Please file this memo under Lace Conservation. In the June 21st announcement of the exhibit at the Queen's Gallery in London bearing my title "To London to Visit the Queens, Kings, Princesses, Princes, etc", private questions have come in asking about "the exhibited cloak band's area which would be concealed by the wearer's hair being of plain woven linen, avoiding the expensive lace being exposed to grease." "Grease" is the word the curator used in the book's text, on page 87. The origin of the "grease" is not given. Let's look at that famous van Dyck depiction of Charles I. Did you notice the asymmetrical cut of his hair? It is slightly longer than his chin on the right side of his face, and a lot longer on the left side, meaning it rests on the lace collar band all the way around the back. http://www.arthistorynews.com/articles/2203 Other costume books have been consulted. Valerie Cumming's "A Visual History of Costume - The Seventeenth Century" was quite revealing, though almost all photos are black and white. Another portrait of the King, full length, by D. Mytens, also shows the asymmetrical haircut. Other male portraits in the following pages, all from the early 1630's, show the 1st Earl of Holland, 2nd Earl of Warwick, and William Style of Langley, all with this hair cut, which would have resulted in their lace cloak bands being exposed to whatever was used to properly style their hair. By mid-century, some collars had become deeper, so that more lace could be seen below the longer hair on the left! We can learn from this. Conservation teaches us to be aware of dangers to our laces. Many older collars are inherited or bought in used condition and have skin oil stains around the necklines. These are very difficult to remove, because strong soaps, scrubbing, and hot water are strictly forbidden. Only if a lace is strong and relatively new, can it be soaked for days in room temperature distilled water to which Orvus soap has been added. The longer lace soaks, the more threads expand. This helps release stains. But, anyone considering this needs to read my many memos of the past on Arachne, practice on other laces, then use extreme caution. Otherwise, a professional conservator must be engaged, resulting in considerable expense.. There are suggestions for wearing lace collars today. Most important is to select a garment to wear under lace collars that will cover the neck, so the lace rests on fabric. Do note, however, that the garment should be color-fast (old 19th C. collars have often picked up black dye from dresses). Avoid pinning brooches into lace collars. Loosely basting them onto the garment is safer. When you are preparing for a lace-wearing "event", spray your hair before you dress. Also, apply spray perfumes and all your makeup and powders in advance. Lace should be the last thing you don. If it must go over your head, a shower cap briefly stretched over the face is a stain preventive. If you will be driving a car with a seatbelt or standing in a crowded elevator with women who will finger your lace with hand-lotioned hands, and so forth, you have to be prepared to get closer to your final destination before you put on your laces, or cover them completely with a shawl while in transit. Sounds like a lot of bother. But, it is much easier than wet cleaning lace. Oils, perfumes and hand creams may not show as stains immediately. These become imbedded in threads and subsequently attract dirt that will cling to lace fibers. They are also attractive meals to moths and minute microorganisms that like to feed on them, and leave stains and holes in their wake.. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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