Liberty Bell gets a good waxing
PHILADELPHIA — Early in its storied past, the Liberty Bell became a proud symbol of resistance against the British monarchy.
These days, the big hunk of bronze has to contend with more prosaic enemies: airborne pollution and grubby tourist fingers.
So it was that museum tech Jonathan Miller was charged with applying a protective coat of wax to the massive bell's insides last week, working with a cotton cloth and a pair of white gloves after the crowds had gone home.
"It's great," said Miller, 43, of Upper Darby, Pa. "I can tell people that I preserve our national treasure."
The bell's exterior is covered by a motley assortment of unidentified coatings, which seem to offer adequate protection from dirt and any airborne chemicals, said Andrew Lins, chairman of the conservation department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
But inside the bell's dark cavity is another matter.
In the early 1980s, Park Service officials started to notice an odd, greenish-white powder developing inside the bell, said Lins, who was called in to study the problem along with a specialist from the DuPont Co.
A chemical analysis identified the powder as ammonium sulfate, which was discovered to have been used as fertilizer on a flower bed outside the old Liberty Bell Pavilion, Lins said. The theory was that fertilizer particles became airborne and became trapped in the relatively stagnant air underneath the bell, where they formed a salty powder on the coppery surface.
The Park Service moved the flowers farther from the entrance, and for good measure decided to ban any ammonia-based cleaners inside the pavilion as well. The same precautions were taken in the new Liberty Bell Center, on Market Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets.
And to guard against any other type of contaminant, the Park Service now regularly coats the interior with wax. This substance was chosen because, while it must be renewed periodically, it is a neutral material that can be applied and removed without harming the surface, Lins said.
Wednesday night Miller waxed only the bottom eight inches of the bell's inside, where visitors sometimes reach in for a close encounter with history.
The Park Service discourages such touching, both inside and outside of the bell, but it happens, said Bob Giannini, Park Service curator.
Miller used a special micro-crystalline wax, made in England to the specifications of the British Museum.
Working carefully but quickly, he had it spiffed up in 15 minutes.
History preserved.
Comments
Getting up close and personal with the Liberty Bell, Jonathan Miller gives the symbol of freedom a good waxing, June 10, 2009, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Twice a year, he polishes eight inches up the inside of the bell to protect it from those visitors who, despite warnings to keep off, reach out and touch history.
- Teen girl killed in Kaysville crash 7:09 p.m.
- Plenty of H1N1 vaccine available 6:38 p.m.
- Obama orders 30,000-troop boost 6:37 p.m.
- 2 arrested in Roy double slaying 6:33 p.m.
- Working on new HIV/AIDS vaccine 6:32 p.m.
- BSA to host audiocast over Internet 5:47 p.m.
- Garbage trucks to trash teen drinking 5:47 p.m.
- Court seeks judicial candidates 5:29 p.m.
- Simple candies for the holidays 5:15 p.m.
- Latkes from frozen hash browns 5:14 p.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- BYU says Hall incident resolved
- Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- MWC '09 season in review
- Jazz win 6th in 7 games
- Jazz ready to be without Harpring
- Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
901 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
482 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
401 - Max Hall issues apology
387 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
343 - Utes won't respond to Hall
273 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
227 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
152 - BYU is champion of the state
142 - Religion in politics is tiresome
128
Sunkist Growers and Fresh Market, a new division of Associated Food...
My husband was teaching his 6th-grade class in Salt Lake last year when...
i know south sevier is returning a lot of players but who do waterford and...
blake. you made a difference today in someones life. 20 years later I don't...
Go region 16; Rebels, Eagles, Longhorns!!!!!!!!!
@ Christy | 7:03 p.m. Dec. 1, 2009 What can my family do for a soldier for...
I heard all the sirens, and actually drove through there not five minutes...
I am a big BYU fan and will support them always, but as far as Max Hall and...
How are they not as loaded as they were in football? 6 of the 7 teams are...
Go For It Nancy Pelosi will remain Speaker of House which is an...
Hall violated the BYU honor code, and in doing so he brings dishonor to...
The UGLY side of sports came to light Saturday, namely Utah's fans despicable...


You can be the first to comment on this story.