Blog

Out of Antinoé, Part II

8/8/2018

In Part I of this blog, Museum Textile Services Director Camille Myers Breeze discussed the conservation treatment of twenty-three Coptic textiles from the Marsden Hartley collection at the Bates College Museum of Art. This blog will examine the history surrounding these archaeological textiles.

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) was an American modernist painter born in Lewiston, Maine. In 1951, heirs to the artist's estate donated the remaining contents of his Corea, Maine, home studio to Bates College, in compliance with his wishes. The gift included 99 sketches, three oil sketches, and over 250 personal objects now belong to the Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection and Archive. Hartley clearly drew inspiration from this collection, including his Coptic textiles.

Portrait of Marsden Hartley. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Painting No. 48 by Marsden Hartley. Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.

One of Hartley's Coptic textiles. Courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

The Coptic Period in Egypt refers to the centuries between the time of the Pharaohs and the Muslim rulers (roughly the 3rd through 7th centuries C.E.). Alexander the Great had conquered Egypt in 332 B.C.E. bringing new technologies to Egypt including tapestry weaving, new types of looms, better breeds of sheep, and classical iconography. There was not only a shift in leadership in this period, but also a shift in religion. Egypt was converted to Christianity in the first century A.C.E. All of these developments influenced the imagery woven into their textiles.

Albert Gayet in an imaginary Antinoé scene. Courtesy of The Coptic Tapestry Albums by Nancy Arthur Hoskins.

Everything we know about Coptic textiles comes from the thousands of textiles and textile fragments excavated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from cemeteries, monasteries, and other looted sites in Northern Egypt. Their survival can be credited to the arid climate, as well as to changes in ancient burial traditions. The ancient practice of mummification was simplified--the desiccated body was dressed in their finest clothes, enshrouding in linen, and buried more in keeping with Christian practices. Preservation levels seen in Egypt are matched in very few places around the globe, notably the desert coastline of Peru and Northern Chile, and parts of China such as the Gobi desert.

Based on the iconography of the Bates College Coptic collection, scholars have suggested that they are among the large numbers of artifacts excavated by Albert Gayet (1856-1916). Gayet began excavating at the Coptic necropolis in Antinoé (modern day Antinopolis) beginning in 1896. He brought his discoveries to France where he sold them to collectors. The Bates College Coptic textile collection was acquired by Hartley through Dikran Kelekian, a well known collector and dealer. Kelekian and his son Charles sold batches of Coptic textiles to museums, colleges, and artists around the US, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Wheaton College. (The Wheaton College collection of Coptic textiles was conserved by Museum Textile Services in 2006.) Many of Kelekian's Coptic textiles were reassembled with adhesive and sandwiched between small pieces of glass taped at the edges before being sold.

Thanks to the foresight of Marsden Hartley, these twenty-three textiles are cherished by the Bates College Museum of Art, who is proud to continue exhibiting them in their newly conserved state.

Morgan Carbone has an MA in Fashion and Textile Studies fron the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in Art History from Grinnell College. She is a volunteer with the Textile Specialty Group of the American Institute for Conservation. Morgan's interests include lace knitting and cats.

0 Comments

Out of Antinoé, Part I

6/26/2018

0 Comments

One of the most anticipated projects to take place at Museum Textile Services in 2018 was the conservation of twenty-three archaeological Coptic textile fragments from the collection of the Bates College Museum of Art in Lewiston, Maine. Originating from Antinoé, Egypt, these 1500-year-old textiles once belonged to the artist Marsden Hartley, who was inspired by their design and colors. MTS director Camille Myers Breeze first assessed the collection in 2006 and treatment was finally realized thanks to the persistence of museum curator Bill Lowe and a generous grant from the Coby Foundation.

Morgan Carbone was the project manager and lead conservator for the Bates Coptic textiles. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

The textiles were divided into three categories based on their stability, the presence of adhesive from an early 20th-century treatment, and degree of soiling. Ten textiles were identified as low-intervention, meaning they were sound and had no soiling of concern. Eight of them needed only surface cleaning with a high-efficiency filtered vacuum and micro-vacuum attachment. Two of them were sufficiently soiled that conservator Morgan Carbone flushed them with deionized water on the suction table.

Nine of the textiles were categorized as medium intervention. They were characterized by a large amount of adhesive reside on the reverse and moderate soiling. Seven of these textiles needed to be moistened with deionized water to soften the adhesive and allow it to be reduced mechanically with a micro spatula and tweezers. All of the textiles were then flushed with deionized water on the suction table.

A textile fragment of figures beneath a colonnade, during suction cleaning. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

A stitch diagram is provided to the client in the event that our treatment needs to be reversed for study or further conservation. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

Four textiles were categorized as high intervention, three of which were adhered to linen backings. After adhesive reduction and suction cleaning, all four fragments needed to be hand stitched down to a new backing fabric to preserve their structural integrity. One of the textiles was reunited with its earlier wool backing fabric, stitched to new cotton fabric, and also overlaid with net. Three textiles were found to be weak enough that we opted to overlay them with sheer nylon net to prevent against fiber loss and minimize the amount of stitching we needed to take through the remaining adhesive deposits.

Textile fragment in the process of lining with hand stitching to cotton. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

Textile fragment and the red tapestry-weave fabric to which it was glued in the early 20th century. Both pieces were suction cleaned and then reunited with hand stitching before being mounted to a new cotton lining fabric. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

An inherent part of the stabilization plan are the individual mounting boards Museum Textile Services constructed for each textile. Made of acid-free eight-ply mat board, each board was covered in grey cotton poplin adhered on the reverse with BEVA film. The ten low-intervention textiles sit passively on their boards with no mounting stitching, leaving both sides available for future study. The nine medium intervention textiles were sufficiently weak that they needed to be hand stitched to their fabric-covered mounting boards. After the four high intervention textiles were lined with new cotton, they were also hand sewn to individual fabric-covered mounting boards.

This "clavi," or pendand from the front of a shirt, was lined with beige cotton fabric and then mounted to a grey fabric-covered board. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

This fragile "clavi" was reunited with its wool backing fabric, lined with new red cotton, and stitched to its mounting board before being overlayed with red nylon net to protect against future loss. Image courtesy of Bates College Museum of Art.

In the next installment of this blog we will go into the history of Coptic textiles, the controversial archaeologist who excavated tens of thousands of fragments, and how they came to be disseminated across the United States, particularly in college and university collections. Until then, enjoy this slide show of the entire Bates College Coptic collection after we completed conservation and mounting.

Camille Myers Breeze founded Museum Textile services in 1999. She is a prolific author, and educator of museum personnel and emerging conservation professionals in the US and abroad.

0 Comments

A Natural Legacy, Part II

6/25/2018

0 Comments

In Part 1 of this blog, Museum Textile Services Director Camille Myers Breeze shared her experience attending the opening of Charting the Divine Plan: The Art of Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863) at the American Folk Art Museum. In this episode, we go into detail about the conservation procedures undertaken to prepare twenty early-19th-century painted textiles for exhibition.

Image by MTS.

Back in 2012, all sixty-one of the painted fabric "classroom charts" made by Orra White Hitchcock belonging to the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections were brought to MTS for preliminary conservation and rehousing. Intern Ryan Cochran, overseen by conservator Cara Jordan, surface cleaned and humidified each textile to reduce particulate matter and creasing. Together with conservator Courtney Jason and director Camille Breeze, the team rolled twenty-two textiles and constructed custom storage trays for the remaining thirty-nine textiles. At that time, recommendations were made for additional conservation treatments to correct losses and splits.

Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

The opportunity to address damage to twenty of the twenty-one most fragile textiles came about in 2018 when the entire collection was requested by the American Folk Art Museum for their comprehensive exhibit of watercolors, pen and ink drawings, prints, and classroom charts that Hitchcock created between 1810 and the 1840s. All were humidified and pressed where needed to reduce folds and wrinkles. Two textiles needed no further treatment and were repacked after humidification.

Four of the classroom charts had paper patches on the front that needed to be re-adhered before exhibition. Most were addressed with just a drop of liquid BEVA 371 allowed to dry beneath a weight. Paper patches on four textiles posed enough of a risk for separation or tearing that we opted to use overlays. Undyed silk crepeline coated with a 50-50 solution of Plextol B-500 in water was cut into small rectangles and adhered to the front surface with a tacking iron set to 50 degrees Celsius.

Detaching paper patch, before conservation. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Detaching paper patch, after conservation. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Polyester organza patch on the back of a hole. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Ten textiles had splits and tears that required support from the reverse. Many of the splits coincided with areas of dark pigment or chemical burnout. The underlay material we chose is “nude” polyester organza sold by Testfabrics, Inc. in West Pittston, PA. Of ideal stability, weight and transparency, these patches do not stretch and their boundaries are not visible from the front. After testing, we elected to use 1 mil BEVA film as the adhesive. BEVA was first applied to the organza. The textile was placed face-down and patches were tacked to the back of weak areas with a Clover tacking iron set to 50 degree Celsius. The textile was placed face up again, adhesion was double checked on the front, and additional tacking was done as necessary.

Loss caused by chemical burnout, before conservation. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Loss after stabilizing with a full lining. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Five textiles had substantial holes or tears requiring full backings to enable exhibition. The lining material we found most compatible is Holytex, a nonwoven polyester that is light-weight, stable, and resembles the classroom charts in its slightly papery behavior. 1 mil BEVA film was ironed to the Holytex using a Rowenta Steam and Press iron set to 65 degrees Celsius. Higher heat caused the Holytex to curl and pucker, so we used additional pressure with the iron to achieve a good bond. The textile was first placed face down on an ironing surface. The adhesive side of the Holytex was placed over the textile and minimally tacked with a D&K tacking iron set to 50 degrees Celsius. The textile was flipped face up and ironed again from the front side, through a piece of silicone-release film. Excess Holytex was carefully trimmed from the perimeter of the textiles with small scissors.

"Icthyosaurus" before lining. Image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

"Icthyosaurus" during the infill process to tone adhesive in areas of loss. Images courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

The appearance of the adhesive-coated Holytex in areas of loss needed to be addressed prior to exhibition. Exposed, unspent adhesive is shiny and tacky, and can pose a risk to other parts of the textile if not properly addressed. We elected to adhere paper pulp to these bare areas. Rather than purchasing the paper pulp, we created our own by filing scraps of acid-free mat board using a stainless steel nail file. This was slow but allowed us to create an optimal color by combining more than one shade of board. The pulp was dispensed evenly onto the spot and covered with silicone release film. The adhesive was reactivated through the paper pulp with a clover tacking iron at 55 degrees Celsius. Larger holes needed to be covered with pulp and heat reactivated several times in order to achieve the desired amount of coverage.

The final stage of conservation was to advise the American Folk Art Museum on safe methods of display. From the very beginning, they expressed excitement about the potential of neodymium, or rare-earth magnets, the use of which we have been developing at Museum Textile Services over the past few years. After discussing ways of camouflaging magnets with paint or fabric, the museum came up with the perfect solution. Pairs of tiny silver-colored magnets were used in plain sight, blending in with the modern support systems of clear acrylic and black fabric-covered boards.

Nine Orra White Hitchcock classroom charts on display. Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

Rare-earth magnets used to suspend a textile against a layer of acrylic. Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

At the conclusion of this conservation project, Museum Textile Services conservators had spent ninety-four hours assessing, testing, cleaning, humidifying, and stabilizing twenty of the sixty-one known classroom charts made by Orra White Hitchcock. To see them on display, visit the American Folk Art Museum before the exhibit closes on October 14, 2018.

Camille Myers Breeze founded Museum Textile services in 1999. She is a prolific author, and educator of museum personnel and emerging conservation professionals in the US and abroad.

0 Comments

A Natural Legacy, Part 1

6/12/2018

0 Comments

Orra White Hitchcock classroom charts. Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

On Monday, June 11th, 2018, Museum Textile Services director and chief conservator Camille Myers Breeze attended the opening of the long-awaited new exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum called Charting the Divine Plan: The Art of Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863). Curated by the museum's acting executive director as well as deputy director for curatorial affairs and chief curator Stacy Hollander, the exhibit unites nearly all of Orra White Hitchcock's cotton classroom charts along with manuscripts, botanical and zoological samples, and fossils.

Orra White Hitchcock was one of the earliest documented female botanical and scientific illustrators in the United States. Born in 1796 in the western Massachusetts town of South Amherst, Orra married Edward Hitchcock, a pastor, geologist, professor of chemistry and natural history, and future president of Amherst College, on May 31, 1821. Immediately upon completion of her formal education, Hitchcock began teaching at Deerfield Academy, a school for ladies located 25 miles from her home. The diverse subjects she taught included fine and decorative arts, mathematics, botany, and astronomy.

Orra and Edward likely met between 1816 and 1818. Edward was headmaster at Deerfield and actively conducting field studies of local botany and mineralogy. Orra is described by author Elizabeth Farnsworth as “Fearless...She did not limit herself to the most traditional role of wife and mother, but became an equal and complementary partner to the brilliant and complex Edward…Although she did not exhibit her work, it became known to contemporary scientists including Benjamin Sillman, John Torrey, and Chester Dewey.”

MTS director Camille Myers Breeze beside Orra White Hitchcock's "Crust of the Earth." Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

"Caricography" or study of sedge grasses. By Chester Dewey with illustrations by Orra White Hitchcock. American journal of Science and Arts, Vol. 9 (June 1825). Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

The Hitchcocks collaborated on Edward’s geological publications as early as 1822. The couple settled in Amherst Massachusetts in 1826 and Edward began teaching chemistry, natural history, and “natural theology” classes at Amherst College. In addition to her increasingly well-known works of art on paper, Hitchcock started to create painted cotton textiles depicting geological and zoological subjects. These classroom charts were used by Edward and his colleagues as teaching tools. Sixty-one of the classroom charts survive in the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All but one is currently on view at the American Folk Art Museum.

In the 2011 exhibition catalog Orra White Hitchcock: An Amherst Woman of Art and Science, authors Robert L. Herbert and Daria D’Arienzo state that, “Orra drew her charts in ink and watercolor on canvas from about 1828 to the 1840s. The mixed media throughout include ink, ink wash, pencil, watercolor, and gum Arabic.” The cotton plain-weave ground is heavily sized, or glazed, to give the textiles varying degrees of stiffness. We found at least two different lots of fabric.

"Nautilus Striatus" by Orra White Hitchcock beside its namesake shell. Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

Fossilized footprints in the natural history museum at Amherst College. Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.

Author Tekla Harms explains in a nut shell that the challenge Hitchcock faced in making the classroom charts was “To faithfully represent what could only be imagined.” "Megatherium Cuv.," for example, had to be adapted from published lithographs because it was not among the fossils in the Amherst College collection. She also ventures a guess as to the appearance of "Anoplotherium" known only by its fossilized remains.

Edward was not afraid to engage his students in geological controversies, such as the origin of the great sand and gravel deposits found throughout New England. While some believed they were caused by a Biblical-style flood, others argued they resulted from the movement of glacier ice. Likewise, Orra’s depictions of megafauna like mastodon and ichtheosaurus clearly acknowledge that prehistoric animals differed from those known in her time. The couple were openly supporting a belief that the earth is dynamic and changing years before the 1839 publication of Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle and On the Origin of Species (1859).

Nine Orra White Hitchcock classroom charts on display alongside manuscripts and fossils in "Carting the Divine Plan." Installation image courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections and the American Folk Art Museum.

Charting the Divine Plan: The Art of Orra White Hitchcock (1796–1863) will be at the American Folk Art Museum through October 14, 2018. In Part II of this blog, we will go into the conservation treatments undertaken by Museum Textile Services to prepare the classroom charts for display.

Camille Myers Breeze founded Museum Textile services in 1999. She is a prolific author, and educator of museum personnel and emerging conservation professionals in the US and abroad.

0 Comments

Identity of a Community: Hmong Textiles

6/5/2018

1 Comment

The study collection at Museum Textile Services is an amazing resource that allows us to learn new techniques, expand on our textile knowledge base, and safely train new staff and interns. The collection is diverse; it contains donated, bequeathed, and purchased textiles ranging from our backyard in colonial America to places as far away as Africa and Papua New Guinea. The oldest pieces were woven by the Chancay and Chimu cultures of ancient Peru nearly 1000 years ago! One of my first projects when I came to MTS was to rehouse new donations, including family textiles inherited from our director Camille Breeze's mother. In doing so, I was struck by the sheer beauty of four small embroidered textiles from the Hmong culture, which came to us from a long-time client. Their patterns, colors and vibrancy made me want to learn more about these textiles that were so foreign to me.

Sample of traditional Hmong stitches. Courtesy of Diary of a Quilter

According to author Carl L. Bankston III, "Social scientists estimate that there are between six and seven million Hmong in the world. Until recently, almost all Hmong lived in the mountains of southern China, Laos, Thailand, and northern Vietnam. Chinese oppression during the nineteenth century and the rise of communism in Vietnam following World War II pushed many Hmong into Laos, where about 300,000 Hmong lived peacefully during the 1960s. After the royal Laotian government was overthrown by Communist forces in 1975, about one-third of the Laotian Hmong were killed, another third fled to Thailand, and the remaining third stayed in Laos. Many of those who took refuge in Thailand found homes in France, Australia, or the United States. Overall, about 95,000 Hmong have settled in the United States.

Women in traditional Hmong dress. Photo courtesy of The Art of Hmong Embroidery.

Traditional Hmong embroidery was used as a form of decoration in clothing. Girls learned the art of embroidery from a young age from the female members of their family, also learning designs and patterns that were passed down generationally. As they got older, a girl’s embroidery skills made her more attractive as a potential marriage partner. Special embroideries were made for big events in one’s life, such as marriage and death. When a girl was married, her mother would give her a skirt, traditionally made of hemp, with a colorful pattern depicting a story or multiple symbols. The skirt was cherished throughout her life, and upon death, was then again worn by her and was believed to aid her in the spirit realm as she began her journey to meet her ancestors in the after life.

Textiles are still an important part of modern Hmong culture. Techniques they employ include embroidery, applique, reverse applique and batik. Similar to embroidery, batik dye patterns and execution were passed down through generations of women. All Hmong textile art uses symbols to tell stories, many taking a month or more to complete. As I researched the embroidered piece that struck me most, I discovered that it was made as a collar to be attached to the back of a women’s jacket. I also identified many symbols used in this embroidery, which include; leaf frond (Nplooj Kaus Suab), maze, flower (Paj), hook (Tus Khawb), and cross (Tus cim caiv).

Photo of traditional collar of Blue Hmong being worn. Photo Courtesy of Herbarium Design.

Hmong Collar from MTS Study Collection. Photo Courtesy of Museum Textile Services.

In addition to researching the fascinating history of Hmong culture, I also spot tested the textile for soiling and bleeding of colors, luckily with few results. I then made a custom fabric covered board, and archivally mounted the textile by sewing it to the board using a blind stitch. I then framed it behind glass, using spacers to prevent the textile from touching the glass.

Detail of Hmong embroidered textile from MTS Study Collection.

The Hmong textiles that I researched and worked on from the Museum Textile Services study collection are only the tip of the iceberg in an amazing array of things that I am learning as an MTS intern. I’m grateful for the chance to research and conserve something that spoke to me, and to be able to share this knowledge with others through the MTS Blog.

Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis graduated from Keene State University in 2002 with a BA in American History. She has been an interpreter, curator, museum director, and freelance registrar. In her free time Sarah is a fiber junkie and enjoys sewing, spinning, dying wool, and weaving.

1 Comment

Textiles in Trust

5/23/2018

0 Comments

On May 11th, 2018, Museum Textile Services conservators attended the long-anticipated opening of the exhibit "Leisure Pursuits" at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Part of the 100-plus special places in Massachusetts overseen by the Trustees of Reservations, Fruitlands hosted this display of clothing and textiles from several Trustees locations. This show is one of eight MassFashion exhibits in 2018, all of which showcase the different facets of fashion and how it connects to the modern day individual and history.

Two Worth gowns displayed on Andover Figures® in "Leisure Pursuits" at the Fruitlands Museum.

During the fall and winter leading up to this first-of-its-kind exhibit, the MTS staff conserved 20 pieces of costume ranging from a Worth gown to a rayon bathing costume to a waiter's jacket. Some items once belonged to famous Bay Staters, such as a hat worn by poet William Cullen Bryant and a Knox trench coat favored by Mabel Choat when gardening at her Berkshire estate Naumkeag. What brings the exhibit of essential clothing and accessories together are the various forms of entertainment, sport, and holiday favored by New Englanders from the Guilded Age to the late 20th century.

The largest group of dresses worn by a single woman belonged to Helen Stevens Coolidge, descendant of one of the founding families of Andover. The country house she lived in with her husband John, the Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover, is one of the finest Colonial Revival estates in the northeast, with many acres of farmland and gardens to explore around the mansion. John Coolidge was the great, great grandson of Thomas Jefferson and a nephew of Isabella Stewart Gardner. This status is reflected in Helen's wardrobe, which contained both day-to-day essentials like lawn dresses, and elegant evening gowns by Paris fashion house Worth. Senior Curator Christie Jackson spent over two years researching the vast collections found throughout the Trustees 16 historic houses. After researching Worth gowns, Christie dated Helen's two dresses to c 1895. She later discovered that Helen and John Coolidge met in Paris in 1895, which begs the question whether it was one of these dresses that caught John's eye.

Conservators Courtney Jason and Gretta Hempelmann building two Andover Figures® for "Leisure Pursuits."

The Trustees commissioned Museum Textile Services to build custom archival manikins for their two Worth gowns. This provided yet another opportunity for our Andover Figures® system to be an affordable solution to safely display even ornate, heavy costume. Starting with our basic Ethafoam core, we used additional Ethafoam, polyester batting, and nylon tulle to create individual silhouettes for the two slightly different dresses seen above.

Take a trip out to beautiful Harvard, Massachusetts, to see "Leisure Pursuits" at the Fruitlands Museum through March 24, 2019.

Camille Myers Breeze founded Museum Textile services in 1999. She is a prolific author, and educator of museum personnel and emerging conservation professionals in the US and abroad.

0 Comments

New Training Opportunity with Camille Myers Breeze

4/23/2018

0 Comments

Museum Textile Services Director Camille Myers Breeze has been chosen as one of the five instructors participating in the inaugural season of a new collections care program at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. The Center for Collections Care uses two campus museums--the Logan Museum of Anthropology and the Wright Museum of Art--which feature a vibrant archive, and historic costume and natural history collections. According to a 2018 external review, “Beloit College is a recognized leader in the academic field of Museum Studies,” and “… one of the greatest strengths of the Museum Studies Program curriculum at Beloit is its emphasis on experiential, hands-on learning and practice.”

Introduction to Textile Conservation
July 25-28, 2018

This course will provide essential skills needed for all collections-care specialists to handle, assess, maintain, and safely house historic clothing and textiles. Beginning with the basic chemical building blocks of textile fibers, Camille will teach students how a fabric's microscopic characteristics impact the preservation, treatment, and interpretation of textile objects. Advancements in textile technology over the last 300 years will be highlighted and the challenges they present to museum staff will be discussed.

Armed with a better understanding of the needs of historic clothing and textiles, participants will learn hands-on skills such as condition reporting, surface cleaning, exhibition, packing, and photography. Environmental and practical considerations for the care and display of textiles will be presented along with case studies in successful and problematic conservation solutions. Working with study collection pieces from Beloit College, as well as their own objects, students will create a treatment proposal, carry out basic treatment steps, and complete a final assessment report. Sewing skills are not required.

The Center for Collections Care at Beloit College provides important training for all current and emerging museum collections professionals. To register for Introduction to Textile Conservation or any of this summer's programs, visit the Beloit College website: www.beloit.edu/ccc.

0 Comments

Restoring the Elegance of Trapunto Whitework Quilts

4/10/2018

1 Comment

Four trapunto quilts arrived at Museum Textile Services this winter for conservation. Three belong to Hammond-Harwood House of Annapolis, MD, and a fourth is being donated to the New England Quilt Museum, in Lowell, MA. These wonderful examples beautifully showcase this historic style of quilting that was popular in America in the mid-nineteenth century. The quilts varied in condition, but were all treated in a similar way and exhibit a wide spectrum of this style of whitework.

Trapunto quilting is also known historically as stuffed quilting, whitework quilting, or corded quilting. The names accurately describe the technique used to make these labor intensive quilts; trapunto in Italian means "to embroider," and in Latin it means "to prick with a needle." In this quilting technique, 2 to 3 layers of cotton or linen fabric are sandwiched and sewn together. Once sewn together, the artist would hand quilt or embroider a design over the entire quilt. Many of these designs were available as a pattern, or could be created completely by the artist.

Example of trapunto quilting. Photo courtesy of Glen Haven Historical Society, New York.

Similar to other textile art such as mourning pictures, images quilted in these such as urns, cornucopias and flowers hold symbolic meaning and can tell a story. Traditionally, the threads would be moved aside with a needle from the back of the quilt and tiny amounts of stuffing or cording was pushed into the voids made by the quilting pattern. This created a raised effect that was beautiful, yet subtle. Once an area was stuffed to satisfaction, the threads at the back that had been moved aside are again worked back together to make the entry area invisible. One of the Hammond-Harwood House trapunto quilts has a more delicate backing fabric, which allowed it to be more easily stuffed.

Detail of trapunto quilt made by Elizabeth North, after conservation and bleaching. Image by MTS.

This style of quilting is believed to have originated in Sicicly in the the 14th century, and continued to be popular across Italy and Europe through the 18th century. Immigrants brought the technique to America with them and it enjoyed popularity from the early 19th century, peaking mid-century. It became less common by the 20th century, as it was so time consuming and the country was being vastly changed by the industrial revolution. The trapunto quilt belonging to a private collector is a fine example of one made in America in 1823 and prominently has the name “Elizabeth North” across the top, possibly having been made for her as a wedding gift. It also features two urns of flowers and an overflowing cornucopia of flowers.

Damage to this trapunto quilt clearly shows the thin backing fabric through which the cotton batting was originally stuffed. Image by MTS.

The three quilts that we conserved at MTS underwent similar treatment, a process of wetcleaning and bleaching with the reductive bleaching agent, sodium borohydride (NaBH4). Wetcleaning cotton and linen fibers with the addition of a sodium borohydride bath is beneficial both visually and chemically, resulting in healthier and brighter artifacts. Sodium borohydride cannot be used on protein fibers—such as silk and wool—because they are naturally acidic and the sodium borohydride solution is alkaline (approximately pH 10).

As cellulosic textiles age, hydroxyl groups (-OH) are converted to carbonyl groups (=O), which contribute to a dingy brown or yellow color. The chemical process known as reduction adds electrons to the cellulose fibers, stabilizing their molecular weight and returning carbonyl groups back to colorless hydroxyl groups. The combination of dissolved soils and cellulosic degradation often turn the wash bath the color of strong tea. The reaction of the sodium borohydride with water is also produces hydrogen gas bubbles, and the bath may give off a smell reminiscent of sulfur or chlorine. It is important to agitate the sodium borohydride wash bath regularly to allow all sides of the textile to come in contact with the surface of the water where the chemical reaction is taking place. Especially dirty whitework quilts receive additional baths with a solution of the anionic surfactant Orvus, before being rinsed and air dried under a cotton wicking cloth.

Detail of Elizabeth North quilt, after conservation and bleaching. Image by MTS.

Cleaning discolored textiles is always rewarding, and restoring the legibility of these three-dimensional trapunto quilts is no exception. Viewers will enjoy seeing the results of conservation when the quilts are exhibited in their museums.

Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis is a former registrar, curator, and museum director. She was also Assistant Administrator for the Lowell Historic Board and Office Manager for Preservation Worcester. Sarah continues to provide freelance collections cataloging for private collectors, and is excited to return to her textile conservation training.

1 Comment

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Crazy Quilt

3/26/2018

2 Comments

Laura Ingalls Wilder is known as the writer of the “Little House” books, and I only recently discovered that she also was a quilter. A quilt was sent to Museum Textile Services by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. It is one of two crazy quilts made by the author in the early 1900’s. Unlike other quilts she made, mention of this one does not appear in any of Laura's writings. However we know that this particular quilt was made not too long after she moved with her husband Almanzo and their daughter Rose to Mansfield, where they purchased a plot of land, and began building their homestead.

The 1928 Rock House, where the first four Little House books were written. Image courtesy of Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic home & Museum.

Their home would become known as Rocky Ridge Farm, which is now the site of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum. The 1913 farmhouse was home to the family until 1928, when Laura’s daughter Rose built the Rock House. Laura and Almanzo lived in the newer home until 1936, when they returned to their farmhouse to live out the rest of their lives. It was during their time in the Rock House that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the first four of her “Little House on the Prairie” books, the series for which she is best known.

Laura Ingalls Wilder (l) and Rose Wilder Lane (r). Images courtesy of The National Archives Pieces of History Blog.

Laura Ingalls Wilder is believed to have created this crazy quilt is toward the end of the peak of popularity of crazy quilting in America. The fascination began in 1876 at the Philadelphia Exposition where the crazed pottery of the Japanese Pavilion inspired American women to incorporate similar patterns into their quilting. The top layer of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s crazy quilt was comprised of many differently patterned silk, cotton, and velvet pieces. Crazy quilts are typically assembled out of any spare fabric present in a household, and this quilt is no exception. In particular, many of the pieces of silk Laura used were badly worn and in need of support before the quilt could be safely displayed.

We determined that a net overlay on the front of the quilt was the best solution for its long-term preservation. The entire front was covered in one piece of brown nylon net that matched most of the fabrics, and is only minimally visible on a few of the lightest areas. I pinned the net out, being careful to not leave too much excess or pull the net too tightly over the surface of the quilt. Intern Sarah Stebulis and I then stitched the net down along the lines between the blocks and along strategic seams within each block to ensure the net did not sag. At the edges of the quilt, the net was turned under and stitched to the backing fabric one half inch from the edge. This encapsulated the edges, protecting them from further wear and loss. A twill tape header was attached along the top of the quilt for future display with a magnetic hanging system.

Stabilizing worn silks with a nylon net overlay. Photo by MTS.

While the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic House & Museum does sell quilt patterns in their online store, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a crazy quilt pattern. Or better yet, create your very own.

Courtney Jason has worked with MTS since 2010. She completed her ALM in Museum Studies at Harvard Extension School in 2017.

2 Comments

MassFashion all the Rage in 2018

3/12/2018

0 Comments

MassFashion is an exhibition bringing together eight Massachusetts museums to showcase the different facets of fashion, and how fashion connects to the modern day individual and history. Each museum has a unique exhibit relating to clothing that ranges from mid-seventeenth century to modern day. Some exhibits focus on hats and shoes, while others focus on the important individuals and events that are connected to that piece. Museum Textile Services has been busy conserving and readying pieces to be displayed for several of the museums associated with the MassFashion exhibitions.

Massachusetts Historical Society

Massachusetts Historical Society is exhibiting Fashion the New England Family, 17th to 19th Century: Reuse, Refashion, Preserve, and Pass On allowing visitors to learn about the importance of fashion in history. Many pieces were have been in long term storage and are being exhibited for the first time. MTS conserved five historic garments for this exhibit including Mather Byles christening cap. The exhibit opens October 2018.

Mather Byles' Christening Cap

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has two exhibitions with an emphasis on fashion and textiles. The first exhibit is Casanova's Europe: Art, Pleasure, and Power in the 18th Century. This will show how clothing, furniture, and art are woven into Casanova's travel, courtships, and social activities. The exhibit is open July 8, 2018.

The second exhibit at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is showcasing is Boston Arts Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork (working title). This exhibit displays the craftsmanship and artistry of jewelry and metalworkers. MFA will showcase how the artists' stories connect and helped make life more worthwhile during an industrial revolution when many things are becoming mass manufactured and less handcrafted. This exhibit will open November 17, 2018.

Man's waistcoat, breeches, and vest. Image from Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Trustees of Reservations

Trustees of Reservations will be exhibiting Leisure Pursuits: The Fashion and Culture of Recreation displaying how people of Massachusetts participated in activities such as gardening, swimming, entertaining, fitness, and equestrian pursuits. Each of these activities required a certain dress and influenced the fashion of the time. MTS had the opportunity to conserve several pieces for Trustees of Reservations. The Driscoll's gown pictured below is a piece MTS conserved. This exhibit will be showcasing what was worn for certain activities and opens May 12, 2018.

Driscoll's Gown

Historic New England

Historic New England's curator Laura Johnson is focusing on the influence of shoes and hats in Head to Toe: Hat and Shoe Fashions from Historic New England. The 46 shoes and hats show the relationship between these items and New England, highlighting the connections of body image with socio-economics, cultural appropriation, and activism. The Head to Toe exhibit opens June 1, 2018.

Julia Child's Shoes. Image from Historic New England's Online Collections

Fuller Craft Museum

Uneasy Beauty: Discomfort in Contemporary Adornment will exhibit at the Fuller Craft Museum. This exhibit will feature 75 pieces of contemporary jewelry and costume. Susan Ramljak's curation will show the connection of fashion to human emotions, intellect, and body through the demands of fashion itself. The exhibition will begin October 26, 2018.

Snake Handbag. Photographed by Bob Toy

Old Sturbridge Village

A Fashion for Preservation: Caring for the Old Sturbridge Village Textile Collection is being exhibited at the Old Sturbridge Village. Museum Textile Services surveyed the hanging fashion collection dating from 1780 to 1850 last spring.This program is extremely exclusive, allowing only 15 visitors on June 16, 2018. A Fashion for Preservation is exemplifying how to properly care for textiles and why their new rehousing of 300 items is crucial for the preservation of history.

Camille and Morgan examining the storage at Old Sturbridge Village

Peabody Essex Museum

Peabody Essex Museum is exhibiting the influence of empresses of China during the Qing Dynasty in the exhibit Empresses of China's Forbidden City. One hundred and fifty objects from the Forbidden City will be on display and tell this little known story of the empresses. This will be on exhibit August 18, 2018.

Concord Museum

Concord Museum is answering questions of how people from the 18th and 19th century obtained their clothing in the exhibit Fresh Goods: Shopping for Clothing in a New England Town, 1750-1900. This exhibit will display clothing that started with cloth purchased in the Concord area, clothing that was purchased by a tailor of dressmaker nearby, or purchased in a major fashion city such as Paris, London, New York, or Boston. There will be an interactive experience for visitors to "shop" the collection. The exhibit opens March 2, 2018.

Each exhibit is unique and a fantastic opportunity to learn about fashion, history, and the local connections to Massachusetts and the New England area. Fashion connects us all, be it artistically or functionally, we are all connected through this industry. Concord Museum, Fuller Craft Museum, Historic New England, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Old Sturbridge Village, the Peabody Essex Museum, and The Trustees of Reservations are exhibiting this connection through MassFashion. Check out all the current and upcoming exhibits from each museum that is participating in the MassFashion exhibition!

Gretta Hempelmann is a graduate from The University of Missouri with a MA in Clothing and Textiles. She has a BA in Fashion Design and Merchandising from West Virginia University. She received a certificate for Care of Special Collections for Textiles from the International Preservation Studies Center in the summer of 2016.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Out of Antinoé, Part II

Out of Antinoé, Part I

A Natural Legacy, Part II

A Natural Legacy, Part 1

Identity of a Community: Hmong Textiles

Textiles in Trust

New Training Opportunity with Camille Myers Breeze

Introduction to Textile Conservation
July 25-28, 2018

Restoring the Elegance of Trapunto Whitework Quilts

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Crazy Quilt

MassFashion all the Rage in 2018

Massachusetts Historical Society

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Trustees of Reservations

Historic New England

Fuller Craft Museum

Old Sturbridge Village

Peabody Essex Museum

Concord Museum

Want Answers?

Get the Blog

Categories

Join Our Mailing List

Museum Textile Services, LLC

Introduction to Textile Conservation July 25-28, 2018

Massachusetts Historical Society

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Trustees of Reservations

Historic New England

Fuller Craft Museum

Old Sturbridge Village

​Peabody Essex Museum

​Concord Museum

Want Answers?

Get the Blog

Categories

Join Our Mailing List

Museum Textile Services, LLC

Introduction to Textile Conservation
July 25-28, 2018

Peabody Essex Museum

Concord Museum