Ask a Conservator- how to care for your antiques and special possesions- museum style

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

[QUOTE=Gaudere]
Should I remove the old scotch tape from original art (ink and marker on some sort of heavy paper) or just leave it there? It’s so old it’ll just flake off, but i’ve heard it eats away at paper.
[/QUOTE]

The adhesive is what can damage your paper, although the celulous plastics in older tape can also create a “burn”. If it is loose, by all means remove it, but only if it is completely loose. If this is a valuable piece, I do suggest consulting with a conservator.

Tape removal is a tricky thing, as it can pull away the surface of paper, especially older papewr which has become fragile with age. To minimise damage until it can be properly accessed, keep it in a cool, medium humidity (35-35%) area out of strong or direct light.

Good luck

FML

22

I have this beautiful old caplet that I’d like to display and preserve as best I can - it has some loose beading and it’s fading a bit, but it’s otherwise gorgeous. Any ideas on best displaying techniques?

23

[QUOTE=Ca3799]
I have some beautiful doll clothes made by my great grandmother for my grandmother in the late 1800’s (Oklahoma Territory). There are several pieces and some small, typed notes about each one (one dress was made for the doll to wear during a school play!) So far, I have just kept them in the cardboard box I found them in.

I’d like to display them, but think they may stay in better condition just being stored.

What do you think about how to display them and also how to best store them?
[/QUOTE]

You guys are gonna hear this over and over - Low light, medium humidity and moderate temp. (no higher than 27c/75 F), as it will apply to almost every item.

That being said, I am assuming that the dresses are made from cotton, wool, linen or linseywoolsy (Linen/wool blend). I am also assuming they are dyed or print fabrics.

By all means get them out of that cardboard box, the lignens and acids in the box material are not doing the fabric any good! . If they require cleaning, talk to a drycleaner who has experience in dealling with antique fabrics. Do not attempt to water wash, even by hand. If they need repair, use unbleached cotton thread.

For display -

I reccomend a nice glass case, at least large enough to allow 1 inch/3 cm free space in all dimensions around the dress(es). Thos little notes should be enclosed. You may wish to encapsulate them in Mylar (Make a little envelope out of mylar cut a little larger than the note, held together at the very edges with double sided tap - do not let the tape come in contact with the note). The case itself should be made out of a non resinoous wood, not varnished on the interior surfaces- the varnishes can off gas nasty stuff). Small airholes should be included into the design of the case, possibly screened if insects (moths, etc) are a concern in your area.

To prepare the clothes for display, simply gently stuff them with acid free tissue paper, and mount on a stainless steel rod. coming up from the base of the display case.

If you choose to store them, get a acid/lignen free archival box a little larger than the dress, line it with acid free paper, and place the dress and the mylar encapsulated notes into it, laying flat. Cover with more acid free tissue paper and if you wish another dress. They can be “stacked” in the boxes 3 or 4 deep, although 1 dress per box would be what a professional conservator in a museum would do. One final note, if you are going to store them, have them cleaned as described above. Three dimensional items, like hats, should be gently stuffed to help them hold their form.

Good luck

FML

24

[QUOTE=beanpod]
Thank you so much! This is a great idea for a thread.

I have a quilt made by my grandmother that I’d like to preserve until it is an antique. She made it in the early 1980s. It’s about the size to fit on a twin bed and it was on my bed as a kid. It’s gotten stains on it over the years, and my mom just washed it in a washing machine. It doesn’t have any holes or damage (yet :() but it does have an unfortunate purple mark from a fingerpainting accident of my brother’s.

There’s also the fact that…well…it was a kid’s blanket, and it’s been used by about 3 different kids and gotten sent back to me. There have been all kinds of bodily fluids on that thing. It’s been washed a lot, but I’m not sure if there’s anything I can do to make sure it’s perfectly sanitary without damaging it. Also, how should I store it?

I also have some embroidery from my great-grandmother (on cotton pillowcases–which are zipped up in an airtight bag in my closet), and quite a few afghans from my mother (we still use those). Again, none of these things are antiques yet, but I want to be able to pass them down when I have kids, and share care instructions.

I also have a few ceramic knick-knacks from my great-great-grandmother (probably purchased in the late 1800s). I’ve got them displayed on a bookshelf, and I’ve just been wiping them off with a damp cloth when they need it.
[/QUOTE]

Is the quilt made from natural or synthetic fabric or a mixture of them? Save me a lot of typing and your self a lot of readoing by letting me know as the storage and conservation techniques are different. In either case send it to a dry cleaner and have it cleaned proffesionally before attemting to store.

Get that embroidery out of those bags. To store, lay them flat on top of acid free tissue paper, put another sheet on top, and roll up gently (not compressing), gently roll the cylender in a piece of acid free, unbleached cotton, tie with cotton ribbons (again not tight enough to compress) and store horizontally.

The Afgans (I am assuming synthetic wool) can be stored in a tupperware/rubberm,aid style tote, gentlly folded. Do not compress.

You are dead on with those ceramics, a damp lint free cloth is your best bet. Shelves and open storage make me a bit nervous, as more frequent dusting is required, and that can increase chances of breakage damage. Additionally an open shelf will, eventually, have something knocked off of it. Consider a china cabinet or other type of enclosed display if the items are very prescious.

Regards
FML

25

[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright]
Cool thread! I think we have another museum curator or conservator here- DianaG, maybe?

I have a whacking great big coin collection from my youth. How do I store them?
[/QUOTE]

Mylar enclosure is best for your coin collection. see above for instructions on making mylar envelopes. one coin per envelope. most numismatic stores also carry premade pouches - just be sure they are mylar. Lable each pouch on the obverse side with the coins details on a self stick lable. Store the pouches vertically in a box - much like we used to store projection slides.

Do not clean the coins, but wearing cotton gloves is strongly recommended for handling anything of an “uncirculated/mint” rating.

FML

26

[QUOTE=Boyo Jim]
How should the Bigfoot corpse be conserved?
[/QUOTE]

Well, a few “don’ts”

Don’t store it next to the reactor in the flying saucer, as the subatomic particles could reanimate it. Zombie bigfoots are notoriously difficult to store.

Get it out of that freezer, as Elvis may find it and assume its just a big, hairy peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich, and eat it.

FML

27

[QUOTE=Sattua]
Is it really safe to clean silver using baking soda and hot water in an aluminum pan?
[/QUOTE]

This is definitely NOT recommended.

What you are essentially doing is electroplating the inside of the aluminium pan with silver. This removes the surface of the silver, and can etch and erode the fine detail/engraving and what have you.

Silver should be cleaned with a proper silver polishing cloth. It should them be wrapped in a Birke or Sacrifice cloth (These act as a filter, reacting with airborn sulfur compounds which are the source of the tarnish). Then they should be stored in a air tight container.

Never use “polishing compound”:

  1. You are just removing the upper layers of silver, again destroying fine detail
  2. it leaves a residue that actually helps/speeds up tarnishing

If it is cultlery and other food utensils, wash gently by hand in warm soapy water after use, rinse well, air dry and polish with a polishing cloth and store as listed above.

Regards
FML

28

[QUOTE=Emily Litella]
I have a jugendstil pewter dish. How do I clean it, but more importantly, should I clean it?

Suppose you could have, take home and keep any one item from any museum you ever worked at, what would it be? (Hypothetically, the sky's the limit, it's a reward for saving the museum milliions of dollars, something along those lines.)

[/QUOTE]

Pewter is pretty easy. Wash it in clean water with a bit of mild dish soap. rinse well, and air dry. Gently polish with a silver type polishing cloth. Avoid letting it come in contact with acidic items (fruits, for example) as this can cause surface degradation and blackening/tarnish.

Hmm.. of all the stuff I would like to have kept was a player piano I restored from an almost dead condition. Actually, though, I never much wanted to take any of the stuff home…

FML

29

[QUOTE=Dr. Woo]
Wow, thanks for opening this thread, FML. I’m about to receive via FedX a wall clock from my parents’ house. It’s not an antique, but it’s apparently a fairly good quality clock. My sister had it packed by a clock guy (what do you call them?) and advised that I have a similar professional unpack it at my end and also check it over and supervise the hanging of the clock. Is there anything else I should do to preserve it and prevent any damage? I’m looking for general information - I know nothing at all about “fine timepieces”.

I also live in a seismically active area, so I know that I need to be careful to hang it securely (and hope like hell the whole house doesn’t shake down), but is there anything else I should know?
[/QUOTE]

I second the clock specialist in having it unpacked and mounted under “professional” supervision. As you mentioned living in a sesmically active area, you may want to consider using a “restraint belt” made from fishing line going over the front of the clock in a secure position and being double anchored to the wall. Be sure to pad the line where it touches “stress/wear” points on the clock face with something like air line (like used with aquarium air pumps).

Regards
FML

30

[QUOTE=Furious_Marmot]
I have a hartebeest skin rug. It’s about 20 years old and it has been rolled up for about the last 8 years. What is the best way to store or display it? Does it need to be cleaned or otherwise maintained? Are there any legal issues involved in owning it? I inherited it some time ago and I know it was purchased legally from a well-regarded taxidermist.
[/QUOTE]

I can’t help you with the legal aspects as i do not know the law in your area. If it was purchased legitamately, you are probabably in the clear, although IANAL.

Now for the bad news. If it has been rolled for 8 yrs, the hide may have stiffened to the point of cracking or damage when it is unrolled. You should try to find a local conservator/fur specialist in your area to help you with this. Additionally, depending on what tanning chemicals were used, there may be signifigant loosening/damage/bleaching/burning to the fur and hide due to their off gassing compounds being concentrated against the tissues.. This is not repairable.

Should you get it unrolled and it is not damaged, you can display it as a wall hanging if you wish. Talk to a local conservator about mounting it to a “hang cloth” to aleviate strain and stretching from gravity. Of course you will hang it in an area out of direct sunlight, with a decent and fairly constant humidity level (45% is best). Clean with a upholstry brush vacuum attachment on MINIMUM suction, brushing in the direction of the fur.
Regards (and best of luck)
FML

31

[QUOTE=Zyada]
Me! Me! Me!

I have an old japanese pen and ink drawing (I think from the 1800s). Do you think that a regular frame shop (especially Aaron Brothers) would do a good job on framing it or should I find a frame shop that specializes in conservation framing?
[/QUOTE]

Who ever you choose to frame this should have a conservation certificate, use only reversable mounting techniques, and guarentee their work in writing. This will cost anywhere from 3 5 times what conventional mounting could be worth.

I have mentioned that I will not provide dollar values for items, but you should also have this appriased.

FML

32

[QUOTE=FriarTed]
Silverfish and book mildew- how to prevent either.
[/QUOTE]

The easy one first.

Book Mildew

  1. Identify and isolate the “infected books”
    treatment- Get a large rubbermade tote. Stand a few of the books vertically so that the pages fan open. Get some isoprople alchohol, and pour some into a jar, put a balled up paper towel into this to act as a wick. Close the lid and leave it for a week, unopened.

  2. Store your books on shelves, vertically, in an area that has good contant humidity of about 45% That’s about all you can do, unless you want to archivally store them. (each book in an acid free box, wrapped in acid free paper, in a cool dark place)

Silverfish and other insect problems.

Consult a pest control expert in your area. Instantly discard any infested books, or freeze them (wrapped in plastic), to kill any of the bugs.

If you find an insect or an infestation, check all books in the area.

I am assuming you will work to ensure that any “entrances” you have to the outside are blocked to pests.

FML

33

[QUOTE=The Blue-Sighted Shadow]
A co-worker has a collection of hats from her MIL. They are stored in hat boxes with tissues to keep their shape. They have the original hat pins and tags and still look like new. Is that the best way to preserve them? She doesn’t have the space to keep them herself and is wondering how best to go about selling them?
[/QUOTE]

That sounds like fine storage, provided the boxes themselves are kept in an area of contant humidity (45%) and lower temps. (22 c/70f). Obviously, they should be gaurded from insects, mice and other pests.

As to selling them, have them examined by a qualified appraiser. If there is an estate sale going on in your area, contact the sellers and see if the collection can be “piggy backed” with it (usually for a precentage of the sale value plus auction fees). Estate sales tend to bring out people who know their antiques/collectables and you will tend to get better value for them.

Good luck
FML

34

[QUOTE=matt_mcl]
An artist I corresponded with sent me, without warning, an enormous cartoon for one of his tapestries. The thing is 1:1 to the actual tapestry (3.9 x 3.5 metres) and is folded-up (it came folded) tracing paper. Do you have any idea what I should do with it?
[/QUOTE]

It should be gently unfolded, layed on sheets of acid free tissue paper, have more sheets of acid free tissue paper layed on top of it and gently rolled. It should then be placed in a archivial grade storage tube, and stored horizontally. In an ideal world you would be able to store it flat..but this is a HUGE peice.

It should be stored in a mid humidity, low temp area and protected from pests.

You “can” use the carboard tube from a carpet, but be sure to use a lot of acid free tissue around the outside of the artwork to act as a buffer. you may want to consider modifying the tube by cutting itlengthways in half so that it can be opened up to place and remove the artwork.

FML

35

[QUOTE=Contrary]
Oooo me me me!

I have a Bible that was my great-great grandmother’s (maybe one more great in there, not sure). And its in OK shape but I know it needs some love and also I need to know how to properly store it.
[/QUOTE]

Pretty easy here.

Get an archivial grade boxe that opens flat (the sides are hinged and open up, so the book can be placed in and out with out pulling on it)

Wrap the bible gently in several layers of acid free tissue, place it in the box and store in a cool, stable humidity (45%) area, protected from pests (insects/mice)

Rgards
FML

36

[QUOTE=Mongo Ponton]
I have an old Gibson guitar of some sort (not sure where it came from) that lived under the bed for years in its case. Now its standing up in closet.

Which way should it be stored?
[/QUOTE]

It should be stored in the case, flat on its back. Loosen off the strings slightly, if you haven’t already. Clean out the case with a vacuum, and consider adding extra support along the neck (rolled up clean white cotton hand cloths work fine for this).

Avoid using wood polish on the guitar, they leave a residue and over time can actually degrade the polish. a very slightly damp cotton cloth is all you need for cleaning fine wood.

Heat and changes in humidity are your big enemies here. find a fairly cool (not cold) area with a humidity of about 45% to store the case/guitar in, laying on its back. Nothing should be stacked on to of it, but a dust cloth could be used to help protect the exterior of the case, if desired.

Regards
FML

37

[QUOTE=Brynda]
I have a silk top hat from the turn of the century. It is the kind that collapses and is in excellent shape. How should I store it?
[/QUOTE]

Get ye to a Haberdashery! Really get a proper hat box for this hat. Wrap it in acid free tissue for storage.If it requires even slight cleaning or repair, have a proffesional do it.

I am pondering open vs closed for this. Open means the silk sides are under tension, but closed means they are compressed. I am going to suggest storing it in the closed position, but advising you to open it up every few months or so, to avoid long term compression damage on the fabric.

Be sure to store this in a place free from insect pests - bugs love silk. Additionally , as usual, cool temps and mid range constant humidity are recommented.
Regards
FML

38

[QUOTE=mischievous]
I have this beautiful old caplet that I’d like to display and preserve as best I can - it has some loose beading and it’s fading a bit, but it’s otherwise gorgeous. Any ideas on best displaying techniques?
[/QUOTE]

I am assuming you don’t want to actually ever wear it. Display options for this require reversable, but committed techniques. One thing - get it off that hanger and into a box where it can lay flat, gently wrapped with acid free tissue, if you do nothing else.

You should get it cleaned and repaired by a qualified clothing conservator. For display, a museum grade bust manniquin would be best, in a case.

In your home however, you could consider a shadow box style wall mount, with the shawl filled out with an unbleached cotton “pillow” stuffed with acid free tissue paper. This should be proffesionally done by a framer experienced in archiavial /conservational mounting.
regards
FML

39

[QUOTE=Full Metal Lotus]
I am assuming you don’t want to actually ever wear it. Display options for this require reversable, but committed techniques. One thing - get it off that hanger and into a box where it can lay flat, gently wrapped with acid free tissue, if you do nothing else.

You should get it cleaned and repaired by a qualified clothing conservator. For display, a museum grade bust manniquin would be best, in a case.

In your home however, you could consider a shadow box style wall mount, with the shawl filled out with an unbleached cotton “pillow” stuffed with acid free tissue paper. This should be proffesionally done by a framer experienced in archiavial /conservational mounting.
[/QUOTE]
It was only on the hanger for taking the picture - it has been stored by layering it between two layers of tissue paper and gently rolling it up. It’s impossibly small, only a ten-year old could wear it.

I’d like to put it on a mannequin, but where would I find a clothing conservator?

40

These acid free tissue papers and boxes. What kind of stores would be likely to sell them? Would most picture framers have them available?