Royal BC Museum

Treasured Textiles

The red and green yarns of a child's sampler, the creamy satin of grandmother's wedding dress -- old textiles are a material tie to distant lives and skills.

As evocative as old textiles can be, they are also exceedingly fragile. Unfortunately, it is often our desire to display and touch that is most hazardous. While there is no miraculous preservative for these textile heirlooms, there is much that can be done to ensure that they survive.

Illumination
Light is a great destroyer of textiles. Exposure to light will both fade dyes and degrade fibres -- damage that can never be reversed. The effect of light is cumulative -- longer exposure or brighter light causes more damage. When in storage, old textiles should be kept in darkness; on display they should be out of direct sunlight, preferably in an area where they are illuminated only for viewing.

Pest Control
The larvae of clothes moths and carpet beetles will eat wool, horse hair, fur and feathers. Good housekeeping is the best means of controlling these pests. Inspect your textile heirlooms at least once a year, and carefully examine any new items to ensure that they do not introduce pests. If you find insects, seal the item in a polyethylene bag and place it in a freezer capable of reaching -20o C for 48 hours. After you remove the bag from the freezer, keep it sealed until the article reaches room temperature.

Cleaning and Repair
Cleaning old textiles is often impossible and repairs can be very difficult. Preventing damage is the best solution. When you handle old textiles, your hands should be clean and free of jewellery, which can snag on materials. Tables and other examination surfaces should be clean and clear of other objects. Dust and surface dirt can be carefully removed from old textiles with a vacuum cleaner. Cover the end of the nozzle with nylon net to prevent material or decorations from being sucked up, and, if possible, reduce the suction. A soft brush can be useful around creases and decorations. Washing and removing stains can often create more problems than they remove: dyes can bleed, fibres can shrink or break. Many old textiles were never laundered. If you do not have access to expert advice, it is better to live with a stain than risk damaging the whole textile.

Old textiles are treasures that merit our care and attention. The books below contain further information on this subject. Also feel free to contact the Conservation Services at the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Colleen Wilson
Textile Conservator
Royal British Columbia Museum

For More Information:

Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI Notes. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Conservation Institute.
Finch, K. and G. Putnam. The Care and Preservation of Textiles. London: Batsford, Ltd, 1985.
Mailand, H.F. Considerations for the Care of Textiles and Costumes. Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1980.

Located at:
675 Belleville Street,
Victoria, British Columbia,
CANADA