In 1836, William Barret AG真人百家乐 famously wrote 鈥淰ictory or Death鈥� in his appeal for more troops during the Battle of The Alamo. 177 years later, the iconic letter is returning to the Alamo for a brief exhibit later this month.
Currently, the letter is safely held at Austin鈥檚 Texas State Archives and Library Building, away from the harmful UV rays that have deteriorated its condition.
The AG真人百家乐 Letter has seen some wear and tear. It traveled across a war-torn Texas in the 1800s. It was folded, kept in jackets and saddlebags, copied and even disappeared for a number of years. In the early 20th century it was heavily exhibited after it became the property of Texas.
"It鈥檚 something of a myth that the letter has not been available to the public," says John Anderson, the Preservation Officer at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. "Many tens of thousands of visitors, Texans and school children have seen the letter."
But all that exposure has deteriorated the ink and paper.
"There has been some pretty significant light damage over time and that鈥檚 because the letter has been exhibited so much," says Sarah Norris, a conservator who has been working to preserve the letter.
Norris says that light damage is cumulative and irreversible. And there aren鈥檛 any conservation techniques to reverse it exposure to light.
"We need to be very careful to limit [light] as we go along," she says. "To be sure that this document is with us for many more years."
, where it will be on display February 23rd through March 7th.
