To All:
ARGH!!! I seem to have set off a fire storm with my misuse of the term
"organic material"....It was ME, not a conservator, who said we've been
advised to rid the House of all organic materials....I meant plant/animal
materials: straw, flowers, feathers, etc. We very much appreciate the
comments and suggestions from conservators at other sites, and I think we
will settle into the plan of monitoring the existing staw mattress...and be
done with that concern!
With many thanks,
Christy
Christy Mackie
Historic Smithfield Plantation
Staff Interpreter/ Volunteer Coordinator
1000 Smithfield Plantation Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
p: 540-231-3947 f: 540-231-3006
www.smithfieldplantation.org
_____
From: Lori Toliver-Jones [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 10:55 AM
To: 'Christy Mackie'; 'Dianna Pickering'; 'Darlene Simpson'
Subject: FW: Straw in Museum Settings
I'm forwarding comments from other conservators that have responded to an
inquiry Catherine put out to a conservator forum.
I tend to agree with the comments below - and with the comments Darlene sent
earlier - if it isn't a problem after this many years of being in the house,
it's no more likely to be a problem than introducing something new.
Lori Toliver-Jones
Museum Administrator
Historic Smithfield
1000 Smithfield Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
ph: 540-231-3947 fax: 540-231-3006
www.smithfieldplantation.org
_____
From: Cathy Dean [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 4:28 PM
To: 'Lori Toliver-Jones'
Subject: FW: Straw in Museum Settings
Hi Lori,
Sending along info as it comes in.
C
_____
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Marc A Williams
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 3:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Straw in Museum Settings
Catherine,
The answer to your question is yes and no. This is a generic problem with
collections preservation advice - that is it both specific to the particular
situation, and there are always exceptions. The advice to remove "all
organic materials from the house" would include textiles, wood, paints,
finishes, paper, and so forth. You would have to remove the wooden
structural architectural framing, moldings, flooring, upholstery, drapery,
carpeting, furniture, wall surfaces, paintings, and the like. Hopefully,
this was just an oversight on the part of the conservator performing the
assessment. It was a conservator, wasn't it? Realistically, such advice
can not be followed, as there would be very few collection objects and
architectural structure remaining in the house.
There are several relevant factors in your example. One is that the straw
has been present for a number of years. The risk of insect problems,
particularly introducing new insects to the collections, is greatest in the
first few years. After that point if there is no damage, leaving existing
materials in the collection may be even safer than newly-introduced
materials. Second, it is true that straw is a poor nourishment medium for
many species of both insects and rodents. It also is of low risk for mold
and mildew infestation. Third, mice and other rodents will use any
available fibrous material for nesting. I have seen numerous instances of
fiberglass insulation in ceilings and walls being used by mice for nests.
One would think that this would be at least unpalatable or at worst harmful
to rodents, but apparently not. Polyester probably would not fare any
better (BTW, polyester is an organic material, and by the assessment decree,
should be banned from the house). In the absence of direct information to
the contrary, it would seem that the straw is not more of a nesting risk
than any of these synthetic materials. The better alternative is to
implement strategies that prevent, or at least discourage, rodent presence
in the house as a whole.
My personal opinion, although not informed by examination of your specific
circumstances, is that if you have not had problems to date, you are not
likely to have them in the future. Good luck!
Marc
American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
4 Rockville Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
www.conservator.com
860-386-6058
*Collections Preservation Consultation
*Conservation Assessments & Surveys
*Environmental Monitoring & Low-Tech Control
*Moisture Management Solutions
*Collections in Historic Structures
*Collections Care Grant Preparation
*Conservation Treatment of:
Furniture
Painted Wood
Horse-Drawn Vehicles
Architectural Interiors
Decorative Objects & Folk Art
Marc A. Williams, President
MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
----- Original Message -----
From: Cathy Dean <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 1:35 PM
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Straw in Museum Settings
Dear Listers,
One of our historic sites is presently wrestling with the issue of a straw
mattress in their historic house interior.
The straw has been in place for many years and thus far not (to my
knowledge) caused any problems, and the staff like to use the "crunchy" feel
of the mattress as a teaching moment, giving children and school groups a
tactile experience of how one aspect of life was different in the 19th
century.
They have received a recommendation as part of a conservation assessment to
remove all organic materials (including the straw in the mattress ticking)
from the house, which would also have been my first response as well.
However, a board member also consulted a colleague in a university
entomology department at the nearby university, who did some research and
concluded that because the straw is "non-nutritive" it would likely not
harbor any bugs other than perhaps mites (which would hopefully be a
non-issue, because the beds are not used).
I said I would check with the list to see if anyone has had any direct
experience with pest infestation in straw mattresses, bales, etc. I'm also
concerned that (leaving aside insects) straw might also harbor mice or other
animals that use the straw as a nesting material.
Also, has anyone found a good replacement for straw that would have that
same tactile feel and look? As always, budget is a major issue. Elsewhere
we use polyester fiberfill, but obviously that would feel nothing like
straw.
Thanks!
Catherine E. Dean
Curator of Collections
Preservation Virginia
804-314-5049
FAX: 804-648-5880
[log in to unmask]
========================================================= Important
Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).
========================================================= Important
Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
|
