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Re: Dry Cleaning
Please send me all the information.
Thank you.
Talita
At 10:12 AM 7/21/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I have just finished writing a Conserv-O-Gram for the National Park Service
on dry cleaning museum textiles. The Conserv-O-Gram isn't published yet,
but should be out soon. When it is, I believe it will also be available
on-line. In the meantime, if anyone is interested I can share the text of
the COG as an e-mail attachment or send it via regular mail.
>
>I have also recently present a poster at the North American Textile
Conservation Conference on collaborating with a professional dry cleaner.
The information in the poster is similar to that in the Conserv-O-Gram,
however, it is a bit more technical and is written for conservators rather
than a general audience. Only the abstract for the poster was printed in
the conference pre-prints, so again, if anyone is interested, I am happy to
share the text of the poster upon request. The poster presentation
contained a dry cleaning worksheet developed in conjunction with Jonathan
Scheer, a professional dry cleaner and poster co-author. This may also be
useful and of interest.
>
>DuPont Clysar EHC is a "polyethylene polypropylene copolymer containing no
plasticizers". It is used for shrink wrapping. I became acquainted with it
at the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, and simply used it as a
humidification barrier. The National Archives has considered using it in
temporarily containing bound materials. I can't remember if it was actually
used, but more information can be found in National Archives and Records
Administration Initial Findings: a study of shrink wrapped simulated bound
volumes, August 20, 1993.
>
>And finally, as Jerry Shiner has commented, the anti-sugar treatment is no
doubt a "wet-side" or water based formulation, perhaps just water added to
the dry cleaning solvent system.
>
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Kathleen Kiefer, Conservator
>20 Camilla Avenue
>Dracut, MA 01826
>phone 978-957-1159
>kkiefer@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Latham, Kiersten
> To: 'texcons@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 4:28 PM
>
>
> I do not belong to the list, but I really need some help and hope your
discussion list can provide some insight. I am doing research on the
drycleaning of wedding gowns (new and historical). This is a big trend with
the general public now and I am getting calls all the time asking for advice
about the subject. In doing research, I have run into some brick walls and I
need experienced conservators' opinions and information from anyone who has
done tests relating to this subject. Specifically, I am interested in
knowing whether any of the solvents used (perchlorethylene, petroleum, and
water-based) are ok for new dresses. If not, why not? Are there any solvents
that are ok to use? Often, "wedding gown specialists" claim to have an
anti-sugar stain treatment. No one could tell me what these are as they are
proprietary. Does anyone know what they are, how they work, and whether or
not they are ok to use on textiles? Has anyone ever heard of DuPont Clysar
plastic? Is it inert? One "wedding gown specialist" described encapsulating
the gown in Clysar, heating it to 300F in a heat shrink tunnel, then
punching holes and pulling the air and moisture out, replacing it with a
"clean, dry preserving gas." This doesn't sound good to me (but I am not a
conservator by training). Any thoughts?
>
> Are there any broad rules about drycleaning I can pass on? (I realize
drycleaning is generally a big no-no, but it is difficult to tell all the
women getting married this summer that they cannot do any drycleaning at
all). If everyone is of the opinion that no gown should ever go to any
drycleaner, then what advice do I give to people who have stains on their
gowns prior to storage (and what about hidden stains)?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.You can email me answers at
kiersten.latham@xxxxxxxxxx
>
> Kiersten F. Latham
> Curator or Collections & Research
> Smoky Hill Museum
> Salina, KS 67401
>
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><DIV>I have just finished writing a Conserv-O-Gram for the National Park
Service
>on dry cleaning museum textiles. The Conserv-O-Gram isn't published yet,
>but should be out soon. When it is, I believe it will also be available
>on-line. In the meantime, if anyone is interested I can share the
text of
>the COG as an e-mail attachment or send it via regular mail. </DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>I have also recently present a poster at the North American Textile
>Conservation Conference on collaborating with a professional dry
cleaner.
>The information in the poster is similar to that in the Conserv-O-Gram,
however,
>it is a bit more technical and is written for conservators rather than a
general
>audience. Only the abstract for the poster was printed in the conference
>pre-prints, so again, if anyone is interested, I am happy to share the text of
>the poster upon request. The poster presentation contained a dry
cleaning
>worksheet developed in conjunction with Jonathan Scheer, a professional dry
>cleaner and poster co-author. This may also be useful and of interest.
></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>DuPont Clysar EHC is a "polyethylene polypropylene copolymer
containing no
>plasticizers". It is used for shrink wrapping. I became acquainted
>with it at the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, and simply used it as a
>humidification barrier. The National Archives has
considered using it
>in temporarily containing bound materials. I can't remember if it was
>actually used, but more information can be found in <U>National Archives and
>Records Administration Initial Findings: a study of shrink wrapped simulated
>bound volumes</U>, August 20, 1993.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>And finally, as Jerry Shiner has commented, the anti-sugar treatment
is no
>doubt a "wet-side" or water based formulation, perhaps just water added to the
>dry cleaning solvent system.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>Kathleen Kiefer, Conservator<BR>20 Camilla
>Avenue<BR>Dracut, MA 01826<BR>phone 978-957-1159 <BR><A
>href="mailto:kkiefer@xxxxxxxxxx";>kkiefer@xxxxxxxxxx</A></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><BLOCKQUOTE
>style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px;
PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
> <DIV
> style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color:
black"><B>From:</B>
> <A href="mailto:kiersten.latham@xxxxxxxxxx";
> title=kiersten.latham@xxxxxxxxxx>Latham, Kiersten</A> </DIV>
> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
> href="mailto:'texcons@xxxxxxxxxxxx'"
> title=texcons@xxxxxxxxxxxx>'texcons@xxxxxxxxxxxx'</A> </DIV>
> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, July 19, 2000 4:28
> PM</DIV>
> <DIV><BR></DIV>
> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do not belong to the list, but I really need
some
> help and hope your discussion list can provide some insight. I am doing
> research on the drycleaning of wedding gowns (new and historical). This is a
> big trend with the general public now and I am getting calls all the time
> asking for advice about the subject. In doing research, I have run into some
> brick walls and I need experienced conservators' opinions and information
from
> anyone who has done tests relating to this subject. Specifically, I am
> interested in knowing whether any of the solvents used (perchlorethylene,
> petroleum, and water-based) are ok for new dresses. If not, why not? Are
there
> any solvents that are ok to use? Often, "wedding gown specialists" claim to
> have an anti-sugar stain treatment. No one could tell me what these are as
> they are proprietary. Does anyone know what they are, how they work, and
> whether or not they are ok to use on textiles? Has anyone ever heard of
DuPont
> Clysar plastic? Is it inert? One "wedding gown specialist" described
> encapsulating the gown in Clysar, heating it to 300F in a heat shrink
tunnel,
> then punching holes and pulling the air and moisture out, replacing it
with a
> "clean, dry preserving gas." This doesn't sound good to me (but I am not a
> conservator by training). Any thoughts?</FONT></P>
> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Are there any broad rules about drycleaning I can
> pass on? (I realize drycleaning is generally a big no-no, but it is
difficult
> to tell all the women getting married this summer that they cannot do any
> drycleaning at all). If everyone is of the opinion that no gown should
ever go
> to any drycleaner, then what advice do I give to people who have stains on
> their gowns prior to storage (and what about hidden stains)?</FONT></P>
> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks in advance for your help.You can email me
> answers at kiersten.latham@xxxxxxxxxx</FONT> </P>
> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kiersten F. Latham</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
> size=2>Curator or Collections & Research</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
> size=2>Smoky Hill Museum</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salina, KS
> 67401</FONT> </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
>
*******************************************************************************
* Talita Fourie
* Head of the Textile and Synthetic Material Sub Divisions
* Textile and Synthetic Material Conservator
* Northern Flagship Institution *
* National Cultural History Museum Tel : 27 (0)12 324 6082 *
* PO Box 28088 Fax : 27 (0)12 32851735 *
* SUNNYSIDE Email : talitaf@xxxxxxxxxx *
* 0132 Cell : 082 375 8032 *
* Chairperson SAMA Gauteng North
* Chairperson SAMA School of Conservation Northern Branch
* Secretary SAPCON National
* African Window
* c/o Bosman- and Visagie Streets *
* Pretoria Website : http://www.paperless.co.za/public/nchm/ *
*******************************************************************************