Learn How to:
Preserve Antique Clothing and Textiles
Most prescriptive archival methods are relevant to preserving documents, photographs, print media or paintings. However, some techniques are especially useful for those who are working to restore vintage and antique textiles. Vintage and antique textiles and outfits are susceptible to the same types of damage as standard pieces of art, and must be preserved with that in mind.
Taking Care of Vintage Textiles:
Clothing from years ago is mostly made from cotton, wool or linen. These organic materials are highly susceptible to mold, mildew, microorganisms or insects.
One of the first things that a collector of antique clothing should do is to make a thorough record of every item in a collection. Older clothes often do not have tags or labels and therefore can be difficult to identify. Records that detail the size, style and age of each article should be created before it's stored away.
Vintage textiles shouldn't be cleaned - not even by a professional dry cleaner. They should be aired out to release dust, dirt and mildew. This should be performed away from the sun to avoid fading. If any mold or mildew is discovered on a garment, the item of clothing should immediately be isolated from the rest and stored separately.
To remove excess dust, clothes can be gently vacuumed. They should be protected by a nylon mesh and cleaned on a low speed just above the mesh with a small vacuum cleaner.
Antique Clothing Storage:
Like most types of art that are preserved using archival materials, vintage clothing requires a carefully-controlled atmosphere for proper preservation. Basements, attics and other poorly-ventilated parts of the house should not be chosen for antique textile storage unless a dehumidifier or air conditioner is used to maintain temperature and humidity levels.
Light is one of the most damaging forces for older clothes. Clothing can easily fade when exposed to too much sun or ultraviolet radiation, especially the dyes and fabrics used decades ago.
It is also important to frequently check vintage textiles. Moths and other insects are fond of laying eggs in old fabrics, which become nourishment for larva as they hatch. Check clothing collections more than once per year to make sure that there isn’t an infestation in progress.
Clothes need to be aired out and folded neatly. They should then be wrapped in Un-buffered archival tissue in order to prevent dirt and dust from the clothes.
Fashion enthusiasts and collectors can assemble their own materials or purchase textile storage kits. These kits come with a textile storage box, a pair of white cotton gloves, archival Un-Buffered tissue, a polyethylene bag and a desiccant canister.
Desiccant canisters are used to absorb extra moisture that might normally cause mold or mildew in an archival box. The white cotton gloves are used to handle the clothes, and the polyethylene bags can give added protection against moisture when placed around the textile box. (Additional information: Conservation for Textiles).
Brafton written article for www.archivalmethods.com 08/09/11
Discover a Tip:
Showcasing Prints Short-term and Long-Term
There might be times one will want to display prints for a short while for a special occasion or presentation on a bulletin board at work, school or elsewhere. One way to go about this is to place the prints into Print Sleeves that match the dimensions of the prints. (Ex. 5 x 7 prints would go into a 5 x 7 sleeve). A double sided tape can be placed on the sleeves to mount the sleeves to the bulletin board. The prints should then be removed from the sleeves with the double sided tape for long term storage.
One solution for long term storage which still allows for frequent viewing of the prints is to place the prints into Print Pages and store them in Archival 3-ring binders or binder boxes.
You could transfer the prints into our Print Pages for storage in our Archival Albums and Slip Cases.
Expand your Vocabulary:
Polyester
Polyester is a common name for the plastic polyethylene terephthalate. Its characteristics include transparency, colorlessness and high tensile strength. It is also chemically stable and is frequently used in form of sheets or rolled film to make folders, encapsulations and book jackets. Its thickness is often measured in mils. Familiar trade names inlcude Mylar and Melinex by DuPont.
Questions & Answers:
Q: Interleaving Material for Inkjet Prints on Matte Paper:
What options are there?
A: The most important aspect of interleaving material for Inkjet prints is protection from scuffing and marking as prints are being handled and moved. There are three products recommended for interleaving the delicate surface of matte surface pigmented prints.
- Archival Tissue is a soft, very thin tissue that will protect the surface. It can be difficult to handle which makes it a better choice for long term storage than for active viewing such as a portfolio review. The buffering in the paper is not a problem for ink jet prints; Epson and every other manufacture of ink jet papers also use buffering agents.
- Archival Paper is an 80 lb weight paper which makes it easy to work with when showing your work. One must show care when moving the prints and interleaving paper to avoid marking the print surface. Rubbing any interleaving material on a matte surface may result in damage to the print.
- Polyester Film has the advantage of a clear viewing of prints without moving the interleaving material. Its surface has the lowest chance of scuffing prints with a matte surface. New ISO standards are recommending polyester as a protective interleaving material for inkjet prints.
All three are safe to use for interleaving inkjet prints on matte paper. However, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages which may change depending on the specific application.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail them to [email protected] or visit us on Twitter, FaceBook or LinkedIn. |
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