Stamford, CT, November 6, 2000

Fujifilm, a leader in medical and non-destructive computed radiography, is assisting in the excavation and conservation of the H.L. Hunley, the first Civil War submarine to have sunk an enemy warship. The sub, which has remained dormant at the bottom of the sea for 130 years, was discovered in 1995 and raised on August 8, 2000.

As the Hunley sits in a tank of temperature-controlled fresh water at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, South Carolina, a team of conservationists and archeologists is using Fujifilm computed radiography equipment to assist in the identification of artifacts that may still be on-board. Additionally, the team hopes to recover and possibly identify human remains, explained Doug Hackradt, National Sales Manager, Fujifilm Non-Destructive Testing Division.

"Fujifilm's computed radiography technology offers conservators a means to overcome the challenges associated with the specialized nature of underwater archeology and maritime artifact conservation," said Hackradt. "Radiography is critical to the conservator's work. A material called concretion covers most objects recovered from the sea, especially iron-made ones, which actually serves as a protective layer. However, this natural preservation process also modifies the composition of the objects and can change the integrity of the structure. If you don't use proper testing methods, you may do irreparable damage and destroy the very evidence you are looking for," said Hackradt.

One of the most critical applications of Fujifilm's computed radiography technology will be detecting the width and seam line of the sub's plate to ensure the best point of entry into the sub. Once inside the sub, the Hunley conservation team will use technology, equipment and supplies from Fujifilm NDT Systems and Fujifilm Medical Systems for reading, storing and printing of images; Fujifilm Science Biomedical Analysis System for DNA analysis of human remains; Fujifilm Photo Film, Inc., the company's U.S. manufacturing complex in Greenwood, South Carolina, for digital cameras and 35mm cameras and film to document the excavation; Fujicolor Processing for digital processing and pictographic printing and Fujinon for endoscopic and fiberscopic examinations of the sub's contents and interior. The excavation and conservation of the Hunley is expected to take eight to ten years, said Hackradt.

Fujifilm, which has been named as the official imaging company of the H.L. Hunley, is working in cooperation with the United States Navy Naval Historical Center, University of Texas A & M Conservation Research Laboratory, the Friends of the Hunley, and world-renowned experts in the areas of nautical archaeology, biology, history, geology and computer imaging. Fujifilm also served as the official imaging company for the excavation and conservation of the LaBelle, the shipwreck (1686) of French explorer LaSalle that was discovered off the coast of Texas in Matagorda Bay.