New Hampshire Historical Society Climate-Controlled Vault

Charlie relays Mr. Cravenly's refusal to loan the Bartlet family Bible from this vault, which maintains precise climate conditions to prevent the relic's pages from warping. Bartlet presses for the family heirloom despite the constraint, his insistence clashing with the society's rigid protocols during an Oval Office discussion that pivots from ritual to crisis.

2 appearances

Purpose

Store delicate historical Bibles under stable temperature and humidity to avoid warping and damage.

Significance

Blocks President Bartlet's request for his family Bible, exposing friction between personal heritage and institutional safeguards as global crises demand his focus.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

The Bible, Mr. Cravenly, and Khundu

The climate-controlled vault is cited as the documentary, technical reason the Historical Society will not release the Bartlet Bible; it embodies the institutional priority of preservation over ceremonial use and creates the logistical barrier that sparks the domestic quarrel.

Before: Containing and preserving the Jefferson Bible under climate-controlled conditions at the Historical Society.

After: Unchanged—continues to house the Bible, and the preservation justification remains the reason for non-loan.

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S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Bible Ritual Interrupted by Khundu Massacre

The climate-controlled vault is invoked as the reason the family Bible cannot be moved: its conservation function interrupts President Bartlet's plan and stands as a physical manifestation of institutional limits against personal ceremonial desires.

Before: Housing valuable artifacts in a climate-controlled environment; enforcing non-loan policies to prevent physical degradation.

After: Remains a secure storage location; its conservation policy continues to prevent removal of the Bible.

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