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Preserving garments

Gregory K. Norris CPF

RIP Past PPFA President 2016-2018
Certified Picture Framer®

In Remembrance

Rest In Peace



Messages
3,916
Location
Huntington, West Virginia
Company
Huntington Hall of Frames
There was an interesting article on preserving wedding gowns in last week's New York Times. One comment from the conservator quoted noted that " Acid-free cardboard boxes should be replaced every 15 years, Ms. Scaturro said." I was curious about this. Does this mean that acid free cardboard has a limited life? And I wonder if so, at the prices quoted why cotton rag materials weren't available for the purpose of preserving textiles.

Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/f...-care-for-wedding-gowns-field-notes.html?_r=0
 
I certainly agree that gowns should be unpacked and refolded every so often.

I teach a class on quilt preservation, and actually have a quilt that was folded at the same place over and over. The fibers of the fabric are all broken at the fold line.

As to replacing an archival box every 15 years, I would guess that Jim Miller probably has the oldest sample of acid-free corrugated, as to my knowledge he was one of the first to advocate its use. Have you noticed any deterioration in old a/f corrugated, Jim?
 
The 25-year replacement recommendation might be due to expected wear & tear and potential damage to the box. "Acid free" cardboard could be wood pulp with a buffer (not good), virgin alpha cellulose (good), or cotton (best). In a perfect environment, maybe a proper storage box should last 50 years, but contaminants absorbed from the environment could accelerate deterioration, as could insects and radical temperature/humidity changes in some storage areas.
 
...I would guess that Jim Miller probably has the oldest sample of acid-free corrugated...
Good Heavens, Ellen. How old do think I am??:shocked:

...as to my knowledge he was one of the first to advocate its use. Have you noticed any deterioration in old a/f corrugated, Jim?
Actually, I've used very little acid free corrugated, but to my knowledge, it has very good longevity. I skipped right over that, to using fluted polypropylene (Coroplast) lined with 4-ply alpha cellulose.

In most cases, I think the storage environment would cause more deterioration than anything in the composition of a good-quality board.
 
I'd go with Jim's recommendation for textile/gown storage. What Ms. Scaturro (who is not listed in the AIC directory, but the way) was probably referring to was a general time frame to change the box to avoid release of the volatiles that may have been absorbed by the box, as well as a possible breakdown of the box fibers. I agree that storage conditions, particularly temp and RH, are important factors in material longevity. Padding folds, as Ellen pointed out, is a critical step.

Paul Storch
Objects Conservator
St. Paul, MN
 
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