Good morning,
MuseumLers and Ava – It’s just not the lacquer paint you have to be
concerned about. You have to be concerned with what is under that paint layer. I
would recommend that you ask Webster what their mannequins and torsos are made
out of: fiberglass, fibreboard, Styrofoam, plaster? Each of those has inherent
problems – some with more archival problems than others (I would consider
fiberglass the best archivally, once the offgassing is completed from
manufacturing if you can’t afford the cost of an Ethafoam mannequin/form
from Dorfman Museum Figures). Would any of your costume actually touch any of
the wooden base components? This must be avoided. Or the wood should be covered
with a vapor barrier product (i.e. heavy duty aluminum foil; MarvelSeal). This
is usually considered unsightly if visible once the uniform is mounted. How
long does Webster wait between when the mannequin is made, is painted with the
production lacquer (visions of the ozone layer disappearing even more quickly
here) and when they package it up for shipment? With what do they package for
shipping? I’ve unwrapped mannequins from plastic bags where the lacquer
fumes were strong enough to seriously stink up the loading dock, even though
the mannequins had been painted 2-3 weeks before shipping. We had to wait
another week before using those mannequins (really put a cork in the snorkel of
the installation schedule!). But once the lacquer was done offgassing, it is
fine. How long are you planning to display the mounted costume? What other
types of objects, if any, will be on the costume (i.e. medals/honors made out
of metal with silk ribbons; metal buttons; epaulets, etc.)?
...My immediate concern was whether
these are archival quality mannequins and whether it would off gas in the
future. We contacted Webster displays and received a letter stating that
their materials were inert. They use a L61 Sherwin Williams production
lacquer, which supposedly does not bleed or off gas once dry. Has anyone
else used these mannequins or have any further insights for us to
consider? .....
Regards,
Margaret
(Meg) Geiss-Mooney
Textile/Costume
Conservator
Professional
Associate, AIC
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