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CONSERVATION

NEWSLETTER

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TEXTILE CONSERVATION NEWSLETTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE EDITORS

IMPROVEMENTS TO STORAGE: THE TEXTILES

IN THE HISTORY COLLECTION, ROYALBRITISH COLUMBIA MUSEUM

Colleen Wilson

THE ETHNOLOGY COLLECTION TEXTILES

Kiestin Mackie

TEXTILE CONSERVATION LABORATORY

PLANNING

Loreen Finkelstein

VISIBLE STORAGE: AN UPDATE

Miriam Clavier

TEXTILE CONSERVATION PROGRAM AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

Heather Prince

ADHESIVES SYMPOSIUM AT THE COOPERHEWITT MUSEUM

Rebecca Johnson Dibb

NEW PUBLICATIONS

TCN SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

TCN SUBMISSIONS

TCN INSERT: THE STrrCHING GROUP THREAD SURVEY

TCN SPR[NG 1993 SUPPLEMENT: THE CONSERVATION OF ANEGYPTIAN PAINTED MUMMY SHROUD

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Spring 1993

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EROM THE EDITORS

Welcome to the Spring 1993 issue of theTEXTILE CONSERVATION

NEWSLETTER and to a new subscriptionterm. TCN is fortunate to have such

dedicated subscribers and readers; a specialmention must go to all those who contributeso freely and professionally because withoutthem, TCN would not exist.

TCN Spring 93, as has become a tradition, isaccompanied by a Supplement. This year, areport on the conservation of an Egyptianpainted mummy shroud comes to us from theRoyal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Three articles are devoted to the topic ofstorage - an ongoing concern for the curatorand collections manager as well as theconservator. Two of these chronicle the

moves of the collections at the Royal BritishColumbia Museum in Victoria and the third

examines the advantages and limitations of

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visible storage at the University of BritishColumbia's Museum of Anthropology inVancouver.

The results of a textile conservation

laboratory planning study by the conservatorat the Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia,U.S.A. will be a very useful tool for planninga new laboratory and/or expansion orupgrading of an existing facility.

An interesting study on threads has come tous from the St. Louis Art Museum in

Missouri, U.S.A. It looks at various brandsand types of commercial sewing andneedlework threads and tests them for

colourfastness, strength and lists theirproperties.

Please take note that the TEXTILE

CONSERVATION NEWSLETrER has

moved to St.Lambert, which is a suburb ofMontreal. Our new address for all

submissions, subscription renewal andcorrespondence is on the back page of thisissue.

Spring 1993

1

MPROVEMENTS TO STORAGETHE TEXTILES IN THE

HISTORY COLLECTION, ROYAL

BRITISH COLUMBIA MUSEUM

In the Spring 1991 issue of the TCNthe .news from the RBCM was that the

collections were being packed to move. Ayear and a half later, everything has beenmoved once, though few artifacts havereturned to their permanent homes. Thismeans that while everything has been packed,

the efficacy of the packing has not been seen.As the textiles in the Ethnology Collection

were very well stored, work with thatcollection focussed on preparations for the

actual transportation. Once the move iscomplete an article on Moving a Collection,

complete with details about ethnographictextiles will appear immediately.

The textiles in the History Collectionhave not had a tradition of good care. Hereour mandate was to pack, not merely for amove, but also for permanent storage. Ratherthan spend money on disposable packingmaterials, and time on wrapping andunwrapping, we wanted to employ this once-in-a-lifetime windfall of money andcontractors to the long-term benefit of thecollections. Permanent storage containerswere redesigned for long term stability andalso for transportation by movers. Ourgrandiose plans, however, were tempered bytwo things. An inventory was going onsimultaneously with the packing, ordering ofsupplies, and allotment of space, so it wasdifficult to have an overall view of what

exactly we were dealing with. A more seriousdrawback is that the collection is to return to

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the same amount of space. The fact that the

artifacts would require more space had to bebalanced by either a more efficient use of

space, or a jettisoning of part of thecollection.

The collection of historic textiles at the

RBCM consists of 10,000 arti facts, with a

strong concentration on woment clothing. Tothe list of high standards that everyconservator hopes to implemen (full support

for each artifact, no crowding, inert materials,

location files), we added two ideals. Wewanted to be able to move any artifact out ofthe collection without disturbing any others,

and we wanted to be able to examine anyartifact without handling it.

Flat Storage

Large fragile pieces that cannot be rolled arein shallow drawers. These are of sealed wood

veneer in a metal framework (the wood for

lightness and the metal for strength). Theyare identical to the drawers designed forChilkat blankets and measure approximately8' X 5'. These drawers are excellent for the

storage and examination of large fragilepieces, as pulled out they form a sizeable

work surface. In the past there have beenproblems because stacking of the itemswithin the drawers. While this stacking has

provided a quick solution to the question ofwhere to put (yet another) bias cut dress, ithas its drawbacks. Not only are the pieces

underneath somewhat crushed. but theycannot be examined without the removal of

the top artifact. This means not only potentialdamage from handling, but in an absolutelyjammed storage room with all spaceefficiently used, there is nowhere to put thefragile top pieces, while examining the lowerones. Careful examination of the artifacts in

Spring 1993

these drawers revealed that many were strongenough to be hung and others would fit intosmaller drawers.

The smaller drawers are metal, in metal

cabinets. Some of these are recycledgovernment equipment. Drawers that onceheld maps or blueprints have made excellenthomes for knitwear, slips and chemises with

narrow straps, and lace garments. Theartifacts are padded where necessary and the

drawers lined with Reemay. The Reemayextends as a cover that tucks in at the front

of the drawer to prevent the contents fromflapping up. These units sit on pallets sothey can be easily moved by a forklift. It ishoped that anyone doing research will be ableto examine them well enough, evenphotograph them, without removing themfrom the drawer.

Many robust items are not much larger.

Capes and shaped stoles, mantles and tippetshave been packed ( folded, with appropriatepadding) in foam-core trays within the

drawers. They can then safely be taken to anexamination area to be laid out in their

entirety.

The fan collection consists of

approximately 100 fans, many in less thanperfect condition. We wanted to store themopen and provide some support for the ribsand sticks. The inventory revealed thatalthough ranging in size from 4.5" x 4.5" to17" x 20" all would fit into a 2" deep drawer.Juggling the sizes and placement, it wasdetermined that 90% of the fans would fit

into four sizes of boxes that could be

arranged in twelve drawers, (The oversizedfans took another two drawers.) The fans are

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housed in foam-core boxes assembled with

hot-melt glue The sides prevent the box frombouncing up within the drawer and enable theboxes to be stacked if they are removed for

study. To prevent the feather fans from beingdisturbed by the motion of the drawer, areemay cover was added to those boxes.

Laying the fan out in its appropriate

box, the position of the hinge pin and angleof the sticks was lightly marked with pencil.Measurements were taken of the length of theupper stick and its height at the hinge, andthe height of the stick between one third to

one half the way along its length and thecurved distance to the same point on theopposite stick. Removing the fan, the location

of the hinge pin was recessed in the foam-core. Wedges were cut of 1 /4" ethafoam tosupport the length of the upper stick and themid-point of the ribs. The ethafoam wasglued in place with hot-melt glue and narrowribbon ties were threaded through the foam-core to secure the two sticks. Additional ties

were added if it was necessary to immobilizea tassel or ribbon. The accession number was

marked on all sides of the box and a label

was attached in the drawer to mark the

location. (Fig. 1)

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Spring 1993

Purses

Most of the purses also proved shallowenough to fit into 2" drawers. Five sizes ofboxes were. designed that would makemaximum use of the drawers. To some extent

the sizes were incremental, so eight tinyboxes will take the same space as twomedium-sized boxes which take the same

space as one large box. Like the fan boxes,the purse boxes are of foam-core with sides.Because of the great variety of purse shapesand materials, a variety of means of securingthem was used. Purses were stuffed gentlywith tissue, or, in the case of metal meshbags, were fitted with a 1/4" ethofoam insert.3/4" strips of 1/4" ethafoam were cut toappropriate lengths and glued around theoutline of the purse as fences to preventshifting. Cotton Mill tape ties were used forfurther security. Those purses too large forthe 2" drawers are stored in deeper boxes in4", 6" and 8" deep drawers. (Fig. 2)

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Flat Textiles

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These include quilts, tablecloths, sugarsacks, samplers, and handkerchiefs. Once theinventory was complete, the numbers of itemsof similar sizes became apparent.

Polyethylene tubing in 3" diameter waspurchased and cut into 8', 4' and 2' lengths.Painted plywood "fill boxes" were

constructed to fit inside the rolling storageunits. (For moving, the fill boxes wereremoved from the rolling storage andstrapped face to face for protection andcleanliness.) As the fill boxes are built toaccommodate 8', 4', or 2' rolls, we no longerhave the problem of trying to unroll a singlescarf off an 8" roll housing four scarves, orsliding a middle short tube off a lengthydowelaccommodating three or four rolls ofdifferent lengths. The tubes are wrapped intissue, and either tissue, Reemay, or washedcotton covers the rolled textiles. Because of

the depth of the rolling storage units, and ourneed to fill all available space efficiently, therolls are two deep making it difficult to reachthe ones behind. To lessen this problem loopsof heavy strap are attached to the outside ofthe fill boxes. A front roll can be lifted out

and hung out of the way temporarily whileaccess is gained to the one behind. Tyveklabels are tied to the exterior of the roll with

the accession number and a brief description.(Fig. 3)

For samplers and other examples ofneedlework, acid-free card folders wereconstructed. The needlework sits on a pieceof card fenced by strips of card glued inplace with hot melt glue. A -mylar cover isattached to one edge of the fence withdouble-sided tape used for encapsulatingdocuments. A cover of the same card is

attached to the same edge with linen tape.

Spring 1993

The front of the needlework can now be

examined, pointed at and measured withsome protection and by closing the folder,turning it over and opening it from the back,the reverse can be examined without having

to handle the piece at all. To secure theclosed folder without adding to its bulk, abelt of mylar secured with slot ends, wasslipped over the open edge.

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Plain, flat artifacts such as napkins andhandkerchiefs did not merit individual

folders, nor did stacking or encapsulationseem the answer. A plan was conceived toroll the handkerchiefs on either solid

ethafoam rounds, or lengths of polethylenepipe insulation to sit in racks within 2" deepdrawers. Unfortunately time ran out beforethis was implemented.

Colleen Wilson

Textile Conservator

Royal British Columbia MuseumVictoria, BC

Number 24 5

THE ETHNOLOGYCOLLECTION TEXTILES

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The Ethnology collection had verydifferent problems from those encountered by

the History collection. Very few of thetextiles required upgraded storage. On thecontrary we were faced with taking a wellstored collection and downgrading the storageconditions for the duration of the move.

Several large storage cabinets containedartifacts such as cedar bark mats and capes,dance aprons, button blankets, and fragiletunics in permanent flat storage. Due to thelarge size of the cabinets, it was decided thatthe frames would remain in situ duringAsbestos removal and would be sealed in

polyethylene. The artifacts obviously had tobe moved out and this was accomplished inone of two ways. Artifacts having enoughphysical stability (cedar bark mats) werestrapped into their drawers and moved drawerby drawer into temporary shelving in theswing space. Artifacts having no inherent

vertical stability (blankets, rugs, costumeelements) had to be packed for the move andthe drawers moved separately.

All 48 cedar bark mats were packedand moved in their drawers. It was

impossible to roll or fold them. Four C-

clamps, a padded piece of 2x4 and layers of1/8 inch Ethafoam were used to hold the

mats in place during vertical transportationfrom the cramped storage area to the workarea (see Figure A and Figure Al). Therethey were interleaved with 1 /8 inch sheets of

Ethafoam and acid-free tissue paper, thencovered with a top layer of poly fiberfill. A

Spring 1993

sheet of cardboard was placed on top and alllayers strapped with nylon fruit box tape andmetal clamps. The layers of Ethafoam andfiberfill provided cushioning between layersof mats and the top layer of cardboard. Thepressure of the straps around the drawersprevented slippage during the move. Two tofour mats were packed in any one drawerdepending on thickness of the mats.

Figure AVERTICAL TRANSPORTATION OF

CEDAR BARK MATS

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At some time in their past, many 9f themats had been stored folded. and

subsequently unfolded. Some of the mats

were heavily creased or split along the foldlines. Because of the technique used to

transport these objects, the creases had to beflattened or they would have cracked furtherunder pressure. Prior to packing, these matswere humidified using a cold poulticetechnique. This was done according to the

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technique described by Frances Lennard inThe Conservator, (No 13, 1989:3-7)*. A matwas laid on a poultice consisting of a dampcloth covered by a dry cloth. A layer of acidfree tissue was placed on the mat, and thewhole package- covered in a sheet of

polyethelene. After several hours at roomtemperature, the previously brittle mats werepliable. The damp cloth was removed and

weights placed on top of strips of mylarcovering the creases. The polyethelene wasreplaced but the edges left unsealed overnightto allow the mat to dry out. The resulting matwas dry and flat, and able to be packed using

the pressure technique without risk of furthersplitting. During the move, the individualdrawers were carried onto the large elevatorin a vertical position. The mats so farunpacked have travelled extremely well withno apparent damage resulting from thetreatment, packing or move.

Figure A-1PACKING OF CEDAR BARK MATS

IN DRAWERS

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Spring 1993

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The small cedar bark capes were packed intheir drawers, similarly to the mats, but withthe addition of ethafoam "fences" which

prevented slippage and received the pressurefrom the strapping. These also appear to havesurvived the move intact.

The button blankets, Chilkat blankets,

salish blankets, and other similar objects,previously very well stored in their oversizedflat drawers, had to be rolled for moving.Cardboard tubes, obtained from carpet supplystores, were padded with polyester fiberfilland were covered with Reemay. The blanketslay on a layer of Reemay, and were coveredwith another layer of Reemay or acid freetissue. Acid free tissue was used instead of

Reemay on objects containing friable cedarbark elements, to prevent fragments of cedarbark being pulled off by static electricity

generated by friction of the Reemay. A padconsisting of polyester fibrefill to take thedifferentiating pressures of applieddecorations and uneven weaves was then laid

on top of the Reemay. All layers were rolled

around the prepared tubes, and tied with Milltape, and the accession number tied on theoutside of the roll. Button Blankets were

rolled "buttons in" to minimize strain on the

button stitching threads, and along the warpdirection of the blanket. Chilkat blankets

were rolled along the direction of the twinedweft to minimize strain on the fragile cedar

bark warps. the tubes were suspended onEthafoam "plank brackets" inside cardboardcremation cartons (See figure B). Thecremation cartons were stacked 2 high whenmoved on carpeted dollys. On unpackingthese various blankets, we were extremelypleased to see that they are apparently nonethe worse after their months in temporarystorage. Some slight creasing appeared on topof the button blankets, but we feel these will

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flatten themselves out over time. The fragileChilkat blankets are, entirely unblemished.

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Figure BTEMPORARY ROLLED STORAGE

Some blankets had particular needs, suchas those decorated with carved wooden skulls

(almost life size),or hundreds of fragile andvaluable dentalia shells, or stiffer painted skinrobes. These were folded in three around a

large pad of polyester fibrefill, and stored oneto a box in the cremation cartons. Additional

padding and Reemay was used to provide abarrier and padding inside the cartons.

Methods for moving the tunics andJackets were determined by their conditionand manner of permanent storage. The stablegarments such as beaded leather jackets and

fur tunics, had been stored on hangers in theirown cabinet. The cabinet was moved in its

entirety with the hanging jackets inside. Aspart of storage upgrading, padded hangers

(similar to those in the Historical collection)and garment bags were made (See figure C).None of these garments have been unpackedyet. The fragile garments such as dentalia-

Spring 1993

decorated tunics that had been stored flat in

plywood cabinet drawers, were packed inacid-free texti le boxes and cardboard

cremation cartons. Polyester fibrefill andacid-free tissue were used for padding (Seefigure D). Other fragile garments such asfeather capes, dance aprons, and decoratedleather dresses were packed in archival textileboxes and cardboard cartons. The cartons and

boxes were moved on dollys, trolleys andcarts.

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The move has been completed and

unpacking is underway. We feel that overallthe packing methods were a success inprotecting the Ethnographic textiles fromharm during the move, which was the main

concern. The packing up and unpacking ofthese items did cost a great deal in terms ofstaff time and use of temporary materials, butthis was unavoidable. Our current problem iswhat to do with all the packing materials!The cremation cartons and fibrefill are being

used as temporary storage for somewhalebones by the biology section. The acid-

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Figure DPACKING OF FRAGILE GARMENTS

free garment boxes will be used eventuallyby the history section, and we hope to makesome use out of the 3km or so of reemay wehave left over. The Ethnographic textileswere luckier than mr. e other objects in- theMuseum in having - well stored in the

first place. and we are now almost back towhere we started from! Come and see us

sometime.

Kjestin MackieLisa BengstonTextile Conservators

Royal British Columbia MuseumVictoria, BC

*The Conservator, published by the UnitedKingdom institute for Conservation

Spring 1993

EXT[LE CONSERVATIONLABORATORY PLANNING

Abstract: A textile conservation laboratoryplanning questionnaire was developed andsent to thirty-seven conservators in the UnitedStates, Canada and England. Twenty-oneresponses were received along with sketchesof floor plans, blue prints, two articles andone book. The results represented the opinions of four private conservators, ninemuseums, four regional conservation

organizations, one educational institution, onehistoric house/museum, one national

conservation organization and one

international conservation organization. Thisdata was a useful tool for planning withmuseum administration, architects and

designers for a new textile conservationlaboratory, and was used to Support andjustify square footage, ceiling height and

equipment.

Introduction

In July, 1990, officials of the ColonialWilliamsburg Foundation (CWF) inWilliamsburg, Virginia announced theacquisition of the Bruton Heights schoolproperty for an educational center whichwould support visitor-oriented educational

interpretations and presentations. CWF

consists of 173 acres of the original town ofWilliamsburg, 88 original buildings, 400reconstructed structures, over 750,000

archaeological artifacts, over 150,000American and English antiques and over2,000 objeCtS of American folk art. The newproperty is to be developed into a campus-like complex of buildings combining existing

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functions currently spread throughout the city.These include historical architecture and

archaeological research, collections research

and storage, conservation. development andadministration of educational programs, andinterpreter training into one location.

The Department of Conservation hasbeen doing preliminary planning since 1986.On December 20, 1991 the DeWitt Wallace

Fund approved a grant of 11 million dollarsfor construction of the DeWitt Wallace

Collections and Conservation Building tohouse the Foundation's collections and

conser·vation programs. Mission statements

were written along with program projectionsand program statements for the purpose andfunction of the building. Each conservatorwas then asked to design his/her laboratoriesalong with developing a list of equipmentneeds. While this article addresses the

development of the Textile Lab the facilitywill house labs for archaeology, furniture,upholstery, scientific and musical instruments,metals, objects, paper, analytical equipment,and administrative areas in approximately17,000 square feet.

A textile conservation questionnaire(see Chart #1) was developed and sent toleading textile conservators. In addition to

the questionnaire responses, many of therespondents sent floor plans, articles, andmade suggestions about places to visit oradditional people to contact. One institution

offered their dry cleaning equipment on along-term loan basis. (See Chart #2)

Descrintion of the Ouestionnain and

Proiect

The project was intended to be a

planning tool to give greater support to the

Spring 1993

laboratory proposal, not a statistical scientifi cstudy. The questionnaire was divided intonine categories including: function of thelab, staffing, space, environmental controls/security systems, delivery/ holding/ storage,administrative/ documentation, dry work areawet cleaning area, dry cleaning, analytical

area and new equipment/additional comments.We calculated that a staff of six would be our

future goal, including conservators, internsand volunteers and therefore used this

projection in the questionnaire. The

responses to the questions were gearedtoward what each laboratory currently hadand what they would like their facility tohave if possible. The format of the

questionnaire required a considerable amountof time to complete, but it provided an

opportunity for greater in-depth informationto be collected on each topic.

The questionnaire was sent to thirty-seven textile conservation organizationsrepresenting five regional laboratories, tworesearch facilities, seven private practices,two museum houses including one nationaltrust for many houses, and 22 museums. The

facilities selected to receive a questionnaireemployed colleagues known to the author

professionally over the years and/or theyrepresented diverse areas of the country or

large organizations with similar types ofcollections to those at CWF. There was one

organization in Canada, two from England,and the remainder were from the United

States. States included: New York,

Massachusens, Colorado, Minnesota,

California, Migwuri, Washington, D.C.,Indiana, North Carolina, Maryland, Illinois,and Delaware. Private conservators and

research laboratories were included in the

study because of specific applications tosome of CWF operations.

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Museums and regional conservationorganizations most closely resembled

Colonial Williamsburg's needs for textileconservation laboratory equipment, space, andstaffing based on the current condition anduse of our collections. Many of these

museums are in large cities such as NewYork, Chicago, Boston, or Los Angeles,where the museum construction had evolved

over time. The buildings were older andretrofitted, and the laboratory sizes, locations

within the buildings, ceiling heights, etc.were often limited by pre-existing restrictions.

Results of the Ouestionnaire

Function: Responses, either by telephone orin writing, were received from onemuseum/historic house, nine museums, one

educational institution, two educationalinstitutions/museums, four private practices,and three regional laboratories. These

facilities were located in New England, themid-Atlantic area ranging from Washington,D.C. to New York, the West Coast, theSoutheast, Midwest, and Canada

The main function of these

laboratories included the care of in-house

collections, outreach/training programs,

research and development, exhibition surveys,and education. Also mentioned were storagepreparation, conservation, grants, collectionscare, and the conservation of costume andtextile collections for research. Most

facilities treated small flat textiles, three

dimensional textiles, costumes, large flattextiles such as tapestries, and costumeaccessories. Other types of objects listed byat least one laboratory were western culture,

ethnographic, ethnic, and some archaeologicalartifacts. Objects listed by at least two

Spring 1993

laboratories included rugs. furnishing textilesand upholstery

Most respondents were performingtreatments such as wet cleaning, stain

removal, exhibition preparation/mounting andconsolidation. Nine mentioned dry cleaning

ranging from performing limited dry cleaningto working with local dry cleaners. Otheractivities mentioned were exhibition

maintenance, examination, testing, steaming,

pressing, and repairs, storage, and storagepreparation. The comments about storagewere informative since the Colonial

Williamsburg Collection Management Policy

places the responsibility for storage of thecollection on the curatorial staff.

The staff size of these facilities ranged

from one person to eleven, with privatelaboratories being the smallest and museumand regional laboratories being the largest.Museums more often relied on volunteers and

interns than did regional laboratories.Educational institutions had a staff of two to

three and both museums and regionallaboratories utilized part-time staff. One

regional laboratory mentioned a contractconservator.

Space: Portions of this section were foundto be very useful in the early stages of theplanning process with architects andadministrators. Square footage of the spacesand ceiling heights were the most significantfactors translating into dollars and cents inthe preliminary planning of the building.

All textile conservators considered

ceiling height to be a very important featurewhen planning a laboratory. The ceilingheights in the labs surveyed ranged from 8

Number 24 11

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1/2' to 35'. Only two labs had ceiling heightsunder 12'; one facility was in a basement andthe other was a Historic Landmark building.The Landmark Building had, however, a holecut into the second floor to hang objects tothe first floor. Average ceiling heightrecommended was 17.6' because of light

sources, heat, accommodation of elephanttrunk exhaust, and hanging Out of largetextiles dunng treatment or mount

preparation. One person recommended skylights with a metal grid to hang objects on.

Square footage ranged from 264 foran apartment in New York City to 3,000 for

a regional laboratory in the Mid-Atlanticregion. The average size of the labs surveyedwas 1,570 square feet. Recommendations

averaged 860 square feet per person. Basedon this figure, the square footage required fora staff of six would be 5,160. One of thenewest laboratories recommended 3,000-

5,000 square feet. The four regionallaboratories were fairly consistent in size

ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.Museum labs ranged in size from 800 squarefeet to 2,717 reflecting the result ofretrofitting older buildings rather than staffsize. In general, however, the questionnaireshowed that it was recommended that 2,365square feet be allotted for a staff of six.

The number of room divisions ranged

from one to five. Most people suggesteddividing areas into wet treatment room, drytreatment room, and an administrative area.

The size of these rooms was determined bythe types of objects treated, i.e., tapestrieswould need more room than costumes.

Environmental Controls/Security System:The air filtering systems in the facilitiesranged from window screens to central air

Spring 1993

conditioning units with 24-hour humidity andtemperature control. Most had some form ofdehumidification. Dust filtering varied fromone institution to another and ranged from85% filtration using Trane equipment to acustom-built system. Suppliers mentionedwere Friedrich and "Janitron" for dustfiltration and Carrier. The information

supplied in this section seemed to be morevague than other specific lab relatedquestions asked.

The chemical filtering systems in thelaboratories consisted of a combination of

fume hoods and elephant trunk exhaust tubes.Most of the museum laboratories, educationalinstitutions and research facilities had some

form of chemical filtering system available tothem, either in their lab or in another

laboratory with a system that could beutilized for work with solvents. Regionallaboratories and private conservators had lessaccess to this form of ventilation. Althoughone institution was very unhappy with theirchemical filtering system and indicated it wasthe weakest part of their laboratory design,most conservators were satisfied with the waytheir systems worked. The fume hoods andelephant trunks were installed in variousplaces in the labs such as over counters, inthe center of the room, in the dye laboratory,in the dry area, etc. One museum indicatedthat their fume exhaust tubes could be moved

to cover all work areas. Suppliers listedincluded: Can Lab, Friedrich, EasternScientific, Lab Con Company-Kansas City,Missouri, Rumelin Company, Nederman, andKewaunee Scientific with Kem Metal model.

Several textile conservators indicated

that they did not use solvents or chemicals intheir laboratories. The need for an exhaust

system appears to be directed more toward

Number 24 12

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the use of dye in the dye lab area rather thanfor direct treatments of the objects.

Lighting Systems: There appeared to be amix of incandescent and fluorescent lightingwith filters or sleeves being used. Often theincandescent light was portable and could bemoved around the room as needed, oftenclamped to a work table. One institutionmentioned having incandescent lighting tosimulate gallery conditions for matchingcolors and another mentioned lights being ondimmer switches.

Types of lights mentioned were colorbalanced fluorescent for treatment, DurotestFull Spectrum, Verilux tubes in continuousrows, fluorescent C-50 in labs, warm white in

office areas and cold white lightS in hallways.Also mentioned was the use of Luxo

magnifier lamps and fluorescent mobile lightstands.

The directional orientation of the

natural daylight in the laboratories variedwith three stating they had north light, twosouth light and two east light.Others mentioned windows but did notindicate direction or orientation of the

building. Filtered windows and the use ofblack-out cloth was also mentioned. Natural

lighting appeared to be used for matchingcolors rather than for treatment. It was

difficult to determine if the direction of the

natural daylight into the laboratory wasspecifically chosen or resulted from previousbuilding construction.

Emergency lighting was available inmany of the museums, educational

institutions, and one regional laboratory, butnone of the private conservators mentioned it.One institution differentiated between

Spring 1993

emergency lights and an emergency electricalsystenn.

Deliverv/HoldinE/Storaize

Delivery of Objects: Most museums storedtheir objects in the same building as theirlabs. Regional laboratories and privateconservators who received objects from greatdistances had storage facilities within theirlaboratories.

The majority of respondents had double doorsapproximately 8' x 6' at their facilities. Onelaboratory had doors 14' high and 20' wideand another mentioned a single door 12' x10'. It occurred to me to question the weightand operation of these oversize doors. Most

of the museums had loading docks, somewith lifts. One museum indicated that theyhad a corridor from the loading dock to thelab that had 8' head-room which was found to

be too low for some large mounted textiles.

Holding: Responses to this section of thequestionnaire were very specific. Some ofthem were: "No area, bag and box as atemporary measure, very important to have";

"have holding area--shared by other labs","have holding area not shared with other labsbut currently being used for storage"; "noarea, non-accessioned objects kept in separatecupboard", "not sure it is always possible toidentify infested items even if isolated";"have holding area shared but should be

larger", "no area, keep trying to arrange forone" - "it is important; holding area notroom, not shared, all pieces containerizedupon arrival"; "do not have one--it is a good,

prudent idea; have holding area inspection atloading dock, shared with another lab"; "have

shared holding area and freezer". Obviously,a holding area or room is of concern to most

Number 24 13

respondents.

TCN

Storage: The storage of objects in thelaboratory appears to be a functional issue

among various types of laboratories. Bothprivate and regional laboratories, out of

necessity, have storage within their labs.Museum and educational institutions favored

not having storage when possible with onlythe objects undergoing treatment and onworktables in the labs. One museum

specifically said the lab was not designed forstorage; however, even they had a large metal

flat storage cabinet in the room.

A variety of storage methods in thelaboratories were used including hangingstorage, closet with doors, drawers andcupboards, large crates 16'-20' long, archival

boxes and open shelves with foamcore, stands

designed to hold carpet tubing, etc.

Administration/Documentation

Administration: The majority of the labshad their own unique administrative area andin most cases provided small but adequatework spaces.

Library: Of those responding to thequestion, eight had shelves in the laboratory,one had shelves in the laboratory office, ninehad a library in the building and three of theabove had both a library in the lab as well asin the building.

Photography: It was assumed that all textileconservators photographed the objects in-situduring treatment. The· results of the

questionnaire also indicate that photographyareas were set up as needed in someinstitutions and that four laboratories had a

permanently established area for photography.

Spring 1993

Photography was also divided into twocategories: one for conservation

documentation and the other for permanentrecords and publication. The latter was oftendone by staff photographers in a separatestudio outside of the laboratory spacerequiring that the object be transported.

Drywork Area

Work Tables: Responses indicated thattable tops were made of the followingmaterials: plexiglas, formica, mylar, whitecontact paper covering homosote set into awooden surround, padding, removablepadding, visqueen polyester, and cork. Thetype of table top used depended on the workundertaken. Several additional features were

added to the tables including shelves forstorage, light boxes, removable sections,casters and brakes, stain resistance, electrical

outlet strips, and collapsible and compactablecomponents such as trestles and tops.Heightsranged from 23-3/4" to 66" with the averagebeing 35". The consensus of the respondentssuggested that the height of the table tops beconsistent so that they could be joinedtogether to achieve a larger table or join witha tensioner.

The size of the tables appeared to be basedon the available space within the facility orthe type of collection to be worked on. Theaverage number of tables recommended for astaff of six was one to two tables per person.

Horizontal Work Spaces: Most institutionsreported that they had formica or chemicalresistant built-in counters, some with under

cabinet lighting and/or light tables.Microscopes were often used in analyticalareas. The landmarks building had woodencounters and built-in bins. Two specific

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cautionary statements were mentioned: "trynot to use pure white formica because ofglare" and "formica is not solvent and stainresistant".

Vertical Work Spaces: Systems used invertical work spaces consisted of velcro slats,motorized hoists, pulley systems, and aratchet system of velcro and hangers. Twofacilities indicated that they had no verticalhanging systems and that all work was doneflat. Several respondents indicated that theirvertical space was not high enough for theirprojects.

Sewing/lroning/Laundry Area: Both

portable and stationery cabinet sewingmachines were equally favored for use and anindustrial model machine was mentioned byone institution. It was also recommended

that ceiling electrical outlet reels be availablein the lab.

Ironing boards and ironing tables seemed toreceive equal use. The ironing tables rangedin size from 4' x 8' to 2' x 5' recessed into a

wall. One suggested the use of any clearpadded table as they work better for lengthsof fabric than an ironing board. One regionallaboratory used an ironing pad and coverplaced on a table that measures 7'4" x 16'.

Laundry Area: Placement of washer anddryer varied from institution to institution.One regional center mentioned that theirlaundry and ironing areas were locatedtogether in the laboratory.

Vacuums: Several comments referred to

ceiling hook apparatus for vacuum hosesthroughout the laboratory. Also various typesof portable units were mentioned includingwet-dry vacuums, hand-held 3.OHP Eureka

Spring 1993

Mighty Mike, Sterident micro vacuum,

"mini" type from Talas, and Sears canistermodels with high and low suction.

Tensioner: Another piece of equipmentmentioned by nine institutions as a horizontalwork surface was a tapestry rolling system orrestoration frame. These varied widely insize.

Wet Cleanine Area

Water System: The information receivedabout water systems was varied and notconsistent. It was evident that water qualitystandards required for textile conservationhave not been established and more research

needs to be conducted for the field. Most

textile conservators could cite the system they

are using and some of the undesirable

components they were removing from theirwater, however they had no idea of whatstandard water quality they should target.Quantity of water needed depended solely onthe size and type of the treatment beingconducted. Suggested suppliers were:Belmont Springs, Culligan, Hydro Rre, andlocal water treatment service companies.

Wash Table, Sunken Floor, and WashBasin: Twelve wash tables were listed as

being constructed of stainless steel, two ofwhite fiberglass with wooden frame, one ofwhite polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with woodenframe, one cast iron with fiberglass epoxypaint. one wooden table, and one modularunit. (The last two are probably draped withpoiyethylene, but this information was notprovided).

A recommendation regarding constructionmaterials suggested the use of Nalgene. Awarning was made by several conservators

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that stainless steel tables rust with the use of

ultra-pure water .The sizes of the washtables ranged from 3' x 6' to 25' x 18'.

Several conservators mentioned building

temporary wash baths to the size needed onthe floor. One described a 50 x 30'

"swimming pool" constructed on a slantedfloor using 2"x4" boards and plastic, with a

sump pump and floor drain to remove thebulk of the water. They recommended thatthe floor drain be located in the corner of the

room, not in the middle. Another conservator

described their floor unit as a collapsible tank

made of 2" x 12' boards with heavy dutypoiyethylene, sump pumps and hoses, andanother described a 12' x 9' tiled area on the

floor. Other methods of wet cleaningdescribed were counter sinks made of

modified epoxy resin or stainless steel and

with portable trays.

Drying Tables: Surfaces used for drying

wet textiles included any combination ofwork tables, large stainless steel screens on aframe, plastic on the floor, aluminum rackswith perforated holes and open mesh, dryingcabinet (now being replaced), 6' x 8' glass toptable, and polypropylene screening withwooden surround.

Suction Table: Thirteen of the respondentsindicated that they had some form of suctiontable. One museum responded that they hadeliminated theirs. One museum and one

regional laboratory indicated that they usedthe tables in paper conservation labs and twoindividuals indicated that their tables were

currently being designed and built. The sizesof the tables varied and all kinds of sizes,forms, and suction disks were mentioned.

Designers/manufacturers included: transverse

Spring 1993

and downward flow Nascor, Museum

Services Corp., Anthony Rajer, Peter Carlson,Timothy Vitale, and Stephan Michalski. Oneregional laboratory said their table was in-house construction based on the Yale Center

for British Art design.

Dry Cleaning: One regional laboratoryindicated that they had a manually operateddry cleaning machine that usedperchlorethylene and another said they did asmall number of dry cleaning spottingprojects. One museum indicated that smallquantities of solvent were used in an enclosedfume chamber and another said they usedlarge trays for spot cleaning. Both regionallaboratories and private conservators

subcontracted treatments to local dry cleanersand one private conservator worked withthree local cleaners.

Analvtical Area

Thirteen respondents indicated that theirmicroscopes were stationary on a counter ortable and five indicated that their microscopeswere moveable on floor stands or carts. One

educational institution had a separateanalytical room and had microscopes oncounters and stands as well.

Dye Lab: A majority of the respondentsanswered the questions about dyeing. Four

indicated they do dyeing in a separate area ofthe laboratory, five have separate rooms, sixdo dyeing within the routine work space, andtwo indicated that it was done in the wet

treatment area. One private conservator did

not do dyeing and a regional laboratory usedthe chemistry laboratory equipped with a

fume hood at a nearby college. Equipmentmentioned included: shaker bath, large

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stainless steel soup kettle, two mid-sized hotplates, balance, oven and an Ahiba dyemachine. Square footage for the dyeing areaor room ranged from 50 to 200 square feet.

Additional Comments/New Eauinment

Suggestions were made to visit theAbegg Foundation in Riggsberg BemSwitzerland, Polly Willman at the NationalMuseum of American History, The

Smithsonian Institution, the Costume Institute

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, theCooper Hewitt in New York, the TextileConservation Center in Andover,Massachusetts, and the Chicago HistoricalSociety.

New equipment wish lists includedspectrophotometers, colorimeters, wet

cleaning table made of material other than

stainless steel, separate dye room, in-counterdye pots, dye machines, sloped tile floor forwashing, lifts, lighter weight and collapsiblework tables, vacuum with Hepa filter (NilfiskCorp.), and tables with removable areas ofvarious sizes to allow for use of straightneedle sewing while keeping the majority ofthe textile on a flat surface.

Summarv

When reviewing the data collected itis important to put it into context based onthe purpose of the lab, location, number ofemployees, experience in the field of therespondent, and the type of collectionstreated. All of these factors influenced the

responses and taken out of proper contextcould be damaging to a potential laboratoryproposal by uninformed administrators,architects or designers.

Spring 1993

The design of the questionnaire,although lengthy, was directed more towardanswering the question of what labs had interms of equipment, space, and staffing butdid not always answer the question of why.In some cases, such as the quality and/orstandards for water, further research needs to

be conducted to answer the "why" question.

Several trends in the field emergedwhen reviewing the responses. Concern

seems to be directed toward the health and

safety of the conservator and toward theenvironment. This is evident in the

decreased use of solvents in treatments,

especially dry cleaning. Placement of fumehoods in dye lab areas and the use ofemergency lights and electrical systems also

reflects this trend. Other questions raised bythis data concern the use of suction tables. A

leading museum has eliminated theirs and

other research organizations were designingnew suction tables. Others questioned theuse of vacuum cleaners in textile

conservation treatments. It is also apparentthat more research needs to be done into the

materials for wash tables since stainless steel

is rusting with the use of ultra-pure water. Arecommendation was made for the use of

Nalgene.

New equipment being considered bythe respondents were spectrophotometers,colorimeters and specially shaped adapters forsuction machines with application forcostume treatment. There was a consistent

recommendation from all of the respondentsconcerning the importance of staying on topof blueprints and working closely with thecontractors for best results.

It was very gratifying for me toreceive responses from so many colleagues in

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support of this planning project. It is throughtheir efforts that this report could becompiled and we can all benefit from their

input. I would also like to thank mycolleagues at Colonial Williamsburg for their

help and support in this project.

Loreen Finkelstein

Textile Conservator

Colonial Williamsburg FoundationWilliamsbug, Virginia

Spring 1993

Index to Respondents to Questionnaire (Chart #2)

Private Conservators1. Lane Conservation - Nan Lane Terry

2. Textile Conservation Services - Harold Mailand3. Judith Eisenberg4. Alice Blohm

Educational Institutions1. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Shirley Eng

Meredith Montague

Museums

1. Cooper-Hewitt Museum - Lucy Commoner2. Winterthur - Margaret A. Fikioris3. St. Louis Art Museum - Zoe Perkins4. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) -5. Chicago Historical Society - Anna Kolata6. Fine Art Museum of San Francisco - Leslie Smith7. Museum Fine Arts Boston - Deborah Bede8. The Art Institute of Chicago - Christa C. Thurman9. MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) - Catherine Gill

Regional conservation Organizations1. Cathedral of Saint John the Divine - Bruce Hutchinson2. Textile Conservation Workshop (TCW) - Marlene Jaffe, Patsy

Orlofsky3. N.Y. State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic

Preservation at Peebles Island - Deborah Trupin4. Textile Conservation Center, Museum of American Textile

History - Kathy Francis

Museum/Historic Houses1. Biltmore Estate - Patricia Ewer

National Conservation Organizations1. Conservation Analytical Laboratory (CAL), Smithsonian - Mary

Ballard

International Conservation Organizations

1. Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Eva Burnham

INSTITUTION:

Irt.

[V.

V.

DATE:

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOUNDATION

TEXTILE CONSERVATION LAB PLANNING SURVEY

CONTACT PERSON: TELEPHONE: ( )

1. FUNCTION

Type of lab: Regional tab Museum Private practice Educatiooal institutionLab functions: Exhibition Surveys Grants Outreach Other

Types of Objects: Small, flat textiles Large, flat textiles 3-dimensional textilesCostune accessories Other

Types of Treatments: Wet-cleaning Dry-cleaning Stein removal Consolidation

Exhibit preparation, mointing OtherStaff: _ Number 07--76Tl-time Number of part-time

II. SPACE

Square footage: total (!f available, please supply a floor plan or rough sketch)Square footage per person: What you currently have What you would like to haveHow much square footage would you recomend for 6 people int-FTng one who is primarily in administration7Rooms: Room #1 Size x Function

Room #2 Size K Flaction

Room #3 Size x FunctionRoom #4 Size x FLnction

Ceiling Height: and why: Floor Load: and why:Lab Location: Underground Above ground Floor nunberLocation within the buildingOther labs adjacent to the textile labWhy?Work or ackninistrative spaces shared with other labsEquipment shared with other labsWhere are the break or eating areas located with respect to the lab?

ENVIR9NMENTAL CONTROLS/SECURITY SYSTEMAir filtering (HVAC) system: Individual witsType:Supplier:Does the system filter for: dustFilter to what particle level or standard

Central

gageous poltutants

Chemical fi ttering system: Fine hood No. of exhaust tubesTypes:Suppliers:Where are these located in relationship to the work areas?00 you feel these are adequate for your lab? Yes No

Comments:

Lighting System:Fluorescent:

Incandescent:

Natural daylight:Other:

Quantity of lights Where are they used?Quantity of lights Where are they used7

Quantity Where is it located?

Emergency electrical system?

Security System: What type?

Fire Protection Type: Sprinkler:

Yes

Dry pipe

No

wet pipe

DELVERY/HOLD[NG/STORAGrDelivery of Objects: - Fron another bldg. - From same bldg.How far la permanent storage of textiles from the lab?Loading dock: Height Width Lift? Yes No

Delivery doorway: -MaTiht WidEK-- Slie door

Humidification controls

None

Holding:00 you have a holding room or infested textile area for newly arrived objects?le it shared by other labs? Yes No

Comments:

Smoke Detection

Double doors

Yes

Costine

Dehunidification controls

No

Storage:

Storage in the lab while awaiting treatment: (please list brief description, quantity, types of objects stored, andsupplier if known)

ADMINISTRAT ON/DOCUMENTATIONAdministration: No. of keeke

Is this area shared by other labelComments on the use of this space:

No. of staff using the area

Yes - NO

Square footage:

Library:

Photography:

Comments:

Separate area in tab Separate room in labNo library 011Zr

Separate room in the department shared by.other labs

Separate area in lab for photography Separate room for photographyPhotographic area is disassembled after each use Photographic area is shared by other labsObjects must be transported a distance of to be photographedPhotographic area has large, hanging facilities for objectsPhotographic area has enough space for wide-angle photography

Vt. DRYWORK AREA

Work tables: Specially built Collapsible lovable Con rollers or castors)Heights of tables: Sizes of tables:

Coverings: Number of smooth: N,inber of padded:

Descriptions of tables (include special fwctional characteristics, list suppliers if known):What would you recomerd for 6 people in the lab?

Vertical work space:Vertical hanging mechanisms: Velcro slats Pultey systemIs the ceiling high enough to accomnodate objects? - Yes - NoAny special construction to ceiling or floor? (Please describe)

Horizontal work spice:Built in cointers (describe speciai characteristics):Formica covering:Other:

Built In light table:Other work space:

Sewing/ironing/laundry area:

Other

Compectable

Sewing machine, built in to cointer top Sewing machine, portable- Sewing machine, floor cabinet Standard ironing board

troning table Size x Washing machine Dryer

se together scattered throughout the tab Comments:Are these three areas:

Vacuuming: Separate area, separate table Ceiling hook apparatus for vacuum hose

Special needs area: Costume 3-dimensional objectsDescription of area and special equipment:

VII. WET CLEANING AREA

Water System: Distilled water system:Type:SL®plier:

Capacity:Weight of Water:

Recovery capability:Storage/reservoir:

De-lonized water system:Type:Supplier:Capacity:Weight of Water:Recovery capability:

Other:

Wash table or sunken floor washing basin:Description/size:Supplier:Comments:

Drying table:Description/size:Supplier:Comments:

Suction Table:

Description/size:

Access to a flme hood?

Supplier:Comments:

Yes No

Other methods of wet cleaning:Nunber of cmnter sinks Description:Portable treys Contract wet-cleaningOnly large or di?TTEult items are contracted

All wet-cleaning is contracted

Other

Dry cleaning:Description of facility:

Vill. ANALYTICAL AREA

Microscopy: Separate, stationery table Moveable table/cart/stand

Dye tab: Separate room Separate area from other workspaceApproximately how n.tch space (square feet)is required?Do you have large pieces of equipment? (Please describe)

Other equipment or work areas used for analysis:

Space on counter

Contained within the routine work space

IX. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS/NEW EQUIPMENT

If given ideal conditions, what work spaces or major ecpi Fnent items would you change? Why?

Is there new equipment in the field that you would consider for your lab? Do you have 8 supplier for it?

Did you encounter problems during or after the planning process that could have been avoided?

Other labs we should contact

Would you like a copy of the completed report? Yes No

ISIBLE STORAGE: ANUPDATE

As many of you know, the UBCMuseum of Anthropology has a system of"Visible Storage",in which most of our three- dimensional objects are stored in displaycases in a public gallery. Our textiles andworks of art on paper are kept in moretraditional, staff - only access, dark storage.If we had more gallery space, however, wewould probably institute a modified VisibleStorage system for our textile collections, onein which initial public access would bethrough colour reproductions such asphotocopies or videodiscs, in a gallery inwhich the majority of the pieces were storedon trays or on padded hangers in dark, lockedcabinets while only a few were put on short -term rotating display. A visitor would have

to make an appointment to see an item not ondisplay, and it is hoped that the colourreproductions would satisfy most visitorneeds; however, having items on trays incabinets rather than rolled or stacked in our

present crowded textile storeroom wouldgreatly increase the ease of making themavailable.

Why is the Museum of Anthropology socommitted to the concept of Visible Storage?In the past several years we have beenreevaluating our position, looking at ourcurrent system, and making decisions onfuture directions. These are the results of ourdiscussions:

Staff at the Museum overwhelminglydecided in favour of continuing VisibleStorage. It makes the majority of thecollections in our publicly funded institution

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immediately available to the public, includingspecial segments of that public such as theoriginating peoples of our collections. Unlikeexhibitions, objects are presented without theintermediary of the curatorial voice andselection process. Information in VisibleStorage is, however, available in the form ofCHIN catalogue records. Finally, the museumof Anthropology has total permanent staff ofless than twenty people, a third of whom arehalf-time, and an ever shrinking funding base.From a practical point of view, Visiblestorage increases the resources we are able to

offer, whether it is to school groups, artists,researchers, or visiting curators, as well as totourists.

On the negative side are all conservationconcerns about a Visible Storage system.Light is the most obvious problem, and inaddition there are concerns about our presentdangerous case design ( highly earthquakesusceptible, in addition to features such as thelighting being accessible only through theobject area ), excess dust accumulation, andother environmental problems.

Concerning light, Visible Storage cannever offer to collections the same protectionas dark storage. Since Visible Storage ischosen ( and is increasingly chosen; MOAannually receives a number of requests forinformation from museums planning forms ofVisible Storage ) to serve the non-conservation mandates of a museum, can itbe made to acceptable conservationguidelines? Can conservators comfortablyaccept, even if they cannot embrace, less thanideal conditions? What are these conditions

for a mixed ethnographic collection?

Supported by a grant from theMuseums Assistance Programs, The Museum

Spring 1993

of Anthropology has hired a design firm, D.Jensen and Assoc., to research a prototypecase design which will maximize thepreservation of our collections within theconcept of Visible Storage. Will theprototype be able to show that acceptableconservation conditions are possible in aVisible Storage system, using currenttechnology? For a lighting system, forexample, the new case will use light pipes, a3M product which can carry and reflect thelight ( with no heat ) from a low - intensitylight source over a considerable distance.

A recent text on environmental

concerns cites the Clore Gallery at the Tateas being guided by 500,00 lux - hours peryear. (1) We hope the light pipe can lowerthis figure for Visible Storage.

One of the Museum of Anthropology'smajor considerations is that the new casesystem must · have low cost maintaineanceThere is a preference for mechanical systemsover electronic systems: cutting the durationof light may be achieved by something assimple as " cupboard doors", an increase inthe number of our drawer units in the system,or simple switches rather than high - techelectronics. In addition, the objects must notneed costly individual mounts to be able tobe hung or placed on shelves. Currently weuse an out - of - date commercial systemwhich provides inadequate support for manyhanging objects such as masks; one of themajor challenges facing Jensen and Assoc. isthe design of modular support systems whichcan accommodate the wide range of shapesand weights of objects in our collection.

A second challenge comes from theobjects in Visible Storage needing to be easyto move, for example if new acquisitions areplaced in the case, or if objects are

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temporarily removed for teaching,photography, or other purposes. This meansthat the case walls and their modular supponsystems must accommodate changingconfigurations of any size of objects, all thewhile making efficient use of the space.

The prototype case is still in the processof being designed. During the coming year itwill be tested on an "earthquake table" atUBC, then installed in the Museum andtested again from the points of view ofvisitors and staff. The new system prototypewill certainly be a great improvement overour current 17 - year - old cases, but itremains to be seen if good design and new"low - technology" can overcome the inherentdifficulties of achieving high standards ofpreventive conservation in a usable VisibleStorage system.

References

Applebaum, Barbara, Guide to EnvironmentalProtection of Collections, Sound View Press,1991.

Miriam Clavir, Conservator,UBC Museum of AnthropologyVancouver, British Columbia

EXTILE CONSERVATIONPROGRAM AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

The Department of Clothing andTextiles at the University of Albertacontinues to offer textile conservation courses

as it has in the past. Senior students mayenroll in two consecutive courses teachingconservation - CLTX 478 - Preventive

Spring 1993

Conservation and CLTX 578 - Textile

Conservation: Theory and Practice. As well,individuals may enroll in conservation studiesat the graduate level under the supervision ofDr. Nancy Kerr

In August 1992, Heather Prince washired to act as conservator for the

department's Clothing and Textiles Collectionand to assist with instruction of the two

senior level courses. She taught both thelecture and the laboratory portion of the fallterm and is now giving hands - on instructionin the laboratory portion of CLTX 578. Sheis also open to enquiries and requests fromthe community, and accepts textile items tobe treated on a fee - for - service basis in the

lab.

There are · four students currentlyenrolled in the program's conservationcourses - two fourth year undergraduates andtwo graduate conservation students. In theircourse activities, they work with artifacts inthe Clothing and Textiles Collection, andwith the Collection directly to improvestorage conditions and management

procedures.

During the fall term ( September to

December 1992), the students worked toimprove storage conditions for purses andsundry items in the collection. They assessedcurrent storage methods, recommendedimproved methods, and then implemented andevaluated their plans.

Their final project for the course was thedesign and fabrication of a small exhibit oftextiles from the Clothing and TextilesCollection. The assignment incorporated

techniques and skills in mount preparationand display techniques the students had

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learned throughout the term, and the studentsthemselves were responsible for the title,storyline and didactics throughout the exhibit.

The students chose to display a group ofsix textiles that demonstrated textile

techniques such as bank, embroidery,

weaving and surface painting. The resultingexhibit, entitled "Tools of the Trade: CreatingDesign", features a fine crocheted purse ofIrish cotton, a brightly colored child's hatfrom Thailand in reverse applique and awoven Yugoslavian tablecloth with patternscreated in red and green supplementary weft.The exhibit is located in the 3 rd Floor lobbyof the Printing Services Building, outside theDepartment of Clothing and Textiles office,and will be on display until May 3, 1993.

The Department of Clothing and Textilescurrently has one conservation graduatestudent in the final stages of her master'sresearch. Crystal Dawley has looked at theeffects of freezing methods of conservation( long - term storage, etc ) on the propertiesof wool. Also completing her master'sresearch in textile conservation this past yearwas Joan Marshall ( Identification of BastFibers)

Heather Prince,FSO / Conservator

University of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta

DHESIVES SYMPOSIUM ATTHE COOPER HEWITT MUSEUM

Spring 1993

The Symposium on the Use ofAdhesives and Consolidants in Textile

Conservation was held January 21-22 1993 atthe Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design inNew York City. Opening remarks were

given by Vuka Roussakis. She noted thecontroversial nature of adhesive treatments in

textile conservation. She also noted a

widespread lack of knowledge regarding the

application and characteristics of adhesives,which makes many conservators reluctant touse them. It is a common experience.however, to encounter textiles too fragile tosustain a needle. Shattered silks are but one

example.The two intense days began with

general reviews of the different types ofadhesives appropriate for textile conservation.Cellulose ethers were classified by MaryKaldany in terms of polymer class, stabilityand use. Cathy Baker offered practicalconsiderations for their application to textilesand Fonda Thomsen presented case studies ofher use of starch paste. Nancy Pollackcharacterized synthetic adhesives such asAYAA, AYAC and Beva Harold Mailand,

Michaela Keyserlingk, Deborah Bede andPaul Himmelstein discussed their methods of

preparation and application of these types ofadhesives. Paula Volnet, a paper conservator,presented methods of testing adhesives. She

noted the importance of this testing as

manufacturers can change ingredients withoutnotice, and the evaluation of an adhesive's

applicability will be affected by its chemicaland physical properties. Barbara Applebaum

discussed adhesive linings, describingconsiderations for choosing to line a textilewith an adhesive. She emphasized theimportance of matching the adhesive to thetextile.

Jane Down described the results of

her 9-year study of poly(vinyl acetate) and

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acrylic resins carried out at the CanadianConservation Institute. Discussion centred

around her tables characterizing these

adhesives in terms of pH, flexibility orbrittleness, volatile emissions and yellowing.Attendees received copies of CCI's report on

her findings. Mary Ballard and Paul Czubaydiscussed the theory and practice,respectively, of removing crosslinkedsynthetic latex from the backs of carpets.Chris Paulicok and Debbie Juchem described

some adhesive treatments done at the

Metropolitan Museum for the currentexhibition at the Costume Institute. Marian

Kaminitz discussed the use of adhesives on

ethnographic objects such as basketry andbark cloth. Linda Eaton remarked on her

experiences removing old adhesivetreatments, especially sticky net. FinallyMary Kaldany briefly described the use ofsome adhesives as consolidants for textiles.

The general, but not completeconsensus of the meeting seemed to be thatthere are textiles or costumes for which

adhesives are the only viable treatmentchoice. In such cases it is clearly of

paramount importance not only to understandthe textile, but also the various adhesives

from which to choose. The adhesive must be

adjusted to the textile rather than vice versa.It is necessary to know the characteristics ofthe adhesive, and to have the appropriatetechnique and equipment to apply it properly.Towards this end the symposium went a longway.

Rebecca Johnson Dibb

Graduate Student

University of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode Island

Spring 1993

EW PUBLICATIONS

Controlling Museum Fungal Problemsby Thomas J K Strang and John E. DawsonCCI, Technical Bulletin, Number 12

Fungi can seriously damage artifacts inmuseums and archives. This damage can beavoided by controlling the museumenvironment. Nonchemical methods are most

effective in eliminating fungal growth.Chemical methods ( fungicides, fumigants)should only be employed as a last resort incoping with disaster.

Controlling Vertebrate Pests in Museumsby Thomas J.K. Strang and John E. DawsonCCI, Technical Bulletin, Number 13

When vertebrate animals, particularly rodents,gain access to museum collections, they cansoil or destroy artifacts. Prompt identificationof the pest and the use of suitable methods tocontrol it are essential. In most cases,nonchemical methods can be used to control

vertebrate pests in museums; chemicalmethods are also discussed.

Solving Museum Insect Problems:

Chemical Control

By John E. Dawson, Revised by Thomas J.K.Strang

CCI, Technical Bulletin, Number 15

Insect infestations can severely damagemuseum collections and buildings. ThisTechnical Bulletin is intended as a guide tohelp museum staff understand commercialpest control operations. It describes chemicalmethods of controlling insects, and includesinformation on regulations, modes of action,

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and application methods necessary for thesafe use of insecticides. Insecticide safety andpoisoning are also discussed, and the

properties and side-effects of specificinsecticides in deciding upon the appropriatechemical method of control.

Published by the:

Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI)Communications Canada

1030 Innes Road

Ottawa, Ontario

Kl A OC8

CANADA

The CCI Technical Bulletins are also

published in French.For more information please contact CCIExtension Services at the above address.

(CCI, Technical Bulletin, Number 14 will bepublished at a later date)

Bender Jorgensen, Lise; North EuropeanTextiles until AD 1000,Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, Denmark,1992. 288 pages, 200 drawings, maps, charts,and biblography. Price $45,00, availablefrom Aarhus University Press, Building 170,Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C,Denmark.

A compilation of known textiles dating fromStone-Age to AD 1000, divided by countries,and within these chapters chronologically.The final chapter covers the developmenthistory of textiles by periods.

Spring 1993

UBSCRIPTION

The TEXTILE CONSERVATION

NEWSLETTER is published twice a yearin the spring and fall. The two yearsubscription costs:

North America 29.00 Cdn.

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Back issues of TEXTILE

CONSERVATION NEWSLETTER and

supplementaries:North America - 4.00 Cdn.

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postage and handling included.

Method of PaymentOur bank has recently returned some moneyorders (some drawn on Canadian banks) fromoutside Canada and U.S.A. that did not have

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UBMISSIONSWe welcome submissions on: TextileConservation, History Technology, Analysisand information and exhibitions. Submissions,address changes and correspondence shouldbe addressed to:

Number 24

TCN

TEXTILE CONSERVATIONNEWSLETTER

P.O. Box 423, St. Lambert, QuebecJ4P 3PS, Canada

Please send all submissions in typedform or if possible produced on IBMcompatible Wordperfect 4.2, 5.0 or 5.1 on 51/4- or 3 1/2" disk. Submissions sent byelectronic mail (FAX) are welcome but ifthere are any illustrations that accompany thearticle, they will not reproduce well. Wewould appreciate it if the illustrations couldbe sent by mail or courier if time is runningout. For the best production of illustrationsand clear black and white photographs, copy-ready artwork is required. Your disks will bereturned but we cannot return the artwork.

Articles can be as short a 1 page and as longas 6 or 7. Anything longer than that will beconsidered for publication as aSupplementary.

Editors: Eva Burnham

Cynthia CooperRuth K. Mills

Subscriptions: Eva BurnhamTreasurer: Cynthia Cooper

Disclaimer

Articles in the TEXTILE

CONSERVATION NEWSLETTER are not

intended as complete treatments of thesubjects but rather notes published for thepurpose of general interest. Affiliation withthe TEXTILE CONSERVATION

NEWSLETTER does not imply professionalendorsement.

Deadlines for 1993-94 are 1 September and IFebruaryISSN 11-80-3649

23 ,·9 Spring 1993