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Author
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Topic: FS: Apollo 14 flown flags (damaged/preserved)
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rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-03-2025 10:58 AM
   
I purchased 12 degraded Apollo 14 flags from RR Auction earlier this year in the hopes of preserving them. The flags came from the collection of Ed Mitchell and underwent extensive investigation to uncover the reason for the degradation (see the story below). After further testing and treatment, I can confirm that the flags have now been stabilized and will not degrade further, thereby preserving their history and making for an interesting story! These flags are for sale, not for a profit, but at the cost of buying and preserving them. Each flag is $795, a fair amount shy of the usual $4000 that Apollo 14 flags sell for! Each flag will include a COA from The Space Collective. The flags are being offered here first, but will be listed on The Space Collective website later this week. The story of the flags from Al Inman: During the Apollo 14 mission, cloth flags made of rayon and cotton were flown near the Moon. The flags used by the Apollo missions, including Apollo 14, were standard nylon or rayon/cotton blends ordered from government supply catalogs. The addition of chemical damage from battery acid may have caused localized chemical damage, weakened the fabric fibers and shortening the lifespan of these flags.Battery acid is highly corrosive to fabrics such as rayon and cotton, breaking down fiber integrity and causing discoloration and deterioration. If a AA battery leaked on these flags would be a reason for the suffered damage from this acid exposure.  
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rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-03-2025 10:58 AM
Flag 9 has been sold. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-03-2025 11:49 AM
Flags 4 and 11 are sold. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-03-2025 12:10 PM
Flags 3 is sold. |
astrobock
Member Posts: 241
From: WV, USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 09-03-2025 06:25 PM
Thank you. A good opportunity. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-04-2025 08:01 AM
Thank you for the kind comment!Flag 1 has sold. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-04-2025 04:45 PM
Flag 5 is sold. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-05-2025 09:18 AM
Here are updated images of what is left: 
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rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-08-2025 06:46 AM
Thank you to everyone who purchased one of the flags! I'm pleased that the conservation efforts were so widely appreciated. The remaining flags will be listed on The Space Collective website for the general public as of today. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1496
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-08-2025 07:41 AM
A few people asked about the conservation project, so I am posting the details here.Following examination using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, evidence of alum salt was found, which might have caused long-term acidic degradation in the flags. The flags were cleaned using a low-suction vacuum cleaner. Further cleaning was undertaken using a 75:25 mix of IMS: deionised water. This was applied to the degraded areas only. Creasing was removed using humidification, which was undertaken using a Gore-Tex membrane. The Friable degraded areas were supported using a 0.25% solution of Klucel G in IMS. Where further support was required, small tabs of Japanese tissue were used to support threads and fragments that were in danger of becoming detached or were already detached. This was secured at the same time as the consolidant. The flags were placed in archival-quality Melinex sleeves. |
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