>>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] They said that the lace needs to be exposed to air to keep it from drying out. What do you recommend? Our weather conditions are so different from Northern Europe, and the piece will be in my non air conditioned home, that I wonder if this recommendation is appropriate for the US.<<<
I imagine Jeri will speak to this at some point. I just wanted to say that many of our amateur conservation ideas tend to be very old and some may have outlasted the environmental conditions they addressed. On the one hand, we look at what was done to 300-year-old pieces that are in good condition, so that must be a good way to treat such material. We can rely on past experience. However, the conditions that applied during it's 300-year history are not necessarily the same as those in our modern homes. For example, getting air to circulate around the lace may have been a good idea before the industrial revolution when humidity just meant water in the air, but that doesn't mean it's as good an idea today, with acid rain and other pollutants in the big-city air. Also, some of what we learn that way is more folklore than fact. The traditional treatment is based on observation, but the explanation for *why* it worked was speculation. Leaving a lace picture unsealed may have been good, but not necessarily to promote humidity getting in there and preventing "drying out". I had been told to leave it unsealed to prevent *condensation* from *too much* moisture! Same treatment, opposite explanations. I'm not saying I know that sealing was good and I'm not saying sealing is bad now. I'm just pointing out that conditions change and we need to look to modern conservators who have knowledge of the latest experiments, not rely on tradition unless there is no modern knowledge. Robin P. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
