Donald Sucha wrote in message <[log in to unmask]>...
>I am interested in the way other institutions store antique rugs and
>carpets.

Burnaby Village Museum stores its spare rugs rolled around tubes which are
on metal poles horizontally mounted on a large metal carpet rack which we
bought from a carpet store. The poles have a pin through them at one end and
the holding rack has a lever at one end for each pole that drops down over
the pin to prevent rotation.  Acid free tissue isolates the rugs from the
tubing.  Acid free tie tapes hold the rug in a rolled position. One may use
a dust cover as well.  Smaller rugs, flags, blankets etc. are mounted in a
similar fashion on rolling shelving racks with removable horizontal poles in
place of normal shelves. On this museum system the poles have a baked paint
finish which is very durable. Tip: Make sure the accession number is visible
when the rug is in storage so that you don't have to open it up. Also a
photograph of the rug in your files will help a lot to reduce the handling.

Colin Macgregor Stevens, Museum Curator, City of Burnaby, BC, Canada