We have been lucky enough to have conserved more than twenty Diaghilev Ballet Russes costumes over the years from both public and private collections. Once when we were working on a number of Ballet Russes there was a knock at the door and man from a neighbouring business asked if he could have a look …
We keep thinking things can not get any busier or more exciting work wise and then they do – 2018 has been no exception! This year we have been particularly challenged space-wise as our long term site work teams from Westminster Abbey and Knole came home to roost bringing mountains of equipment back with them …
Charles Frederick Worth was the Lincolnshire designer who dominated the Paris fashion scene in the latter part of the nineteenth century, otherwise known as the ‘father of haute couture’. [1] It is a rare treat to have such sartorial history pass through your hands and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to work on …
Continue reading “Dressed For Best: conserving couture, restoring its Worth”
Conservation of Hats Through an Intern’s Eyes by Emma Hartikka Tricky Treatments Unfolding The half way mark of my internship is now passed. I have already learned a lot about textile conservation and different treatments used. Through frustrations, problem solving, little successes and massive help from my colleagues, the secrets of some of the treatment …
Conservation of Hats Through an Intern’s Eyes by Emma Hartikka Whodunnit – Labels as Clues to the Past When working with historical objects, you quickly become interested in the aspects hiding behind the purely tangible features such as materials, structure, technique, colors, style and damages. This is the case even with the 21 Worthing hats. …
Conservation of Hats Through an Intern’s Eyes Challenges of Intern Life and Old Hats The first month with the hats has been full of learning and important revelations for me. Getting to know the hats and their sometimes peculiar needs has taken time and energy as well as familiarising myself with the studio, its people …
Conservation of Hats Through an Intern’s Eyes The Beginning Twenty-one old, gorgeous hats, all at once within your reach. Not to wear, though, but to preserve. Torment or a treat? Let’s find out! I am Emma, a second-year textile conservation student from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, situated in Helsinki, Finland. I got an exciting …
The main themes of this last busy year seem to have been dust and BIG, complex, dirty textiles. Oh and scaffolding. We bought our own scaffold tower this year and then had to buy extensions to make it even taller. The new equipment is great but what makes these big projects possible is the amazing …
“The word of the day is lambrequin”, was one of the comments on our Facebook page in response to a posting about the conservation of the Leeds Castle Drawing Room lambrequin. A lambrequin is a short piece of decorative drapery, in this case hung below the elaborate cornice of the Drawing Room over the top …
Part two – April 2017 Once the initial condition survey of the colours was completed, Heather Newton Head of Conservation at Canterbury Cathedral came to the studio to discuss and negotiate the way forwards. We had many competing and sometimes contradictory aspects to consider not least our conservator’s gut instinct to want to conserve the …