Ring 2: FACING MONUMENTAL TASKS
“Transforming the National Air and Space Museum’s Mannequins”
Presented by Elizabeth Knight, Conservator at National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Summarized by Morgan Brown
During the Transformation project at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), the galleries are undergoing a comprehensive renovation. The West End of the building has been completed and reopened. 1,211 objects, including 62 outfits and 19 accessories, were treated as part of this effort. Conserator Beth Knight described her involvement in designing, fabricating, and displaying three different types of Ethafoam mannequins for long-term display of the treated garments: Dorfman Conservation Forms, hand-carved partial-body or accessory forms, and CNC-milled forms based on 3-D scans. The ensembles were varied and included airline uniforms, flight suits, and pressure suits, presenting physical and material challenges. Three case studies were chosen for this presentation to showcase the challenges and adaptations made by the team working on the mounts that were only possible through cross-departmental collaboration.
The first case study was Eugene F. “Gene” Kranz’s Apollo 13 vest. There was a time limit due to an upcoming awards ceremony honoring Kranz and featuring the artifact. This meant that the efficient use of time and materials was essential. There was no time to custom carve a mannequin and no archival mannequin available in the museum’s stock. To meet the deadline, Knight padded a non-archival polyurethane mount with batting to form the required shape, and the mountmaker 3-D scanned the form. A new custom form was then CNC-milled from Ethafoam planks. With the combined skills and effort of the Conservation and Exhibits Production teams, the mount accurately replicated the non-archival model and supported the object within the short time frame.
The second case study Knight outlined was the mounting of Operation Migration smock, helmet, hood, and goggles. The garment and accessories were custom-made for the Ultralight Cosmos Phase II pilots to wear to avoid confusing the migrating birds. The hood is precisely shaped to fit over the helmet, but the curator requested that the helmet be displayed separately from the outfit. To create a form that exactly replicated the helmet’s shape to which the goggles could be mounted, 3D scanning and CNC-milling were employed.
The third and final case study was Liam Dwyer’s fireproof auto-racing suit, prosthesis, and modified clutch pedal. Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer is a Marine who lost part of his left leg to an IED while serving in Afghanistan and who now races manual transmission cars. The mount used was an altered Dorfman Ethafoam Man mannequin which has a dense Ethafoam form and aluminum-limb framing. Dwyer used a custom prosthesis and modified clutch pedal for racing that were displayed with the mannequin. When ordering the form from Dorfman, it was requested that the heel stem be placed on the right foot instead of the usual left foot to accommodate the prothesis. A socket was sourced and altered by Knight and team to fit the residual left limb. A mount for the clutch pedal helped maintain the mannequin balance in an upright stance, stepping slightly forward onto the pedal.
This project highlighted skills across departments and encouraged collaboration. It improved the display and interpretation of the garments and established new standard alteration methods for textile mounts. If you want to see the mannequins up close, they are on display within the Destination Moon, We All Fly, and Nation of Speed galleries at the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall!
