After conservation
Written in iron-gall ink on parchment, the Society of the Cincinnati's original Institution was conserved in the fall of 2007.
Before conservation
The Society's founding document needed to be cleaned, mended and stabilized.
Conservator Christine Smith
Christine Smith, a leading specialist in the conservation of parchment documents, worked in a conservation lab at Anderson House that was specially outfitted for the treatment of the Society's original Institution.
Conservation in progress
Christine Smith repairs the lower edge of the Institution during the conservation work.
Detail after conservation
The hand-lettered title of the Institution shows a natural flaw (small hole) in the original parchment.
Original signatures after conservation
This detail of the signatures of George Washington and thirty-five other Continental Army officers in the lower right corner of the document shows some of the loss of ink due to wear and the flaking of the original layer of whitewash.
Reverse side after conservation
The reverse side of the Institution, seen here after treatment, shows evidence of the document having been stored folded in an earlier period. It also reveals the original darker color of the parchment, as the reverse was not treated with whitewash as the front was.