By Editor|2022-08-16T06:36:02+00:00August 16th, 2022|Comments Off on Saving the Past: Army reservists train to rescue historical artifacts under threat from war or disaster

Saving the Past: Army reservists train to rescue historical artifacts under threat from war or disaster

When a disaster is looming, the priority is always going to be to help those who require assistance. However, in certain areas, there’s also the need to look toward sites which house priceless historical artifacts or other works of art, to ensure they’re not damaged or lost forever by the impending threat. To help ensure these items are properly handled as they’re moved out of harms way, a new Army Monuments Officer Training program is seeking to provide army reservists with the necessary skills to safety package and transport items from galleries, museums, and other areas where cultural artifacts might be held, as reported by The Washington Post.

Formed as a partnership with the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, the program seeks to identify reservists with experience in fields like archaeology and art history, and provide them with experience in museum operations, collections documentation, risk assessment, and the handling and packing of precious artifacts. “We are looking at the disaster cycle — preparedness, mitigation, response when you have a disaster and the early recovery phase,” Corine Wegener, director of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, told The Washington Post. “Just like first aid for people, if you don’t have training, you freeze. We teach a basic first aid methodology for cultural heritage property … and the principles of cultural first aid in crisis.”

Says Captain Sonia Dixon, a doctoral candidate in art history, to The Post of the experience, “It helped me think not only about what I can do, but how I will teach others. I live in a small town, and if there’s a wildfire, I have experience I could share with the community.” 

Source:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/08/11/museum-evacuation-drill-army/

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