Straw in Museums, yes the conservators are sort of right , but it
depends on the question they were asked. Also a lot of conservators
don't get out enough, I should know being one for the last 30 odd years.
Think Integrated Pest Management. Is there a problem, get some straw
and straw dust out of the mattress and look under a microscope. If
there are bugs are they harmful or benign? (There is a schools project
just in this).
If the bugs are nasty, get rid of them. Put the mattress in a plastic
bag, freeze for a week or two, allow to defrost, Bob's your uncle,
problem solved. Keep it dry. Conservation is not rocket science.
John Greenwood
Senior lecturer, Cultural heritage Conservation, University of Canberra,
Australia.
________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Marc A Williams
Sent: Friday, 9 October 2009 8:13 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Straw in Museum Settings
Most packing peanuts are made of polystyrene, although a few are made of
other materials such as corn starch for "biodegradable" peanuts. It is
possible that peanuts are made from polyethylene as well. All of these
are "organic materials," and by the decree of the assessment
conservator, they should be banned. My primary point is that imprecise
language is not helpful to understanding preservation practices. This
is particularly inexcusable for conservators. Polystyrene peanuts are
likely to off-gas harmful vapors that may damage collections. Corn
starch peanuts are likely to be a good food medium for rodents and
mold/mildew, and they will be affected by moisture. Polyethylene
peanuts are the best choice of these three alternatives and should
eliminate all of the concerns stated except the tactile and
historically-accurate issues, but I'm not sure they actually exist.
However, will mice nest within them, as they are soft and warm, at least
relative to other alternatives such as the damp/cold basement? We don't
know. All of us can only state anecdotal observations and opinions, and
hope that these are adequate. Preservation is for hundreds or even
thousands of years, and no one has this amount of direct observational
experience. Most materials available to us today have only been around
for a few generations. So, as conservators, we are left primarily with
"I believe," whether stated explicitly or not by us. Weighing all of
Catherine's concerns, including the tactile ones, I believe that the
existing straw should be fine if there have been no problems to date.
Eventually it will have to be replaced as the straw degrades due to
natural embrittlement (probably several decades to a century from now),
and alternatives can be considered based upon the materials available at
that time in the future. In the mean time, observe and watch (and write
down where someone else can find it), no matter which alternative is
selected.
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: Sabrina Henneman <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Straw in Museum Settings
For the bulk of our beds, we use the hard foam packing peanuts,
not the soft foam ones. We have one or two demonstration/hands-on beds
with real straw.
Sabrina Henneman
Collections Registrar
Genesee Country Museum
________________________________
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: [MUSEUM-L] 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).
========================================================= 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).