Prevention is at the heart of preservation. Be it a library book, a historic manuscript, or a cherished family photo, conservators at Hagley know they must identify and arrest ten common agents of deterioration. Every historic artifact or piece of artwork has different vulnerabilities, but almost nothing will remain in pristine condition without proper handling, display, and storage. 

Black and white photograph of a worker coating cast iron pipes with bitumen (Birmingham, Ala.)

This week's Hagley Vault is visiting an iron-works in Birmingham, Alabama, where a metalworker is coating cast-iron pipes with bitumen. Bitumen was, and still is, used to coat pipes intended for water and sewage lines as well as seawater intake and outflow pipes, as it is resistant to microbial activity, as well as corrosion from rust and other chemicals found in soil and water. 

This undated photograph was probably taken some time between 1910 and 1940, and is part of Hagley Library's collection of American Iron and Steel Institute photographs and audiovisual materials (Accession: 1986.268), which consists of photographs, research notes, audio, film, and video documenting the Institute and the history of the North American iron and steel industry.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines .... Hagley Museum and Library has invited you to buckle up for pure 1970s adrenaline and the countdown is ON.

On August 20th, the Library will be offering a screening of three rare automotive documentaries on the big screen. Freewheelin' plunges you into the 1975 Van-In in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a counterculture carnival of custom vans, wild events, and live music from the JTS Band. Penned by Brock Yates, the screenwriter behind Cannonball Run, this film takes you inside the most outrageous rigs of the era to hear their stories from the vanners themselves.

Then, shift gears to watch The Mint 400 Desert Race! Follow a dune buggy team as they battle heat, terrain, and each other for glory during the 1978 run of America’s most grueling off-road race. Filmed in the scorching desert outside Reno, Nevada, this film captures the realities of the Mint 400 as made legendary by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Both films were sponsored by B.F. Goodrich and offer a window into the golden age of American cars and the art of industrial and sponsored filmmaking.

Workplace poster with the title 'Are you afraid of criticism?'. Additional text ncourages workers to embrace professional criticism.

This week's Hagley Vault comes from our digital gallery of workplace posters, which gathers a a variety of accessions and items Hagley Library's collections. Posters in this collection include material from Hagley Library's Mather & Company workplace posters (Accession 1994.319), Seagram Company World War II posters (Accession 2004.214), Seagram Company World War II posters (Accession 2004.248), Women at work World War II posters (Accession 1994.236), World War II posters (Accession 1995.211), and other collections, as well as individually accessioned materials.

Fire insurance map showing a textile mill

Here's a Vault post for all the savvy shoppers out there. The history of this 1932 fire insurance map for the Interlaken Mills textile factory dates back to 1835, when Zachariah Allen (1795-1882), owner of a woolen mill in Providence, Rhode Island, got fed up with his insurance premiums.

Rates had been rising for all mill owners during the economic depression of 1835, regardless of their individual history of losses or potential for future risk. In an attempt to reduce his burden, Allen appealed to his insurer, pointing out a number of innovative safety features he had implemented to reduce risk at his mills, which were some of the first in the nation to incorporate fire doors, sprinkler systems, and other built-in fire suppression devices. But to no avail.

Subscribe to