I'm not sure what types/shapes of pillows your are referencing, but
historically horsehair was used, which is still available.  Many modern
pillows are filled with polyester, which should be safe.  Also, cotton
batting would be fine.  Shredded ethafoam (the thin wrapping type sheets)
also is a possibility.  For rectangular pillows, you could probably fold the
ethafoam sheets, rather than shredding it.  The shape of the pillow is
primarily determined by the method of sewing and the amount of the filling,
so once they are created, it would be hard to tell what was inside, unless,
of course, it was sat upon!

I am assuming that the pillows are not historic, but rather modern.  If so,
you should not need any kind of liner.  I would suggest you do not use
styrofoam, but use ethafoam if you want to go that direction.  While you may
not be able to visually correlate increased deterioration with off-gassing
of the styrofoam (and Tyvek will not contain it), it is better to use a more
stable material like ethafoam.

Marc

American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
     4 Rockville Road
     Broad Brook, CT 06016
     www.conservator.com <http://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

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: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Shyra
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 11:20 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Pillow stuffing
>
>
> Dear Listmembers,
>
> We are a historic house museum trying to find a safe stuffing for pillows
> that are used in displays throughout the museum. In the past we used a
> canvas material filled with straw, but most have been destroyed
> by mice. In
> searching for materials that will help prevent further
> rodent/pest issues (a
> huge problem for us), we thought of using styrofoam peanuts. I am
> concerned
> about the potential off-gassing, but have heard that coating the styrofoam
> with some type of paint will prevent such an issue. Any ideas? Also, what
> about sewing a liner in the pillow, perhaps Tyvek?
>
> Any and all info is much appreciated!
> [log in to unmask]
>
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