1. Caring for and Mounting Textile
Collections and Accessories.
By Sam van de Geer
Social History Conservator
and Keeper of the Textile Collection

2. Introduction: House Keeping

3. Introduction

4. Introduction
Open Day 13th October 10-4

5. Introduction
• Diversity of Textiles in Collections.
• Many areas of Preventive Conservation.
• Quick look at Active Conservation
• Look at the wide variety of conservation grade materials
available.
• Introduce you to basic and best practice of mounting and
storage techniques.
• Several practical session throughout the morning.

6. Textile Collection: Diverse

7. Textile Collection: Deterioration

8. Preventive Conservation
• Environment
• Light
• Pests
• Handling
• Storage methods and materials

9. •Store in a cool dry-ish place.
•Keep away from direct sunlight and spot lights.
•Look out for pests in your house.
•Use conservation grade materials where
possible.
•Pack at least with acid free tissue.
•Discard any packing materials that yellow or
develop foxing small brown dots.
•Examine treasures periodically to make sure
everything is OK.
Caring for your Own Treasures

10. Preventive Conservation: Environment

11. Preventive Conservation: Light

12. Preventive Conservation: Pests
Wool, silk, fur, feather and skins.
Carpet Beetle Common Clothes
Moth

13. Identifying Pests
Damaged caused
Natural History: by Carpet Beetle
Rugs and carpets: by Clothes Moth

14. Preventive Conservation:
Pests Treatment
Freezing at -18oc or -40oc
Nitrogen Tank

15. Activity One
Pests through magnification

16. Handling Objects
Carrying small or flat objects

17. Handling: Dress

18. Conservation Materials
• Inert
• Natural and Synthetic
• Pure as possible and not bleached

19. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
• Unbuffered Acid Free Tissue Paper
• Unbleached calico
• Unbleached stretch Jersey
• Polyethylene Foam
• Woven Cotton Tape
• Polyester Wadding
• Polyfelt
• Spun-bonded polyolefin sheet Tyvek
• Marvelseal

20. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Un-buffered Acid Free Tissue Paper
Soft
Layers between objects and inserts delicate objects
and
Crunchy
Firmer good for support inside stringers items like hats

21. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Unbleached Calico (scoured)

22. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Unbleached Stretch Jersey

23. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Polyethylene Foam
Wrapping objects or lining boxes or lining shelves

24. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Woven Cotton Tape

25. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Polyester Wadding
conservation grade without fire retardant and fine for temporary
Polyfelt

26. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Tyvek - Spun-bonded polyolefin sheet

27. Activity Two
Conservation Grade Materials
Marvelseal®

28. Museum Resource Centre:
Designated Textile Store

29. Preventive conservation:
Storage Improvements for Hats
Before After

30. Storage of Objects: Hats
Basic Practise for storing hats.

31. Storage of Objects: Hats
Best Practise for storing hats.

32. Storage of Objects: Hats
Ultimate Best practise – Ethafoam carved into shape and covered in jersey on an
acid free card tray, rolled ties. Then stored in a box or a sealed cabinet.
Museum of fine Art Boston

33. Storage of Objects: Shoes

34. Improvements to storage of
Footwear
Shoe cupboard needs sealing
to Protect shoes from acid in
the wood
Boxing up shoes individually
with photograph and accession
number

35. Storage of Objects: Shoes
Beach Croft Art Gallery, conserved and packaged by Textile conservation Centre

36. OXCMS:1990.19.1
One piece dress, women’s
Date: 1940-1949
Material: Silk
Associated Place: Oxford
Associated Person: Mrs D.C. Carr Lord
Mayor of Oxfords Wife.
Storage Improvements: Labels

37. Storage of Objects: Flat Textiles
Converting a wardrobe for flag and banner storage

38. Storage of Objects: Flat Textiles
Packing a textile too long
for it’s box

39. Activity Three
Acid Free Tissue

40. Storage of Objects: Dress
Packing of Garments
- Best Practise
Packing of garments - Basic Practise

41. Storage of Objects: Dress
Padded wooden coat hangers

42. Activity Four
Padded Coat Hangers

43. Storage of Objects: Dress
Tyvek™ garment bags

44. Ready Made Tyvek Covers
Preservation Equipment

45. Storage of Objects: Dress

46. Active Conservation
• In House Conservation
• Private Conservation by a Specialist

47. After Conservation
Active Conservation
Victorian Shawl
OXCMS:1974.28.151

48. Active Conservation:
Private Conservators
Pocket before, during and after
Conservation
Pocket After Conservation
OXCMS:1997.7 Hidden Cache of Objects

49. Just Say No
Water damage sampler
Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Shredding Silk
Poor infill stitches distort
image of tapestry

50. 15 minute comfort break.

51. Types of Displays
• Single Venue Exhibition
• Temporary Touring Exhibition
• Permanent Display

52. Mounting For Display: Hats
Polystyrene Head from Morplan. Perspex Hat Stands, left
from Eden shop the right
from Dauphan.
Dauphan mount with
plasterzote and polyester
wadding support.

53. Mounting For Display: Hats

54. Mounting For Display: Hats

55. Mounting For Display:
Bespoke Hats
OXCMS : 1974.28.191 Straw Poke Bonnet,
1830’s from Lower Heyford.
Tyvek top and calico bottom

56. Mounting For Display:
On a Mannequin
Dress Uniform
OXCMS:2006.118

57. Mounting For Display: Shoes
Not recommended Basic Practice

58. Mounting For Display: Shoes
Basic Practise On Purchased Shoe Mount

59. Mounting For Display: Shoes
Image courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum

60. Mounting For Display: Mannequins

61. Mounting For Display: Mannequins

62. Mounting Objects for Display:
Coronation Robes
1st Baron Lord and Lady
Wardington 1937
2nd Baron Lord Wardington
1953

63. Mounting For Display: Mannequins

64. Mounting For Display: Mannequins

65. Mounting For Display: Mannequins

66. Mounting For Display: Dress
Eden shop polystyrene mannequin chopped down to fit very small women,
handmade bustle and arms.

67. Mounting For Display: Bust

68. Mounting For Display: Dress

69. Mounting For Display: Dress
Mounting a Petticoat for the revealed exhibition.

70. Mounting For Display: Arms
Arms

71. Mounting For Display: Misc

72. Mounting For Display: Mannequin
Issues

73. Mounting For Display: Legs

74. Mounting For Display: Mannequin
Issues
Beecroft Art Gallery Essex

75. Mounting For Display: Floating

76. Mounting For Display: Flat Textiles

77. Textile Collection on Display:
Stonesfield Embroidery
OXCMS:1996.81

78. Resources
Publications
A Practical Guide to Costume
Mounting by Lara Flecker
Illustrated Guide to the Care of
Costume and Textile Collections on
Collections Link
Suppliers
http://www.benchmarkcatalog.com/
www.edenshop.co.uk
www.morplan.com
www.conservation-resources.co.uk
www.preservationequipment.com
www.ryderbox.co.uk
www.2Wpackaging.co.uk
www.whaleys

79. Thank You

80. Activity Five: Have a go
Polystyrene Head from Morplan. Perspex Hat Stands, left
from Eden shop the right
from Dauphan.
Dauphan mount with
plasterzote and polyester
wadding support.