In a message dated 97-02-07 00:35:42 EST, you write:

<< Our museum budget is rather slim at this time - we are a recently
 established local history museum. Donations of old clothing related to
 our area are starting to come in and we are wondering about storage of
 these treasures.  We have been looking into special clothing boxes and
 acid-free tissue paper.  We are looking at the pros/cons of the cost
 versus the benefits.  Any ideas?

 mj >>

Because proper collections storage and conservation treatment can be costly,
I would recommend careful consideration of  any objects proposed for
accession in light of your Collections Policy and/or Scope of Collections
Statement (sorry U.S. National Park Service terms -- but they are useful) to
determine if the old clothing truely falls into the scope.  All too often I
have seen museums with vast collections of garments that have been donated by
scions of the community, but have little to do with the mission, goals and
themes of the institution.  As part of subsequent conservation assessments
(usually done with staff who have "inherited" the care of these objects years
after they have been donated), the current staff and I have had to discuss
these scope issues.  Are the garments associated with known personages
important to the community?  Are they representative of the life, history,
community, culture, etc. of  the area?  Or (and sorry to be harsh about this)
is the donor looking for a tax deduction, a place to store a relative's
"stuff" that they just can't bear to get rid of (ie. send to a charity or
even to the dump).

Presumably, you have already crafted a good, working Collections Policy and
Scope of Collection Statement and can assess the donation against this. (If
not, I strongly recommend doing so as soon as possible). Then it is
imperative that the condition of the garment be added to the mix, and, I
would add the potential use of the garment.  Will the condition permit
display or can it only be placed in storage to be used for research (both
acceptable options)?

Once the object has gone through this assessment, proper storage is really
important since textiles and garments are vulnerable to damage from pests,
mechanical damage, light, dust, and improper temperature and relative
humidity.  Some small, low-budget institutions have done very well on
shoestring budgets using old well-laundered cotton sheets and poly-cotton
mattress pads donated by the community, polyester batting and fiberfill (to
make "snakes" for padding out folds), and, as funds permit, purchasing
*archival* (no space here to define this right now) boxes and other materials
for enclosures.

Most museums cannot afford *state-of-the-art* collections storage, but
protect their collections very well using volunteer assistance to fabricate
support materials (for garments and textiles -- the "snake" mentioned above,
and padded hangars),  donated materials, and good collections management:
keeping the storage areas clean and well organized; carefully inspecting all
materials as they are brought in to determine that they are free from pests,
blocking all daylight from storage,  covering light-sensitive and
dust-sensitive materials, and regularly inspecting the storage areas for
building problems and infestations as well as monitoring the environment.

My apologies to some out there on Museum-L for lapsing into *Collections
Management 101* .  I hope that this will be helpful to others who are just
beginning.

Finally, I have seen some Collections Policies include the institution's
ability to properly care for an object as a criteria for acceptance.  This
includes adequate space, equipment and housing (ie. containers, padding
materials, padded hangars), and staff.  While I can understand this, I
sometimes worry about whether this can be (and has been) used as an excuse
not to expend resources on collections care.  Anyone out there interested in
discussing this further.

I've said enough for now.

Wendy Claire Jessup
President and Conservator
Wendy Jessup and Associates, Inc.
210 Little Falls Street, Suite 203
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 532-0788
(703) 532-1661 (fax)
e-mail: [log in to unmask]