Does this map look familiar to you? It was widely distributed to naval aviators and crew serving in the Pacific War in 1944, so we have a few like it in our collection. This particular map, however, is special. Clifford Jongeneel served on board Intrepid as part of the Marine Detachment from June 22, 1944, to December 15, 1945. In his hands, this map became his journal, chronicling the daily location and activities of Intrepid. He annotated the front of the map, which came to include three pieces, to show the movement of Intrepid throughout the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

Reverse of the map, chronicling Intrepid’s activity from September through December 1944.

We knew immediately that the map was a unique artifact. We also knew that it would need additional care and conservation. The paper had become brittle and discolored by minor stains. The pages were taped together using clear tape, which over time had a negative reaction with the paper and left adhesive residue stains. In many places, Jongeneel had written directly on the tape, and the ink was starting to fade.

At the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, a paper conservator treated our map journal. A conservator’s goal is long-term stability—ensuring the artifact will last for future generations. For this artifact, treatment involved very carefully cleaning the paper as well as removing as much tape as possible. Numerous small tears and creases were mended, and pieces of paper were reattached using safe archival materials. The conservator made detailed scans throughout the treatment, so now we have a digital record of what Jongeneel wrote. After a couple of months, the treatment was complete, and the object was returned to the Museum in much better condition!

Caption: Detail of map before treatment. The tape had caused discoloration and small tears in the paper.
Caption: Detail of map after treatment. The tape was removed, the paper was cleaned, and tears were repaired with archival paste.