Heaft of Vasa's Conservation
F2. Maritime Culture, Heritage, Archaeology, Art and MuseumsDefinition
Stockholm program preserving the seventeenth-century warship.
The conservation of the Swedish warship Vasa, which capsized in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628 and was raised on 24 April 1961. From 1962 the hull was sprayed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) for about 17 years, then air-dried, to bulk and stabilize the oak. The ship, about 98 percent original timber, is the centerpiece of the Vasa Museum, the most visited museum in Scandinavia. Ongoing work manages acidity and sulfur compounds in the wood.
Source: Vasa Museum, Stockholm; Vasa raised 24 April 1961, PEG conservation program from 1962