Caring for Original Garments.

[MissMaggie]

Hello,

I am working on doing a short paper and presentation on the care/storage and study of original clothing for my costume history class. I was suddenly hit this morning with the fact that most of my research was going to come from textile conservation books that have all sorts of great theories about care and study. The only problem is that they probably aren't going to tell me how the non-museum world does things. Knowing that the people I'm talking to will only ever casually study original garments (ok, so most of them will never look at an original after this class is over) I thought I'd sort of take a survey to find out how "real" people look at originals.

1. How do you store and handle your own personal original items?

2. Being quirky people that we are, what are some of the less obvious things you look at when studying originals?

3. How much chocolate does it take to get the average museum curator to let you see their collection :-P

Thank you all ever so much for your input!

[KarinTimour]

Re: Caring for Original Garments.

Dear Miss Maggie:

I don't own any original garments, so I can't speak to that part of your question. With regard to museum curators, I've found most to be extremely accommodating if I formally request time and clearly specify what I want to see. In the old Citizens' Companion, Mrs. Hughes wrote a really terrific article once on how to arrange a study session, and that's been my guideline.

This means that I contact them 2-3 months before I'll be in their area (most of the museums I've visted have been several states away). I write them a letter by snail mail, introducing myself and outlining what I'd like to study when I'm in their area. I'll follow that up with a phone call to make contact and discuss what the museum has that I'd like to see, and what day and time would work best for the curator. Most museums charge a small research fee, and will often have me sign papers that the notes, pictures (if allowed), and sketches will not be published and are meant for my study and research.

Miss Vicki Betts, in her presentation on homespun dresses, mentioned that she had study sheets printed up so that she could remember all the points she wanted to look at and measure. I copied her example and since I'm interested in knitted goods, I have a sheet for each type of artifact that I'm asking to see: socks, mittens, mitts, scarves, etc. On the study sheet (there is one for each artifact), I make a sketch and then fill in dimensions on that sketch. I catalogue the acquisition number (so that if I have questions afterwards, I can just ask the curator or write the curator using their own reference number). I want to know who made the item (if known), who wore the item (if known) and who donated the item or how the museum acquired it.

For socks, I measure each of the major areas of the sock: ribbing, leg, heel flap, gusset, foot, toe. I want to know the construction methods for the ribbing, heel, gusset and toe. I measure the horizontal and vertical stitches per inch. I note any laundry marks, Soldiers' Aid Society or Sanitary Commission stamps, embroidery, or other marks on the socks. I examine the wear and the quality of the darning, if the sock has been darned. If both socks are present (sometimes only one of a pair was saved, or only the legs were saved, the feet were cut off or never made), I'll look to see if there are differences in the wear of one foot vs. the other.

I'll note the color(s) with a Pantone (something I learned from Carolann Schmitt), and the type of material used to make the sock. I bring a small scales with me and if the museum will allow me to, I'll weigh it, which, along with the number of stitches per inch will give me a fair idea of the diameter and width of the yarn used to construct the sock. If there are knitting pins still in the garment (you'd be surprised how often this happens), I have a period and a modern needle gauge and with permission will measure the size of the needles being used to make the sock.

Probably more "quirky" things than you were bargaining for, but those are the types of things that I do on a study visit.

Hope it's helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Warm. Durable. Documented.
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Gary of CA]

Re: Caring for Original Garments.

I worked in a museum that had textiles and a textile lab among other conservation labs. Said textile included period clothing, carpets and linenware.

Carpets were kept rolled up and then covered. Every now and then, they would be unrolled so that the fibers weren't set.

Other clothing was laid flat, with acid free padding atop and below it. Of course the environment was controlled for temperature, humidity and kept insect free.

Lighting, it didn't matter if the object was in storage (dark). However, if displayed, no direct sunlight as that would fade the object.

If you want access, schedule it in advance. Write the curator and explain your purpose and they'll let you know when they can make some things accessible to you. During the ArmsMakingWorkshop (Oct.), we got Conner Prairie Living History Museum to let us into their storage several times. Their conservator had pre-selected some items of interest to share with us and was prepared to give a talk about them. BTW, it was the first time I saw a period powder horn with a canine whose "member" was scrimshawed onto it.

[K. Krewer]

Re: Caring for Original Garments.

Hi, Maggie,

I think we met at some Iowa events several years ago.

I'm a private collector of original women's garments, mostly 1840 - 1865, along with accessories. I don't own any original military uniforms.

1. How do you store and handle your own personal original items?

Storage – mostly acid-free boxes, the 6” deep / 18” wide/ 30” long boxes I get from Light Impressions. At first I tried having one dress per box, but I have run out of storage space and have to put two, sometimes even three, dresses per box. (This, I know, is not ideal, but until I get more storage space, is what I have to do.) I use acid-free tissue paper to reinforce folds, and each time I get the garment out, I put it back in a different way so that I’m not folding the same fabric in the same way. I try to pay particular attention to areas that need better support – e.g., trying to get fringe straight, then putting tissue paper over it to hold it in place when the garment is folded over.

The boxes are then stacked in two rooms. In one I have a large closet that will hold 4 rows of thirteen boxes, stacked. Things that don't fit into boxes easily -- such as hoops -- are stored on top. In the other room I have about a dozen boxes stacked on each of number of small carts with wheels, so that I can move the carts around to get to garments.

The size of these boxes have become a problem when I take garments for display. I also ran into problems with getting the boxes in and out of the van and display site in the rain. I now temporarily put those things I’m going to display in plastic tubs, packing them so that they use each other for support instead of tissue. (Again, not ideal, but practical.) I also use some large plastic tubs, lined with muslin, for cotton undergarments and things that aren't quite as subject to deterioration.

Bonnets go in acid – free boxes the size of standard “document” boxes, about four to a box, gently stashed one inside another, with tissue paper covering and protecting any trims. Smaller items – caps, stockings, purses, fans, fichus, etc. – are in the same kind of boxes in stacking trays that fit inside. Shoes are wrapped in tissue and fill similar boxes. These boxes are stacked on shelves and on top of furniture in my “studio” and storage room.

When I handle the garments, I either wear white cotton gloves OR I freshly and frequently wash my hands. I prefer the latter since I can more effectively deal with buttons, hooks, etc.

When I get a new garment I assess it for damage, etc., and frequently give it a double freeze treatment to kill off pesties – particularly if it’s wool. I might vacuum it through a screen but otherwise I do not clean or wash. I also tend not to restore things because I’ve never been sure that my attempts at restoration might be misleading, taken for something original someday. (I have a dealer who sometimes puts iron-on patches on the inside – drives me nuts!)

I also developed a spreadsheet on which I log pertinent characteristics – I’ve intended some day to transfer this to an electronic spreadsheet, but it’s on my list of TTDWIRS (things to do when I retire someday!) I also have not managed to keep up with the manual log for some time, nor with photographing and cataloging! Again, TTDWIRS.


2. Being quirky people that we are, what are some of the less obvious things you look at when studying originals?

My interest is more of a history voyeur -- I want to know the human side, peering into people's lives.

First, I ALWAYS look to see if there’s a pocket and I look inside! I’ve found a mitt (just one, not a pair!), pieces of scrap fabric, a card, pins, and a button or two. I also look at what the inside fabric might tell me – glazed cotton lining might tell me of wealth, while a lining, pocket, and/or hem protector pieced together of different fabrics suggests that its wearer needed to exercise economy. Similarly, I look at the type of trim and what its degree of extravagance or economy tells me.

I look for signs of wear, patches, and the like, which might suggest how the garment was worn, used, etc., and then I think about who was wearing it. For example – a sheer cotton dress that had literally a dozen tiny patches on the back of the skirt – did the wearer get too close to a fire or sit in some caustic material or what? Another example – a wool print dress with lovely trim but very worn, with several small patches of a different, but similar, material at the cuff. Was this a nice dress that was relegated to work dress status? Or was it a hand-me-down, which meant the second wearer no longer had access to the same material for patching?

I’m also intrigued by remaking – let out darts, underarm gussets, the odd front panel addition. I look for the telltale marks of the shirred bodice re-done into darts or gathers, the gaged skirt taken out in front and made flatter with pleats. Being a “get-her-done” kind of person myself, I am pleasantly surprised to find 19th century shortcuts – the stiff pointed 1850’s bodice hiding underneath 1860’s round waistband, or the pagoda sleeve caught up on the inside of an updated 1860’s coat sleeve.

I’m always thrilled when I can tie a garment to a known date or facts, or compare garments either with each other or something else – e.g., the dress that came with a photograph album with the CDV showing the wearer in the dress, or the down petticoat that looks just like the one in the reference book. (That doesn’t happen very often!) Or – I have three dresses that came from the same Connecticut woman. I want to do an article on my comparison of these three dresses someday – what the differences in these three dresses tell me about her life.

3. How much chocolate does it take to get the average museum curator to let you see their collection :-P

You’re talking public museums, as opposed to private collectors? I have had mixed experience. The large museum here in my area is skeptical of why on earth I’d want to look at old clothes – what would I be trying to prove? Smaller museums are frequently thrilled to have their stuff looked at, but are subject to budget constraints and the time constraints of the volunteers who frequently staff them. I’ve had good luck at larger fashion-oriented museums, but I write ahead, offer to pay charges for their time, and try to be specific about what I want to see – I don’t just walk in and demand to see all their stuff, as I saw some reenactors do once at Colonial Williamsburg.

As for private collectors -- most are perfectly willing to show and share, but of course, real life intrudes!

[Joe Walker]

Re: Caring for Original Garments.

Textiles should be kept at RH less than 50%, with temp at or below 72 degrees. Inappropriate light, temp, RH, and fluctuating numbers are hurtful. Pests always a problem to watch for. Acid free, cotton, poly, etc. contact only. Stored flat is best. Rule of thumb is cool and dry and out of UV light.

Joe Walker

[TKlas]

Re: Caring for Original Garments.

Hi Maggie,

To echo what many posts have stated, many private collectors use UV protected glass, acid free backings, and air filtration systems to keep out molds, smoke, etc.

When the Citizens Guard completed our project of restoring the 1886 circa George H. Stevens GAR banner, we used most of the above to find a new home for the restored piece. Here is a link to an article written by Scott Frank on the restoration project: http://business.centurytel.net/2ndwi...servation.html

Many museums have their own guidelines as well which I am sure your aware of from your post. Unfortunatley many small historical societies do not have funds to incorporate many of the above measures. I am a board member of a local historical society in Wisconsin that has the above problem. We are trying to correct this by having fundraisers to get these fine historical garments in more protective casings that just hanging on a rack with a plastic bag. To me, that is a huge problem on the small, local level historical society end of things.

Good luck with you project. If you would like a picture of the banner we restored, you can send me an e-mail at fallriversoldier@hotmail.com

For some reason, I can not attach pictures to the forum at the moment.