Out in the open: caring for a dress on open display

Open display is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it removes the visual glare of the glass and the barrier of the showcase between the audience and the object, enabling people to see details more clearly and allowing for a more immersive experience. Most of the Trust’s properties have collections on open display, in authentic room arrangements, allowing visitors to walk through a space as if the previous occupants had just left.

However, open display also means that the object may be at greater risk of damage, because it does not have the protection of a glazed cover. Cases can also provide a sealed environment, allowing the conditions around an object to be more easily controlled and be kept constant, reducing damaging fluctuations in levels of heat and humidity. Cases also protect objects from pollutants in the air and stop unnecessary handling and over-cleaning. In short, when in a case, the object may be less visible or accessible, but is also less susceptible to damage in the longer term.

For the Ramsay exhibition, the decision was taken to put the dress on open display, largely because the exhibition space was not able to accommodate a case of the size and weight required to house the dress, as well as the potentially distracting reflection from lighting. The regional conservator and the collections team have been managing the main risk factors to minimise the risk of damage to the dress, while also enabling visitors to best enjoy it.

Handling, touch and physical damage

The most visible measure undertaken to reduce physical and chemical damage is the request to not touch the dress. Fabrics from before the 20th century, aside from metallic threads, are almost entirely organic fibres: they are derived from plants or animals, for instance cotton, linen, wool or, in this case, silk. These textile fibres are absorbent and easily pick up dirt, salts and oils naturally present in skin when physical contact is made. The effect of a single touch is not noticeable, but the effects of continued touching over time build up and start to wear out the material. Over a longer period, the textile can become stiff, discoloured and weakened.

In addition, there are more immediate risks from jewellery, coats and bags, which can snag threads, tear the fabric or, in more extreme cases, even knock over the display itself. This is especially problematic with this dress, as there are so many tassels and threads that could get caught.

These concerns not only apply to textiles, but to all objects on open display, and are the reason why many historic properties will ask that large bags be kept out of collection rooms, displays have signs requesting visitors not to touch objects, and stanchions are put in place to prevent people from getting too close.

Light damage

Textiles are particularly susceptible to light damage. Too much exposure can cause colours to fade, whites to yellow, and the fabric itself to become weak and brittle, until eventually it may start to break up. Direct sunlight is particularly damaging; for objects like this dress, with its vivid embroidery, this damage can take place very quickly. For some especially sensitive dyes, noticeable fading can take place in a matter of days. The problem with light damage is that there is no way to completely prevent it – some dyes will even fade in dark storage.

We need to accept that deterioration is going to take place, but the extent of the damage can be managed by monitoring and limiting the exposure as much as possible. Staff monitor light levels with lux monitors – lux is a unit of measurement for levels of light. There are fixed lux monitors in the room, and we also have handheld monitors, which allow us to spot test particular areas near the surface of the dress and to build a picture of the light levels there.

The dress is also displayed away from the windows, and the blinds are kept down to limit exposure to direct sunlight. The windows already have film protecting the room from ultraviolet radiation, the most damaging part of the light spectrum. There are two small LED spotlights which point towards the dress to highlight details. We try to aim these so that they shine across the surface, rather than aiming at a particular spot, and staff also move them slightly every few days to prevent a particular area from receiving too much concentrated light exposure.

Moisture

Relative Humidity (RH) refers to the percentage ratio of humidity in the air and is another key factor to monitor and control in exhibitions. Textile fibres behave like sponges: they absorb moisture in the air when the RH is high, swelling in the process, and they then dry and shrink when humidity decreases. If the RH levels are too high, there is a risk that soluble dyes can run, mould can grow, and pests can be attracted. In the case of silk, this can also contribute to the fabric ‘shattering’. If RH levels are too low, then fibres become dry and brittle, and can break. Large, rapid changes in humidity can be just as damaging, as the fibres slightly weaken with every change. Textiles are therefore ideally kept in a constant middle range – not too high, not too low – so that levels do not change too quickly.

Outside of a case, in a larger space in a non-airtight historic building with visitors moving through, the environment surrounding the dress is far more prone to changes in humidity, and the ambient conditions are more difficult to control. However, the room is continually monitored, and the dress is positioned away from localised areas of extreme temperature and RH, such as windows, radiators and external walls. There is space all around it for air to circulate.

Pests

Pests, particularly moths, are a big concern for textiles, especially the larvae, which, if left unchecked, can cause considerable and irreversible damage. Although best known for attacking wool, they are attracted to protein, so areas of the dress that are stained, or where sweat has gathered, are at greater risk of moth activity.

Monitoring and controlling dust and RH are the most effective ways of controlling pest numbers. Museum pests are particularly drawn to dark, damp, undisturbed places, and areas where dust has gathered. To protect the dress, staff check regularly, including the areas under the plinth, armpits and under the skirt, for signs of pest activity, and gently disturb folds, in addition to the standard Integrated Pest Management (IPM) procedures in place across the property.

Dust

Our last main risk factor is dust. Not being in a case means that the dress is more exposed to dust, which is more likely to settle on its surface. As well as being unsightly, dust is classed as a pollutant, although it is larger than other pollutant particles such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which come from car and factory emissions. Unlike these, the larger particles of dust can scratch or soil the surface of a textile. They are also hygroscopic, which means that they absorb moisture from the air. If dust has settled on a textile surface, it can attract and absorb more moisture, which exacerbates the problems caused by fibres swelling. If dirt is present, it can risk ingraining it further into the surface. If other pollutants are present, for instance those from emissions (an especial risk in a city), they can dissolve in the absorbed moisture and become acidic, which in turn can make textile fibres brittle, fade dyes and speed up the corrosion of any metal elements like threads, buttons and clasps.

The movement of people through a space both generates and disturbs dust, sending it swirling around the room. It then settles, usually at night when the room is still, on flat, horizontal surfaces, such as the shoulders or panniers of the dress. To prevent this, dust levels need to be controlled. This is done by regular housekeeping, which is upheld at all Trust properties, and regularly cleaning the dress of loose surface dust, before it has the chance to become ingrained. This is done with a photographic puffer, which blows air across the surface into a museum vacuum. For an object as delicate as the dress, even a soft brush would risk being too abrasive on the surface. Staff also carry out regular monitoring of the dust levels, using a white glove to ascertain the extent of dust built up on surfaces near the dress.

Another protective measure is the metre-wide space between the stanchions and the dress. It is generally agreed that dust generated by the movement of visitors is less likely to reach an object from that distance. Dust covers can also be used to prevent excess dust from settling on the object during the times when staff and visitors are not in the building.

And finally ...

The dress underwent a condition assessment before going on display, including being photographed, and was again assessed during the exhibition. At the end of the exhibition, another condition check will be carried out by Tuula Pardoe ACR, a textile conservator who has previously worked on the dress, to identify any changes that may have occurred.

Choosing to place an object such as this dress on open display was not a decision taken lightly. Through the combined efforts of the regional conservator, external conservators and collections staff, we have been able to monitor the condition of the dress while on display and to mitigate risks as much as possible, while also allowing visitors to fully appreciate the detail and artistry that went into the dress’s creation.

Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion will be at the Georgian House until 26 November 2024.