This text on textile conservation includes sections on identification and deterioration of textile materials, archaeological textiles, learning from the present and the past, characterising and monitoring textiles, and annotating textile biographies.

Many historic houses that open to the public in England and Wales - particularly those owned by the National Trust - preserve their contents rather than restore them to a particular period. The former owners of these houses often retained objects from various periods and this layering of history produces interiors that look aged and patinated. Although the reason for this preservation and lack of fashionable renewable can be attributed to declining economic fortunes in the twentieth century, there are many examples of families practising this method of homemaking over a much longer period. Taking National Trust properties as its central focus, this book examines three interlocking themes to examine the role of historic textiles. Firstly it looks at houses with preserved contents together with the reasons for individual families choosing this lifestyle; secondly the role of the National Trust as both guardian and interpreter of these houses and their collections; and finally, and most importantly, the influence of textiles to contribute to the appearance of interiors, and their physical attributes that carry historical resonances of the past. The importance of preserved textiles in establishing the visual character of historic houses is a neglected area and therefore the prominence given to textiles in this project constitutes an original contribution to the study of these houses. Drawing upon a range of primary sources, including literature produced by the National Trust for their sites, and documentary sources for the families and their houses (such as diaries, letters and household accounts), the study takes a broad approach that will be of interest to all those with an interest in material culture, heritage, collecting studies and cultural history.

This book utilizes current scientific advances to better understand the principles of degradation of historical textile materials (including ancient mummies, dresses, jewellery and musical instruments) and their characterisation. Moreover, it highlights the importance of multidisciplinary procedures as a part of complex task when only a relatively low amount of materials are available for analysis. In such cases, only sensitive, selective and reliable analytical procedures, such as microscopy, spectroscopy and chromatography, can be applied in the characterization of precious materials. As this book explores current scientific advances to better understand the principles of materials characterisation, it is of broad general interest to the general public, but also to the chemical, anthropological and conservation-restoration communities. Moreover, it also offers particular support to a global audience interested in the preservation of historical materials.

Preservation and restoration techniques are essential in maintaining the integrity of historic artifacts, including textiles, and specifically, the materials of the textile industry in Egypt. The technologies, methods, and advancements in preserving these ancient artifacts are growing areas of research and important factors in increasing knowledge of the conservation process. By offering and increasing the knowledge field with practical applications of preservation and restoration techniques both old and new, the industry will continue to advance. Preservation and Restoration Techniques for Ancient Egyptian Textiles provides critical research on the history, technology, and materials of the textile industry in Egypt through the ages. It includes the integration of scientific examinations and digital precise documentation in the preservation of Ancient Egyptian textiles, the deterioration aspects and their effect on historical textiles and novelty preservation methods, and the preventive conservation of historical textiles in museums. The book deals with the restoration methods of historical textiles such as documentation; various cleaning processes; fixing, supporting, display, and storage methods; as well as incorporating modern science techniques such as nanoscience, enzymes, plasma, lasers, and more. It is essential for historians and archeologists, conservators, specialists in art history, museum specialists, restoration professionals, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the latest conservation and restoration techniques specifically focused on ancient Egyptian textiles.

The first truly comprehensive analysis of the history, practice, and conservation of painting on canvas. Throughout its long history in Western art, canvas has played an influential role in the creative process. From the Renaissance development of oil painting on canvas to the present day—through Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and other art historical movements—the use of canvas has enhanced the scale of painting, freedom of brushwork, and spontaneity in technique. This book recounts some of that rich history in relation to corresponding developments in conservation practice. Rather than concentrating on the familiar concerns of cleaning and varnish removal, this volume considers the preservation of a painting’s structure. By focusing on recent studies on the fundamental nature of canvas and its mechanisms of deterioration, the book explains new approaches to the conservation of both contemporary and historical art—including reversible, passive, and preventive treatments, particularly with respect to lining. Written by Stephen Hackney, a conservation practitioner and leader in conservation research, On Canvas is the first book to take a comprehensive look at this important subject and is destined to become an invaluable resource for the field.

Textile Conservation: Advances in Practice demonstrates the development in the role and practice of the textile conservator and captures the current diversity of textile conservators’ work. The book focuses on four major factors which have influenced development in textile conservation practice since the 1980s: the changing context, an evolution in the way conservators think about objects, the greater involvement of stakeholders, and technical developments. These are all integral to effective conservation decision-making. • Includes case studies from the UK, USA and mainland Europe and Asia • Assesses the conservation of objects in some of the world’s major cultural institutions • Highly illustrated in full colour to show the effect of conservation in practice Textile Conservation is a reference manual for textile conservators, textile conservation students and museum and heritage professionals.