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Research and Recovery - A Place for Miracles
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 To
understand why a joint effort is a requisite to the conservation work,
one must first consider the vast array of artifacts recovered, some
of which are unique to the wreck of the Titanic. The inventory
consists of everything from fragile and fragmented pieces of textile
and paper - such as personal items like a felt bowler hat and a stack
of postcards - to more sturdy and substantial objects of metal and
stone - such as ship's fittings like a brass faucet and a marble ledge.
There are also extremely esoteric materials to find surviving a shipwreck,
like the rolled animal hides we came upon while emptying a travel
bag! Modern materials too, such as vinyl cases, linoleum-like tiles,
synthetic ivory berth number plaques, and rubber bands have been discovered
on Titanic. Conservators have never before had the chance to
study the effects of sea water on some of these materials.
Regardless of the material type, all of these objects are among the
first to be raised from such great depths. On the verge of the abyssal
zone of the world's oceans, the artifacts have been exposed to a combination
of conditions new to the conservation of marine artifacts: very low
oxygen; near freezing temperatures; complete darkness; acidic pH levels;
and tremendous pressure. These unique conditions can have special
repercussions in the degradation or preservation of the artifact material
through chemical, electrochemical, physical, and biological processes.
Oceans are dynamic recycling systems. The moment any objects enters
the water it is incorporated into the cycle. Not only does the underwater
environment affect the object, but also the object itself can affect
the condition of other objects on this site. For instance, you may
have heard of the ubiquitous sulfate-reducing bacteria which are metabolizing
the hull of Titanic. In this case, the effects of degradation of the
iron are widespread as ferrous by-products from the reaction and flood
the wreck site, encrusting and staining many artifact materials.
The influence one artifact has on another is not, however, always
detrimental as such. For some artifacts, being in contact with iron
is beneficial. When metal objects less reactive that iron are situated
near the hull, they are often protected galvanically and will be in
better condition than if they had been located at a greater distance
from the ship. This results in extreme variations in the conditions
of even identical artifacts. For instance, two telegraphs have been
recovered which came to rest in different positions on the ocean floor.
The telegraph thrown free from the wreckage is in close proximity
with iron, is well preserved. |
 Another
factor affecting the state of the artifacts is their specific microenvironment
"in situ". The condition of the materials, and even artifacts
of the same material, can very greatly depending upon this. For instance,
the wood of the deck benches is almost completely gone due to a combination
of hydrolysis and biological attack in aerobic, that is to say more
oxygenated, conditions. However, just the reverse is true for wood
and metal composites found in more anaerobic conditions. In leather
travel bags, only the wooden handles of tools remain.
The aforementioned are just a few examples of the countless factors
which we must consider when interpreting the condition of Titanic's
artifacts. Regardless of how the preservation or degradation has occurred,
one thing is for certain: Anything which does remain has been altered
in one way or another by the wreckage and it will be in extremely
fragile condition. When these objects are raised from the cold dark
depths of the Atlantic ocean, re-exposure to atmospheric oxygen can
be devastating. This is due to a variety of reasons depending upon
the material type.
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