Good morning list,
I'm looking for some advice on cleaning an object in our collection. The thing sort of defies description: it's known formally around the museum as "the hurdy-gurdy" and has a variety of less formal names. The thing is about seven feet tall and about five feet long, and it's on wheels. It was made by a local man who used to take it around to parks and play it for kids. It consists of several hundred pieces, including old Fisher-Price toys, stuffed animals and painted beer cans (and yes, I will provide a picture to anyone who's interested). They used to move and play music, but the electrical system is shot, and we have no plans to restore it. It is back on exhibit this season, but it's extremely dirty.
Cleaning it will be a multi-day project, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to approach this. Should I start with the hard pieces or vaccuum the stuffed animals and cloth pieces first? Should I start at the top of the piece and work my way down? I intend to use distilled water and a soft cloth on the hard pieces and a regular vacuum on low suction with a piece of pantyhose over the tube and a screen over the object. Is there something else I may want or need?
Kate Mockler
Curator of Education and Exhibits
Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
180 Thompson St.
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 693-1885
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