By Dan Schlossberg
ConsumerAffairs.com
April 19, 2006
The Grand Old Flag isn't so grand any more. In fact, the American flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star Spangled Banner is so fragile that the museum surrounding it will close for a two-year redesign.
That means visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., won't be able to see the flag, or any of the other artifacts in the National Museum of American History, between the end of Labor Day Weekend and the summer of 2008.
The need for the overhaul became obvious in 1998, when experts determined the flag could not support its own weight. During a nine-year strengthening program that cost $30 million, visitors watched experts remove 1.7 million old stitches and material while attaching a new, light-weight backing.
The enormous 15-star flag, formerly displayed vertically, will become the centerpiece of a special flag room with lighting that resembles "the dawn's early light" from Key's 1814 poem. The writer had noticed the flag still flying over Baltimore's Fort McHenry after a 25-hour British bombardment during the War of 1812.
The ravages of time apparently did more damage than British cannonballs - sparking the expensive and delicate repairs.
According to museum director Brent Glass, "The survival of this flag for nearly 200 years is a visible testimony to the strength and perseverance of the nation and we hope it will inspire many more generations in the future."
A wall of non-relective glass will protect the fragile national treasure from the elements. Made of wool and cotton, the flag measured 30 x 42 feet during the attack but survived, albeit with a few tears.
In addition to the money spent expressly for the flag protection project, the venerable museum will benefit from a facelift expected to cost about $85 million. Nearly half that amount will come from private sources, with the federal government paying the rest.
Upgrades will include a skylit atrium, new elevators and restrooms, better security systems, and improved heating and air conditioning.
Plans call for the new flag to be displayed horizontally with the blue-backed star field, in the upper left corner, raised six feet higher than the red-and-white stripes of the opposite corner.
The National Museum of American History is one of 15 Smithsonian museums in the nation's capital. Most are located in the National Mall, which is also home to the Washingon Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial an. Admission to all Smithsonians is free.
