Sylvia, we have had a bar of lye soap in the collection for over half a
century and it is probably at least 1020 years old at this point. I think
it's a bit greasy, but otherwise, has survived intact. Our environmental
conditions have not always been stellar -- we are on the humid end --and it
hasn't degraded or caused damage.
Candace Perry

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Sylvia Bruner
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 12:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Soap as an accessioned artifact?

Greetings Museum-L members,

I am looking for any personal experience that anybody may have of old lye
soap in a collection.  We have recently had an offer for donation and a part
of that offer was an old bar of lye soap.  

Here are my thoughts thus far:

Seeing as it (the bar of soap) is already old and does not seem to have
disintegrated much, it may be fairly stable. 

But! It is composed of mostly (all?) organic materials which are notorious
for breaking down, and the last thing we need is a bar of soap wasting away
in storage or on display.

I have no idea how the ingredients in the soap will react with any other
surfaces or environments.  We are located in what is normally a very dry
climate - currently our RH is at 29% which is probably the highest we will
see (It is finally Spring!), not regarding a day long spike from a snowstorm
or rainstorm.

We have not accessioned this soap yet, and it has been tabled until we know
a little more.

I have always had great feedback to the questions I have posed here and I
appreciate any help.

Regards,
Sylvia B.

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