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 -----
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
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