Publication on museum mannequins

["Margot Brunn" <Margot.Brunn@xxxxxxxxx>]

Creating well-designed mannequins for museum artifacts is a challenge. The ideal mannequin needs to fit the garment accurately, provide support but not stress, be constructed of conservationally sound materials, and be unobtrusive. The Museum Mannequins handbook contributions were written by textile conservators and mountmakers, with detailed descriptions of construction techniques for many applications. This book provides a much-needed resource for museums wanting to build their own mannequins, for purchasing or writing contract specifications, and can serve as inspiration for participants in a structured course.


Museum Mannequins: A Guide for Creating the Perfect Fit
Edited by Margot Brunn and Joanne White
Published by The Alberta Regional Group of Conservators (ARG!), 2002
ISBN 0-9730549-0-5
160 pages, includes colour illustrations, bibliographical references and index.
CAN $35.00 plus shipping


Table of Contents:

Clothing Display 101
The Importance of the Exhibits Environment for Clothing and Textiles Preservation - Shirley Ellis
Choosing a Garment for Display - Shawna Lemiski
Measuring Up - Gaby Kienitz

In Support of Conservation
A Passive Support for George Washington's Coat - Deby Bellman
Shadow Box Mount for a Christening Gown - Eva Burnham, Jan Vuori
Hanger-Mannequins for the Display of Concentration Camp Prisoner Uniforms - Gail Singer

Singular Solutions
Mounting Methods for Cantonese Opera Robes, Dresses and Suits - Darrin Morrison
Navajo Blanket Forms - Gwen Spicer, Susan Heald
Buckskin Dress Mannequins - Helen Alten
A Mount for Japanese Armour - Alison Guppy, Poppy Singer, Annabel Wylie

Fundamentals of Form
The Victorian Dress: Adaptation of the Intersecting Silhouette Mannequin - Denis Larouche
The Victorian Dress: Adaptation with Polyethylene Foam Discs - Renee Dancause, Janet L. Wagner
The Victorian Dress: Adaptation in Paper - Renee Dancause, Janet L. Wagner
Discs - Dual Dowel - Allen Patten, Colleen Wilson
Split Personality: Solution for a Disco Suit - Colleen Wilson
Changing Suit: Inexpensive Men's Wear Mounts - Catherine Roy, Kathleen Haggarty
Padded Silhouette Torso - Gaby Kienitz
Standing Ethafoam Figures - Joanne White

Design Choices: Simple, Invisible, Adaptable
Rigid Board Mannequin - Helen Alten
The Invisible Buckram Mount - Chris Paulocik
Preparation for a Fibreglass Mannequin - Cynthia Amneus

The Production Line
Hollow-Form Mannequins - Julie Hughes
Buckram Mounts for Children's Fashions - Claudia P. Iannuccilli
Creating a Torso Form for Casting Buckram Mannequins - Helen Alten

Head to Toe
Heads, Hands and Feet: Options for Ethafoam Mannequins - Joanne White
Paper Hair for Mannequins - Cynthia Amneus
Wigs--The Long and Short of It! - Ruth McConnell
A Custom-made Mount for Display, Storage and Transportation of a Fragile Hat - Jan Vuori
Hat Mount with Brim Support - Julie Randolph, Jane Merritt
Contour Mount for a Helmet - Paul Darroch, Joan Pletsch
Magnets for Mounting Footwear - Julie Hughes

Reality Check
Man in the Kayak--A Pseudo-Realistic Mannequin - Helen Alten, Paul Gardinier
Some Thoughts on the Dynamics of Sports Costumes - Gladys Serafino
Posing for Effect - Margot Brunn

Materials
Conservation Checklist: Is it Safe for Artifacts?
Construction Materials and Textile Glossary
Basic Tools for Foam  


Distribution Canada: ARG! http://www.cac-accr.ca/arg_mann.html
United States: Northern States Conservation Center http://www.collectioncare.org
Europe: Archetype http://www.archetype.co.uk

 
Margot Brunn
Conservator 
Provincial Museum of Alberta
12845 - 102 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5N 0M6
Tel: 780-453-9167, Fax: 780-454-6629
http://www.cac-accr.ca/arg_mann.html