Thursday 1 January 2015
Victorian Embroideries
I wonder if anyone can offer some suggestions....friends of mine have a some embroidery dating from Edinburgh about 1850 and would like to know a) best way of looking after the pieces and b) if there are any collections who would potentially be interested in the pieces (not necessarily for money!)
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Hi Gordon
ReplyDeleteAlways store fabrics in acid-free tissue paper. Avoid hard folds which create weak spots, and store flat if possible. If you do need to fold the item, make a thin sausage of acid-free tissue paper and put that on the inside of the fold to create more of a curve, and less of a crease. Separate fabric layers with at least one sheet of acid-free tissue paper.
Story in a cool, dry environment. Use of plastic bags may create a poor micro-climate if the surrounding environment is not dry, although they do keep out insect pests, which can be an issue for woollen fabrics, though less so for cottons. Placing the item in an acid-free (or inert plastic box) may protect it from external damage)
Contacting a local history museum in the neighbourhood from where the item originated is most likely to reveal information about the items manufacture - and it would be museums local to that area that would be most likely to express some interest in it. If they don't, then it's unlikely that other museums would have an interest, either. Documents like receipts or other historical information give relevance to an object which museums might otherwise just see as a 'pretty thing', but of little use for research or interpretation.
Hope this helps
Nick Moyes (ex Derby Museums)