museum- textile conservation process study of flag care- jenniferhein textiles
TRANSCRIPT
Pictorial Study of Levels of Work to discuss the “Faded Glory” of Military Insignia flags after long term, 75 year exhibition decay.
Frank Matero describes “ cultural heritage as the ability of a thing… to present the everyday human experience of lived time. “What survives, what is forgotten, what is cared for or destroyed, describes the lives that creative works can take. “
AIC News 1/2011
Typical Textile Conservation on Small Field Maps
1944 Occupied France Printed fabric
Humidify, Wetclean & Block
Japan WWII Silk print
Conservation with overlays on 4 top stripes with red net
28th National Civil War 1865 Before Mold removal
Returned to the natural patina…
Patina describes” acceptable entropic changes that are considered intrinsic to
the material due to the weathering of that material under normal circumstances.
“… Weathering as a natural process, always results in a transformation of
materials through physical, mechanical, and chemical alteration.” F.M.
Conserved edge with support & visual underlay
Lindsey-woolsey National CW Wool pest & edge battle loss
The work is undertaken to maintain ”contact with the past through the
identification, transmission and protection of that which is considered valuable
and relevant in the present. “ F.M.
Removed 1910 underlay & stitching & replaced with similar color visual underlay
Small 3 foot Guidon Polished metallic components
Close-up of 2’ guidon
Donaldsville, Cornis Bridge, Port Hudson … text is battle honors” on original 1870s construction
Pictorial elements or close-ups
Look at the treatment of 5 elements
1. 10” number 3,
2. 5 blue dye loss areas
3. Oxidized copper sequins & coiled wire
4. Painted Eagle loss areas
5. Painted letter chipped, curled or lost areas
Ruskin argued for the preservation as opposed to the restoration of art and
historic buildings, which removed the face of time in a n attempt to offer “ fresh
reading.” F.M. p.3
Realistically this is never possible with textiles resulting from the absorbency
and decay of the material. JH
Hollytex Overlay applied as removable ground
3rd Bridgade-1st Regt Civil War Wool with cotton stars
Unusual Wool Civil War flag
Typical underlays
Overlay of hollytex, with gesso base and acrylic
Untouched Restored
“Restoration / Preservation ” of bleach color loss areas with in painting of textile dye
25th Regimental Civil War
“Preservation … favors the original
fabric and its age –value above all else.” F.M.
Does this mean that we should restore accidental mishaps during its exhibit life?
1875 Copper Sequined stars & fringe
Metallic elements polished & replaced on navy net underlay to protect silk, seen here
Brown Underlay conservation
6th C W. National stripe flag with unusual blue silk regimental painted Eagle Canton
Uncurled & flattened loss areas
Small in-fills
Basic preservation requires removing “some” of the 1910 Mount additions
before mold removal wet cleaning or heat treating, but the striped quilt backing remains as stabilization
Navy 1910 mounting border Typical Back Tapes as a tapestry hanging
Stabilize existing “Battle Honor” 1870s & 1890s applied lettering
Gold enamel paint on silk
Underlay, Inlay & Stabilize Lettering of oil or enamel paint on silk
1890s East Tenn Chaplin “ Battle Honors Lettering
1910 Backings Remain With Quilting Lines
Thickness of silk with paint saturation Visible 1910 quilt lines near underlay
Partial letter restored to be able to read “IND. VOL” unteers
80th Civil War 1865 flag lower edge of L replaced
Backing as obvious choice when paper needs conserved for stabilization
Time Capsule document , unrolled list of Maxwell Auto manufacturing
New Castle, IN , rolled list to left
Visual change - reduced 1910 Mount
Spanish American 1899 Flag Navy back was decreased
Extended to more original shape
116th National Civil War, more of 1910 backing shows to reveal orig. shape
Review of Work
1. 10” number 3, overlaid with removal paint number
2. 5 blue dye loss areas, in painted with dye, restored color loss
3. Oxidized copper sequins & coiled wire, replaced w net overlay for protection of silk
4. Painted Eagle loss areas , filled with brown underlay but limited visual restoration
5. Painted letter chipped, curled or lost areas, restored image with similar visual , cannot be easily removed.
6. Original rectangles restored
7. 1910 backing reduced or removed
Extreme Examples to review levels of repair for conservation
Indiana Battle flags, preserved partially when rolled
on original wood staffs
Backing is used two ways: to replace lost edge to rectangular shape & as restoration to Hold shards in place with adhesive underlays When does restoration best describe the work? When it is secured with adhesive? Stitched ? Or when not as easy to remove?
Sheridan ‘s 1840s National flag Replaced cotton duck cloth edge
The appreciation shown for this conserved, shattered cotton flag remnant
inspired my flag work
Adhesive underlays were needed for stabilization
Dubois County 27th Regt. Civil War flag w orig. staff, cord, tassels & ribbon
Unusual Original Ribbon
A Backing was later added to stabilize the original grograin ribbon with ink Regiment ID after flattened
After unwound from staff
Dubois County Civil War Flag Visual Conservation
Silk crepeline backing (similar to an infill of loss) is used
to stabilize the rectangle &
The backing also functions as a visual substitute.
(Visual conservation or restoration-look) On exhibit