My work placement at Zenzie Tinker Conservation
by MA student Glenda Harris
As part of my MA in Curating Collections and Heritage, I undertook the Professional Placements in Collections module, keen to gain hands-on experience to complement my academic studies. I was thrilled to secure a placement at Zenzie Tinker Conservation, renowned for work with historic textiles and dress.
Over the course of 150 hours, I had the opportunity to assist with a variety of projects, from condition checking new acquisitions for the ZTC study collection to mounting uniforms for the National Trust. While working independently on object research and collaboratively on team projects, I learned a great deal about the care and preservation of textiles. One of the most rewarding areas of work was mounting wearable objects and gaining an understanding of its importance as part of preventive conservation.
Exploring the Hat Collection
I began my placement by delving into hats in the ZTC study collection, a diverse array of men’s and women’s headwear, mostly from the early 20th century. Among these, a particularly intriguing piece caught my eye: a 1920s cloche hat. This dark brown felt hat, adorned with metallic embroidery and appliqué flowers, is a stunning example of its era. Despite being in good condition, it bears signs of age and potential modification by a previous owner, unfinished edges on the internal headband suggest alterations. The brim is now quite uneven, perhaps due to wear or poor storage, the metallic hatband now tarnished, and the quilted crown with uneven seams add to its charm and its challenges. Recognising the cloche’s fragility, I suggested creating a storage mount to better support its structure. The process combined precision and creativity, beginning with a practice mount made from blotting paper, later refined with layers of thermally bonded polyester wadding to shape the domed crown.
The final mount was crafted from acid-free card and Tyvek tape, I was able to reuse the padding from the practice piece. Choosing a suitable fabric for the covering required trial and error, cotton jersey proved too bulky, so I opted for down-proof cotton, which offered a smoother finish. A silk rim in a complementary shade completed the mount, ensuring the hat could slide on and off comfortably while remaining well-supported and display ready.
While I’m proud of the result, I noted areas for improvement—such as widening the rim slightly to better accommodate the uneven brim. This experience was invaluable, deepening my understanding of how proper mounts can preserve delicate objects.
Mounting for Conservation
During my placement, I gained a firsthand appreciation of mounting’s vital role in preventive conservation. It’s not just about presentation; it’s about protecting an object from physical forces like gravity and strain that can cause distortion or damage over time. Historic garments, often presenting with weakened fibres and fragile seams, require thoughtful support to retain their shape and structure. Poorly made mounts can do more harm than good. An ill-fitting mount may place unnecessary stress on an object, leading to irreversible stretching or distortion. The process of creating a mount is therefore both an art and a science, requiring careful measurement and the use of conservation-grade materials like acid-free card, polyester wadding, and Fosshape ™. It’s a bit like dressmaking in reverse, constructing a custom ‘body’ to fit the garment, all while handling the object as little as possible.
Later in my placement, I had the opportunity to expand my mount-making skills further with a range of fascinating projects. One particularly rewarding task involved creating mounts for a pair of badly damaged early 20th-century embroidered slippers. This required precision and attention to detail, as the mounts had to be both supportive and unobtrusive, ensuring the slippers retained their shape without adding strain.
Costume Mounting for Exhibition
I was also lucky enough to assist with the mounting of Winston Churchill’s uniforms for the National Trust. This iconic collection presented unique challenges, including designing custom mannequin heads to better represent Churchill. The stock mannequin heads were too angular, so I created rounded heads that aligned more closely with his appearance, adding a subtle layer of authenticity to the display. Creating these bespoke mannequin heads was an interesting process that encompassed everything from designing patterns to sewing and finishing. Each piece of the uniform had to be supported in a way that honoured its historical significance while ensuring its long-term stability.
Another highlight was assisting with the mounting of a wearable contemporary art collection. This involved a site visit to collaborate on mounting solutions that would showcase the pieces while preserving their integrity. Working with modern materials and unconventional designs was a fascinating contrast to historic garments, broadening my understanding of the diverse approaches required in conservation work.
My time at Zenzie Tinker Conservation was immensely rewarding, igniting a passion for costume mounting that I am already exploring further. This experience not only honed my technical skills but also deepened my appreciation for the collaborative, detail-oriented nature of conservation work.