Image: © The Associated Press (from MSN website:
The Smithsonian Museum (http://www.si.edu/) is trying to preserve the color in the original shoes worn by Judy Garland, seventy-five years ago in the Wizard of Oz. They started an interesting KickStarter campaign ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smithsonian/conserve-dorothys-ruby-slippers) to raise money for the preservation. Their goal was $300,000 but as of this writing (11/9/16), they have raised a total of $342,194 with 6,115 backers.
There are a few things that interested me and spurred me on to do this story. One is that the Smithsonian are trying to preserve one of the hardest materials ever, fabric !!! Trust me, I know. Oh, did I mention that I've been a fabric artist and art quilter for over 12 years now? You can check out my quilting work at: http://angelaheathart.blogspot.com/p/art-quilts.html. My work spans back to 2004, but I own quilts that are older than I am.
Okay, I'm not gonna tell you my age but lets just say that the beloved quilts in my collection are half a century old. They have been repaired several times and still look beautiful. My oldest quilt is one that is hand-stitched and is 80 years old. Whoa! It's colors are still going strong but I have to admit that the red is still a bit faded. Not much but just a tinge.
So, I completely understand the challenges of preserving cottons and fabric-based materials like shoe coverings. Turns out these famous ruby shoes were regular little pumps that MGM Studios covered with red netting that had sequins all over it. Generally, movie props are slapped together to satisfy production demands and are not really meant to last forever. So, these little babies, after 80 years they really do show their years. According to the description on their Kickstarter campaign website (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smithsonian/conserve-dorothys-ruby-slippers), the "damage is quite obvious: the color has faded and the slippers appear dull and washed-out. The coating on the sequins that give the shoes their hallmark ruby color is flaking off its gelatin base. Some threads that hold sequins in place have broken."
In thinking about this post, I started to conduct a bit of research myself on archiving, conservation and preservation of various materials such as textiles. For instance, the Kickstarter website goes extensively into the specific damage that the famous ruby slippers have incurred.
Here is a quick summary of that damage:
1) The glass beads have been stitched onto the shoes at different times and need to be studied in order to preserve them properly.
2) The coating on the sequins (cellulose nitrate) is cracked, so a better preservation technique is needed here.
3) The dye on the sequins themselves is faded due to excess light exposure. So the shoes need to be stored in a a better containment system that blocks out excess light.
4) Threads that attach the sole of the shoe to the upper part of it have loosened. These threads need to be re-stitiched to preserve them.
5) There is cracking paint on the soles of both shoes. So, the soles need to be conserved to protect the remaining paint coating and to prevent further cracking.
Basics of Archiving, Conservation and Preservation
What is the difference between each one?
Before we start, let's just clarify what is meant by archiving, conserving and preserving.
- Archiving - refers to storing something in a less frequently used location.
- Conservation - refers to protecting something from harm. (i.e. environmental)
- Preservation - refers to maintaining something in its original or current state.
What are the common threats to the preservation of various materials?
The most common threat to preserving materials is the environment. Chemicals, pesticides, and other air pollutants can ruin many materials such as fabric, wood, paper and glass. Conserving precious materials over time can be tricky to tackle. I'm privy to conserving fabric-based art because I've worked with quilts for over twelve years now. I have quilts that I've made which are over ten years old and have been preserved perfectly in my home. I do occasionally have to care for them by unrolling them from their tubes and applying a lint roller. My advice: If you are tasked with conserving a certain material, I would suggest you find very specific research on THAT material because what works with one may not work on another. To this end, I set out to find some resources on preserving various materials.
What are some resources for learning about the preservation of various materials?
Caring for Artifacts - The Henry Ford Collection
This website is a collection of PDF files on caring for things like textiles and costumes, metals such brass and bronze, clocks, paper-based art, furniture, glass and ceramics, vehicles and more. The PDF documents contain great details of what causes damage to the specific materials, how to avoid damage, how to clean and care for the material.
Clothing and Textiles - Minnesota Historical Society
This page on clothing and textiles from the Minnesota Historical Society discusses how to display, store, and clean certain textiles. There are also other nice linke on framing, drying cleaning and storing textiles like museum quilts and even wedding gowns.
Conservation and Preservation of Heirloom Textiles - YouTube Video Channels of Minnesota Historical Society
This is a great series of videos from the textile conservationist in Minnesota. She demonstrates a variety methods they use to preserve their textiles - from boxing to rolling in tubes. I like that these videos clearly show what type of materials you buy and how to actually fold/roll delicate textiles.
Materials Conservation - National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT)
This website describes the MCPTT's Materials Conservation Program which does research on how substances in cultural objects can deteriorate over time. The goals are to understand the deterioration of historical materials, to develop preservation treatments, and to disseminate their results and technologies. Their work is useful to university anthropologists, parks departments, government agencies, among other groups.
References
Clothing and Textiles. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 11/11/16 from http://www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/stories/textiles.php
Money rolls in to rescue Smithsonian's ruby red slippers. MSN. Retrieved 11/11/16 from http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/money-rolls-in-to-rescue-smithsonians-ruby-red-slippers/ar-AAjeELD?ocid=mailsignout.
Conserve Dorothy's RUBY SLIPPERS. Smithsonian Museum. Retrieved 11/11/16 from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smithsonian/conserve-dorothys-ruby-slippers
Wikipedia, Conservation and Restoration of Textiles, Retrieved 11/11/16 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_and_restoration_of_textiles.
