The textile conservation department works on objects as varied as samplers, quilts, flags, costumes, dolls, and contemporary fiber art pieces. The department on occasion works in an interdisciplinary manner with other ICA conservators on the textile component of painted banners, upholstered furnishings, or Asian scrolls.
To view a regional map of additional ICA conservation projects, click here.
Thirty-four Star American Flag
Owner: Private Client
This flag once flew over the federal prison camp at Johnson’s Island, in Ohio’s Sandusky Bay. Confederate officers were held there during the Civil War. The full extent of damage to the flag was revealed when it was removed from a frame in which it had been folded for over one hundred years. ICA textile conservation staff repaired areas of damage, fully underlaid the flag with silk gauze, and constructed a custom frame for appropriately supported display. View enlarged before and after images.
Textile preservation and treatment steps may include:
Inventory and assessment of collections
Condition assessment, including determination of materials and techniques used in construction
Cleaning treatments specific to the needs of the textile, including preparatory testing of dyes and materials
Stabilization of tears and repair of damage to weave structures
Preparation for exhibition/display, including customized mannequins and mounts
Preparation for storage or shipping, including customized containers and crate
Reproduction of objects too fragile for exhibition; recreation of period textiles and costumes
