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Over recent years there have been many natural disasters that have impacted museums and other historic sites (i.e. flood at the Louvre in 2017, fires at the National Museum of Brazil (2018) and Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019). While most natural disasters result in extensive damage to artifacts, they may also reveal something new or exciting that would otherwise remain unknown. In February, 2019, staff from Museum Textile Services surveyed several costumes and costume ensembles at the Maine State Museum that were impacted by ice and water damage to secure storage facility. Later that same year, 17 costume ensembles initially surveyed arrived at MTS for conservation treatment. One costume ensemble in particular, consisting of a polka-dot bodice and skirt with lace panels, was particularly fragile and required an interventive treatment.
Condition The two-piece dress, comprised of a bodice and skirt made of white silk with blue polka dots, was stiff and discolored from water exposure from the flood. The plain white silk used in the lining of the bodice, as well as the float-linings of the skirt and skirt tiers, already had numerous tears and splits, which is an inherent vice of silk. Underarm shields in each sleeve of the bodice were also shedding powder, likely from deteriorated polyurethane pads. Treatment To address the flood damage, it was decided to wetclean the bodice and skirt. Prior to wetcleaning, the degraded skirt lining was removed due to its fragility. The decision was made not to conserve the linings due to the potential to cause additional damage through handling and loss of historic information. The underarm shields were also removed and archived due to their instability, bulkiness, and increased weight when wet, which could damage the fragile silk in surrounding areas. Fragile areas on the bodice were temporarily encased in nylon net for ease of handling during wetcleaning.
The flood at the Maine State Museum initiated the subsequent survey and treatment of many historic costumes. Perhaps without that unfortunate event, this delightful ensemble would have remained untreated and unexhibitable due to its fragile condition. Today, the polka-dot dress is free of distortions and deterioration products caused by the flood, and is stable enough that it can be displayed. A special thank you goes out to the excellent staff of the Maine State Museum who helped us manage this project, which kept us going through the early months of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
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By Camille Myers Breeze This spring I am hard at work promoting the latest research project at Museum Textile Services on the Use of Sheer Overlays in Textile Conservation. Sheer overlays, such as nylon net, silk crepeline, and polyester Stabiltex, are used in textile conservation to protect an object and/or change the object’s appearance.  Trimming a nylon net overlay on a deteriorated quilt. There are many benefits of conserving textiles with sheer overlays. They provide immediate stabilization across a large area with a minimum of stitching. Sheer overlays also provide preventative care, as they offer protection from loss if the textile continues to degrade. Most importantly for use at MTS, sheer overlays are easy to learn, and are among the first things I teach intern to do.  A silk crepeline overlay ready to go onto a textile fragment. This topic is near and dear to my heart, as I have been teaching it at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Mount Carroll, IL, since 2012. It may also be familiar to you if you have visited the Resources section of the Museum Textile Services web page. There you will find several MTS handouts on the subject, including our newest, Hot Cutting & Applying Polyester Sheer Overlays.  A student at the Campbell Center hot cutting polyester fabric. Other MTS Handouts on this topic include Conservation Netting, about the use of sheer nylon net overlays. I created the Sheer Overlay Score Card to assist in choosing the best sheer overlay, and it is also online. There is even a List of Sheer Overlay Suppliers and a Sheer Overlay Bibliography.  At the end of May, 2014, I will present poster on Evaluating and Choosing Sheer Overlays in San Francisco at the 42nd Conference of the American Institute for Conservation.One of the purposes of this poster is to launch my online survey on use of sheer overlays in textile conservation, in which I will gather feedback from conservators and collections care specialists around the world. The survey data will then assist me in an upcoming publication I am writing on the subject.
Stay tuned for more on this topic, and don't forget to take the online survey! |
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Museum Textile Services, LLCP.O. Box 5004
Andover, MA 01810 admin@museumtextiles.com 978.474.9200 |