Chevreul (1837)noticed that turmeric and Prussian blue become
colorless in the absence of oxygen.
Mary W. Ballard
Senior Textiles Conservator,
Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland MD 20746 U.S.A.
tel: 301-238-1210 fax: 301-238-3709
email ballardm@xxxxxx
From: Textile
Conservators [mailto:TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Beth
Szuhay
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 2:09 PM
To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Carbon dioxide and dye change
As
part of our IPM program, we have made a policy of treating textiles for pests
(freezing or CO2)
if they will be brought to our lab or put in our storage with our
permanent collection. Recently, a potential donor commented that they
would not allow their textiles to be treated by CO2 because they had
been told it causes dyes to change. I have not experienced this. Has
anyone seen evidence of this or done research or come across anything that
substantiates this?
Thanks,
Beth Szuhay
Associate Conservator, Textiles
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco