08 Jul 2016
Mary Rose to be revealed to the world after 34-year conservation effort
BY Tom Anstey
On 19 July, 471 years to the day that the Mary Rose was sunk, the flagship of Henry VIII’s fleet will be brought back to life thanks to a £39m (US$51m, €45.7m) investment.
The day will mark the first time in 23 years that visitors can be in the same room as the warship, which had to be kept in a climate-controlled, air tight room to prevent deterioration.
The new look Mary Rose museum provides views of the ship from nine galleries, while on the upper deck visitors can enter the room via an airlock with a glass balcony separating them from the Mary Rose.
Previously the ship was being regularly sprayed with filtered, recycled water kept at a low temperature, which stopped it drying out and prevented microbial activity. This prevented the wood shrinking by as much as 50 per cent, which would have resulted in the warping and cracking of the structure. In April 2013, the Mary Rose entered a stage of controlled air-drying.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has provided the bulk of funding, contributing £26m (US$34m, €30.5m) and the remainder coming from a number of charitable donors.
The new Mary Rose Museum opened in May 2013, one month after the drying process began. The boat-shaped museum showcases 19,000 artefacts, including wooden eating bowls, leather shoes, musical instruments, longbows, two tonne guns and nit combs.
“Quite simply, the Mary Rose is awe-inspiring,” said Sir Peter Luff, HLF chair. “Over the years since her discovery and, in 1982, her subsequent raising from the sea bed to her display in this wonderful museum, each chapter of her life has intrigued and thrilled in equal measure. After decades of hard work, this final part of the conservation jigsaw brings the Mary Rose back into clear focus and spectacular context.
“To so many a huge debt of gratitude is owed; particularly to those whose vision, dedication and skill have made this vision a reality; and to the National Lottery players who enabled HLF to make grants of £26m to this remarkable evocation of our national maritime heritage.”
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