AIKEN, SC (AP) – A fire over a century ago almost destroyed the well-known portrait of Lieutenant-General Wade Hampton III from the Civil War. The portrait is currently in the Historical Museum of Aiken County, and the museum team is planning to further preserve the portrait, with burn marks and all.
Preservation is very necessary, said Lauren Virgo, executive director of the Historical Museum of Aiken County, although it is not planned immediately due to financial constraints.
A team of conservatives from Carolina Conservation analyzed the portrait in early December and found several issues of concern.
Years of physical stress and damage to ultraviolet light caused the paint to sag and deform, causing flakes of paint to fall in some areas.
“What is happening is that there is basically nothing holding the paint on the screen,” said Virgo.
The money to preserve the portrait will have to come from future fundraising that the museum could do in late 2021, said Virgo.
A project like preserving Wade Hampton’s portrait is “out of the ordinary” for the museum’s budget, said Virgo, as the museum receives $ 5,000 annually for preserving its artifacts. The preservation of the portrait, due to its size and the necessary basic work, can exceed the budget and cost US $ 20,000, estimates Virgo.
However, there is a plan for what the portrait needs and what will remain the same.
One of these aspects will be the burn marks on the portrait, a reminder of its near destruction on the Hampton Terrace in North Augusta, which caught fire on New Year’s Eve in 1916.
Hampton’s portrait was one of the few items that survived and reached the Aiken museum, where it has been since the 1990s, Virgo said. Due to its interesting history, fire damage to the portrait will remain.
“The damage is history,” said Virgo.
Several other artifacts, including three stained glass windows from the First Baptist Church of Aiken, are also on the museum’s “wish list” for preservation.
In the meantime, the museum team is focusing on renovating its county history exhibition on the first floor for Aiken County’s 150th anniversary.
The museum has allocated $ 20,000 in funding from the South Carolina Humanities, an Aiken County accommodation tax subsidy and the Aiken County Friends Historical Museum. The funds can only be used for renovations inside the museum, including new shades and curtains that will protect the artifacts from damage caused by light.
The portrait of Wade Hampton III will be transferred to the museum’s ballroom.
About the photo: Lauren Virgo, executive director of the Aiken County Historical Museum, examines the portrait of Lieutenant General Wade Hampton III of the Civil War on December 28, 2020 in Aiken, SC. A fire over a century ago almost destroyed the portrait, which is currently hanging in the Historical Museum of Aiken County. The museum staff is planning to further preserve the portrait, with burn marks and everything. (Shiann Sivell / The Aiken Standard via AP)
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