hold the facemask securely in place with friction and gravity. Bent acrylic sheet provides gentle support along the sides of the facemask. A separately attached metal form supports the hose and canister with clips at key locations.
Figure 11. Completed Mount.
Figure 12. Completed Mount with Gas Mask Installed.
Later, to provide additional support, Fosshape was formed to fit the curvature behind the mount and covered with a black show fabric being used on all the exhibition mannequins. Skala 360 black polyester thread and a beading needle were used to sew “belt loops” around the straps at a few strategic intervals to support them.Once on the mount, the facemask was fitted to the hose, and additional toned Hollytex patches were applied to the exterior to further support tears and provide visual unity. With this done, the mask was put on view where it can continue to tell its powerful story.