Workers at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington cover the flag that inspired the national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner,” on November 20, 1998, prior to beginning restoration work.

Members of the conservation team at the Smithsonian had maintained the flag mainly by protecting it from damage. Because preservation methods have changed and improved over time, the Star-Spangled Banner Project, begun in 1998, is applying the latest scientific research and techniques to preserve the woolen and cotton fabrics of the flag.

This flag, flying over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry during a battle between U.S. and British forces, inspired Francis Scott Key to write in 1814 the poem that was later put to music under the title “The Star Spangled Banner.”

After conservation work is complete in 2008, the Star-Spangled Banner will be returned to the center of the museum and installed in a dramatic new flag room. (© AP Images)