AIC's 42nd Annual Meeting

Textile and dress collections and textile conservation would seem to have much to celebrate at the moment. Exciting new projects are in the pipeline, such as the British Museum’s World Conservation and Exhibition Centre (opening 2014), the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Clothworkers’ Centre for Textiles, Fashion Study and Conservation (opening 2013) while the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, Bangkok has recently opened its doors. Conservators also appear to be energised by an expanded vision for the role for heritage conservation, using their technical expertise and knowledge to preserve collections, enhance understanding and engage the public in this previously hidden process.

Further investigation, however, reveals a somewhat different position. Textile collections in the UK regions, despite some notable exceptions, are being adversely affected by reductions in central and local government funding. The UK Museum Association is tracking the loss of specialist curatorial posts, including textile curators. Despite the great drawing power of textile and dress exhibitions, the invisible expertise which enables such displays appears to be being eroded. This paper will therefore focus on this threat to the long-term sustainability of textile and dress collections and the risk of loss of embedded collection knowledge for curating and conserving. Without such expertise, effective planning for collection development and preventive care cannot be sustained.

This discussion of the tensions between our self-image of our profession and discipline, our changing roles and the problematic reality of institutional experience, recognition and funding is intended as a positive contribution to the debate on the future role and impact of textile conservation. It will argue that the study of textiles and dress is still not regarded as a serious discipline and explore the impact of this, including gendered views of textile collections and their audiences. Even when posts are secure, few textile specialists, either curators or conservators, become higher level museum managers so decision-making and choices about collections and recruitment are often made by those without insight into the potential of textile and dress for telling stories through objects and engaging different publics interested in history, science, trade and politics. It is all too easy for textile and dress collections, requiring specific specialist display and storage, to slip off the priorities list when museums are besieged by other pressures. Attitudes to textile conservation, still sometimes perceived as an expensive technical block rather than a skilled process, will be examined.

The paper will conclude with some thoughts on how these complex issues could start to be addressed in order to sustain embedded expertise and influence-decision making. It will be illustrated with a case study drawing on the Monument Fellowship held by the author at York Castle Museum. Designed to capture and transfer specialist knowledge from previous staff members, the ‘Talking Textiles’ Fellowship aimed to enhance understanding and encourage dialogue with, and discovery by, colleagues who had not previously engaged with these collections. This contributed to the broader aim of enhancing public understanding and enjoyment of the textiles and dress collections thus demonstrating their value to the museum.

Innovative and unusual fashion design calls for innovative and unusual approaches to textile conservation. This paper will discuss one such approach which was the result of a process of consultation and collaboration, combining the expertise of several fields to develop a treatment that was not only effective, reversible, and stable, but also sustainable for the long-term use and exhibition of a piece of fashion art.

The treatment was for a “pneumatic dress” designed by Issey Miyake, circa 2000. The dress features inflatable, beach ball-like sleeves, which no longer held enough air to achieve an inflated appearance. In addition to the “normal” parameters of textile conservation, the dress came with some unique ones: first, while the dress will eventually be accessioned at the Cincinnati Art Museum, its current owner wishes to wear it a few more times, adding the challenge of wearability to its care; second, the sleeves’ materials include polyester, nylon, and polyurethane with vinyl inflation valves, adding the challenge of intrinsically unstable materials; third, as a recent artwork, it was in excellent repair except for the glaring aesthetic problem of its wilted sleeves.

The conservation treatment was a collaboration between the textile conservator, the objects conservator, the curator, and the owner, balancing the unique concerns of each and drawing on their fields of knowledge. Other conservators were consulted via the Conservation “DistList” and by phone and email. Plastics specialists were consulted on the current and anticipated future degradation of the materials. The owner contacted the Issey Miyake flagship store and another owner of a similar piece. Research and consultation continued during treatment and the treatment approach evolved in response.

Ultimately, the sleeves were filled with polystyrene beads inside a polyester gauze bladder inserted and filled through the inflation valve hole. After filling, the inflation valves were tacked back in place with skins of Beva 371. The original aesthetic appearance of the dress was regained, complete with the final touch of the original vinyl inflation valves even though the dress could no longer be inflated with air. The owner came to the museum for a fitting and the dress was declared wearable again, despite some added weight from the filled sleeves. The polystyrene bead treatment prevents the necessity for re-treatment in the future because as the polyurethane film degrades, the correct shape of the sleeves will remain, supported in position by the filling, making this a sustainable treatment for a problematic and continuously deteriorating material. The dress is stable enough to wear on an evening out on the town, but will enter the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum as an exhibitable work of the fascinating fashion art of Issey Miyake.

Looking beyond the visible using spectral imaging techniques including infrared reflectography and ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence have been standard practice for conservation professionals since the 1930s. These techniques are relatively accessible to many museum professionals and have become routine in research and conservation for the characterization and differentiation of materials. Some institutions with imaging and color science staff with high-end spectral imaging equipment have the advantage of creating and processing large spectral data cubes that provide complex information for the identification of materials. Combining a lower resolution hyperspectral camera with a higher resolution DSLR camera modified for multiband imaging may present a more accessible imaging option to aid identification and characterization of materials in cultural heritage objects. This paper presents a case study in the combined use of multiband and hyperspectral imaging for investigation of the materials and manufacturing techniques of four archeological Andean painted textiles from the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian. The goals of this project are to explore a more accessible spectral imaging option, present a technique that can be used on a wide variety of cultural heritage objects and investigate the possibility of offering new insights that previous routine imaging did not provide. A Surface Optics Corp SOC710 hyperspectral camera is used in addition to a modified DSLR with a variety of narrow and long bandpass filters. The four painted textiles are a subset of a larger project investigating the materials and manufacturing techniques used to create twenty-one archeological Andean painted textiles using non-invasive techniques including XRF, handheld FTIR, Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy ; and destructive techniques including micro XRD, FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, and HPLC. These techniques are expected to support information acquired through imaging techniques.

The analysis of an organic dyestuff on an historic textile is met with the challenges of chromophore detection at very low concentration in a minute sample from an object of cultural significance susceptible to degradation. Historically, organic dye analysis has been achievable by methods including: high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) often coupled to additional analytical tools, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and various mass spectrometric methods. The drawbacks of these methods are their requirements for either time intensive dye extraction procedures or nanoparticle preparation protocols. This presentation introduces DART-TOF (direct analysis in real time – time-of-flight) mass spectrometry as a novel method for organic chromophore analysis in natural fibers.  High resolution time of flight mass spec with direct analysis in real time ionization is very rapid, possessing the requisite sensitivity to identify organic colorants in less than 1 minute. Furthermore, analysis by DART mass spec typically requires no extraction of the dye prior to analysis, and is accomplished with fiber samples less than 0.5 cm in length, weighing no more than 1 mg.  In our initial exploration of the technique, we conducted analyses of dyestuffs as powder, in solution, and in botanical source materials.  Further development involved the creation of dyed fiber reference materials. To date, more than 40 dye colorants have been identified by DART-TOF mass spec, representing the following classes of dyes:  quinones (anthraquinones and naphthoquinones), flavonoids, indigoids, carotenoids, tannins, and curcuminoids.  We have successfully identified organic dyes in situ in fibers from historic textiles including rugs, tapestries, and Huari garments.  Recently, DART-TOF was used to confirm the anecdotal account regarding the dyeing history of the Civil War era Sam Davis coat in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum.  These findings demonstrate that DART-TOF mass spectrometry has potential as an additional tool in the challenging analysis of organic dyes and possesses the requisite sensitivity and the advantage of simplicity without the preparatory requirements of other techniques.

In November 2013 Tennessee commemorates the 150th anniversary of the death of two important figures in both the Civil War and state history; General Patrick Cleburne and Sam Davis ‘the boy hero of the Confederacy’. The Museum holds the kepi that General Cleburne was wearing when he was killed in the Battle of Franklin and the great coat worn by Sam Davis, a Confederate courier who was caught and executed by Federal Troops.

The conservation of the artifacts was supported by the Tennessee Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SVC) for events taking place at the Museum and off site. The two objects were both in very fragile condition and their conservation was considered an act of commemoration by the SVC. This paper will detail the conservation and analysis work undertaken and the management of a project that had to balance so many stakeholders and interested parties.

General Cleburne’s kepi was the first object to be worked on. Following examination on site and the submission of a treatment proposal, in-depth discussion of the treatment protocol between the conservator and curator ensued to assess the long-term consequences of treatment. The curator was very concerned that conservation should be minimal, enough to aid future preservation but not change the character of the object, and be sustainable in terms of the longevity of the materials being used, thereby reducing the need for future interventions. Preventive conservation was of course a critical aspect of the project, as a new mount was required to fully support the kepi on permanent display and also allow easier handling when necessary.
Sam Davis served in various combat roles in the Confederate army. As a courier for Coleman’s Scouts he was captured wearing a makeshift Confederate uniform and in possession of Union battle plans. Part of that uniform was a Union wool greatcoat that had been given to him by his mother. In very poor condition, dirty, structurally unsound and having been ‘souvenired’ consultation took place to determine what condition issues should be treated and what important information should be left in place. As was the case with the kepi, there was concern that intervention be kept to a minimum and that all materials used for the conservation and the new mount be long-lasting.

Towards the end of the War, with supply routes to the South limited the use of Union uniform parts by Confederate armies became commonplace. Family lore states that Sam’s mother had over-dyed the originally sky blue Union coat with a brown dye to make it appear more like a confederate issued coat. The truth to that story has always been in question and the origin of the coat is central to the legitimacy of his eventual execution, so an integral part of the project was to try and solve the mystery using Direct Analysis in Real Time – Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry, a newly developed method for identifying organic dye chromophores in natural fiber textiles.

Curators and conservators need to know what they get themselves into when ordering analyses of organic colorants on culturally important heritage objects. They are often confronted with the following dilemma: to destroy or not to destroy? That is, to perform analyses that will ultimately destroy the sample analyzed or to utilize a method that does not alter the original object in any way. This is especially relevant to the study of archaeological artifacts, which often consist of small fragments. Unfortunately, some analysts’ claims that their methods involve ‘non-destructive testing’ (NDT) are in some cases either misleading or erroneous. A true NDT method can be termed ‘non-invasive’, whereas micro-destructive or nano-destructive methods – depending on the scale involved – can be simply referred to as ‘invasive’.


Additionally, museum officials should not be automatically enticed by the razzle-dazzle of impressive-sounding acronyms, such as, FAB, DESI, DART, HRMS, TOF, SERS, and even DAD, which have been used for the analyses of historic colorants. The high-tech world of sophisticated chemical instrumentation has permeated into the field of analytical research of natural colorants. However, the advancement in the sophistication of electromagnetic chemical techniques does not automatically imply that their application to the study of ancient colorant sources is also advanced, or even useful. There are fundamental problems with these spectrometric methods for the analysis of organic dyes and pigments that museum officials should understand, and these will be addressed.


The optimum analytical method to be used in the analysis of organic dyes and pigments is the high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique, which must be preceded by a correct dye micro-extraction procedure. Though this method essentially destroys the sample, it is nano-destructive and more than any other method extracts the maximum information regarding the origin of the dyestuff used. This method has been successfully used on such miniscule samples as single dissected fibers from a yarn, whereby the dye quantity was on the order of a nanogram – a billionth of a gram!


This talk will emphasize the dye analysis results on molluskan-purple pigments from the following historically important archaeological sources: (a) an intricate Late Roman-Period polychromic textile from Egypt; (b) a Roman-Period Royal Purple weave belonging to King Herod found atop the Judean Desert palatial fortress of Masada in Israel; (c) a 2,500-year old marble jar of King Darius from ancient Persia; and (d) other historic examples that shed light on the fashionable colors of kings and biblical priests.

Can some of the concepts that emerge from thinking about global sustainability inform our field, especially the dilemma of managing unavoidable deterioration such as light damage? Top level definitions of sustainability, e.g., the Brundtland report, are couched in terms of final goals such as intergenerational equity, very much like top level explanations of heritage conservation goals. In the end, however, sustainability does reduce to making sure that consumption of something essential is balanced by its replenishment. For the environment, this means things such as clean air, forests, and food crops. For cultural heritage, this means things such as language, historic buildings, and museums. Note that sustainable things are all abstractions, not actual objects. Sustainable “things” are types of objects, e.g., trees, food, iconic textiles, or they are object configurations, e.g., water without toxins, or they are the systems themselves (biological, economic, and social/cultural) that create the types and configurations. They are not the actual water, food, or museum collections that you “consumed” last year. These actual objects, or the actual minimal ensemble needed for maintenance of a particular species, particular language, are irreplaceable.

This examination of what sustainability means implies that heritage organizations cannot sustain actual objects, they can only sustain types of objects (“manage change” as the National Trust UK states) . There seem to be two “types” in material heritage : rare precious objects, each a singularity, and the types that have many members, e.g., “19th century quilts”. As a type, rare and precious objects can only be sustained by ensuring that the deterioration of the current members is kept slow enough to allow slow replenishment by newer rare and precious objects. Types that have many member objects may allow a different strategy. Consider a class of textile objects. From a simple risk management perspective, the following scenarios are equally risky: 1) Rotate the class of objects so that each object is “rested” half the time. 2) Display only half of this class of objects, and leave the other half in the dark. The displayed pieces will have lost roughly twice as many colors, and although one can make arguments for more and less than double the loss of value, to a first approximation one would have to say simply that half the objects have double the damage of scenario 1, half have none, so scenarios 1 and 2 are equivalent in terms loss of value to the class. It is common, and considered ethical, to “rotate” and “rest” collections. Why? Scenario 1 allows twice as many people to see that class of objects “well” but subsequent generations will never see pristine examples of the class. It not sustainability. Scenario 2 is not simple sustainability either, but it does allow the (almost) indefinite maintenance of some exemplars of the class in a pristine state, like seed banks for sustaining genetic diversity. The presentation will explore various such scenarios for textile collections, illustrated via the light damage calculator to see what kind of sustainability is possible for heritage.

Until 1854, Japan had been completely closed to trade with most western nations for over two centuries. When the Edo Period came to an end in 1868, the new regime opened the country up to trade with the West, leading to its subsequent modernization. Beguiled by its exotic yet traditional culture, George W. Vanderbilt travelled there in September 1892 when he received a special invitation to attend birthday celebrations for the Emperor. During his ten week visit, Mr. Vanderbilt bought many souvenirs, filling thirty-two crates with objects ranging from fine Satsuma porcelains to one thousand festive paper lanterns. Amongst his prizes was a suit of Samurai armor, an object which quickly became a popular item for American collectors and whose popularity has come full circle again. The armor had been displayed at various times over the years in Biltmore house, being relegated most recently to storage. The Samurai armor was included in an exhibition, opening in spring of 2012, which highlights the many objects which Vanderbilt and his family acquired during their years of travel.

As a conservator who specializes in upholstery, this author typically relies on each piece of furniture to provide most of the relevant information concerning its treatment needs. The lack of familiarity with Samurai armor, and the culture from which it came, required going outside of the normal sources of information to identify the materials, the various components of the armor, and their relationship to each other. This paper will briefly discuss how information was gathered and the basic treatment steps which enabled this object to be brought to display condition.

This project focused on the conservation strategy for a collection of archaeological textiles at the University of Concepción, in Chile. This was the author’s dissertation topic for the degree of MPhil Textile Conservation at the University of Glasgow.
The collection was donated to the University in the 1970s: a total of 33 textiles including both large textiles and some small fragments. A rare example of poor documentation and storage conditions, there is no information regarding the textiles’ provenance, and it is likely that they come from various different sites, due to the different characteristics of each object. Chilean archaeologists are very thorough regarding their findings; the lack of information suggests the textiles were not found by archaeologists but rather someone entirely unfamiliar with the process that decided to donate these textiles to people who could care for them.

Graduates from the University carried out a project in 2010, ‘Placing value on the University of Concepción archaeological collection’ (Puesta en valor de la colección arqueológica Universidad de Concepción). The project was funded by the National Fund for Cultural and Art Development (Fondo Nacional para el Desarrollo Cultural y las Artes – FONDART), and focused on the fulfillment of minimal preventive conservation measures for the collection of archaeological objects in store at the University. However, the textile collection was not included in this initiative, as there were no specialists available at the time and funding was very limited.

In Chile, textile conservation is a small field. There is little information available regarding current measures to improve the condition of textiles by means of preventive conservation, and usually no funding comes to this kind of projects because they are not fully understood by the people who review them. There is also a lack of available materials for use in conservation, because the market is small and no local production exists for acid-free materials or appropriate equipment. This requires the use of alternative materials that have not yet been thoroughly tested, and the importing of materials and equipment from Europe, making conservation projects more expensive than in more developed countries.

The University is once more focusing its efforts on improving the collection’s condition, and the author has prepared a conservation strategy according to the needs of the textile objects as well as the needs of the University to ensure these objects are known, valued and learned from. Not only will the storage conditions be improved, but a new database system will be designed to include the textiles in the University’s inventory as well as to allow students, scholars and the general public to access the collection.
The project is being reviewed by the relevant funding institution (FONDART) and it is hoped to receive funding and begin work by winter 2014.

The purpose of this research is to address light spectra of different lighting sources used in museums with special attention to colorants. For many years there has been dissatisfaction with Blue Wool standards and their role as dosimeters to predict light induced fading in the museum environment. How different spectra of light effect historic textiles is an emerging topic in conservation. This subject is especially important because of the rapid introduction of LED (light emitting diode) lighting to save energy and the renewed architectural interest in using natural light. To deal with the topic of fading and dye degradation to understand the effects of spectra on textiles, research on the dye response to light is underway.

From previous research it is known that mordant, dye stuff and fiber all contribute to the light-fastness of color on textiles. Customized dyed standards have the possibility of monitoring degradation caused by narrow band light energy. Thus, the light properties of lamps will be juxtaposed against mordants, dyes and substrates in order to reveal connections between spectrum and color degradation.

This project will examine spectral power distribution (SPD) characteristics of lamps. When an exhibit is lit, it is important to understand the characteristics of the SPD produced by a lamp and the light properties that cause degradation to the colorants. These factors are more specific than monitoring the general, total illuminance (lux-hours) of light received by textiles during the length of an exhibit. By closely examining relative energy peaks of light and the effects of spectra on dyes, a new perspective is offered to museums for bulb selection that minimizes damage to dyes. This research seeks to provide textile conservators with a means to monitor textile displays more effectively and to eliminate common misconceptions associated with LEDs.

In examining the history of the storage, display, and conservation of Thangkas at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, one can trace a change in conservation philosophies and the growing necessity of preventive and sustainable care.
There has been a shift in storage designs from free hanging, paintings style storage, to flat drawer storage with full support. With the understanding that the paintings are not executed like stretched oil on canvas, but rather flexible fabrics painted with low binder media, overall handling of the thangkas has been significantly reduced by use of support boards for handling and display. These boards have evolved along with storage, installation, and materials concerns. Methods have shifted from stitched mounts, to pin, and currently have paused with an interchangeable magnetic system. And finally, changes in conservation approaches will be briefly touched upon.

Using the materials on hand and creating a modular mounting system that can be adapted to any current rotation reduces the need to continually purchase new materials and reduces waste at the end of any exhibition. The Thangkas are continually supported both during rotations on their magnet mounts and in storage on their horizontal shelving units. Textile components are cared for and no longer replaced when worn. Through working with the collection and institutional display needs, a routine has been developed that sustains the thankgas while at the same time reduces handling.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is becoming increasingly accepted by museums as a vital part of their conservation and collection care practices. IPM’s comprehensive and proactive approach emphasizes pest prevention to avoid the need for drastic remedial action.  The panel members will present their own diverse experiences, and then will facilitate an audience-wide discussion about the challenges presented by pests to textile and other collections.

Patty Silence, Conservator of Museum Exhibitions and Historic Interiors at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (CW), will discuss the challenges of implementing IPM in a large institution with historic and contemporary structures. CW’s current program developed out of a one-year inter-departmental collaboration to develop a request for pricing (RFP) for a pest control contract and resulted in a Foundation-wide program, managed by a conservator and a full-time IPM technician. She will share how an all-inclusive, holistic program has saved money and time, reduced pesticide use, and most importantly improved conditions for collections, from individual items such as textiles and furniture to entire buildings.

Bernice Morris will share her experiences as IPM Coordinator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). She will discuss the development of a written IPM policy and the challenge of making the best use of monitoring data. She will also present the systems put in place at the PMA for preventing infestations in its costume and textile collection.  

Rachael Arenstein, currently the conservator at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem but a former conservator in private practice at A.M. Art Conservation will speak about challenges she has seen as a consultant working with small to mid-size museums in developing pest management programs, and the resources that the IPM Working Group has developed to meet those needs.