Thank you, Virginia, for taking the time to supply all
those references re: cleaning textiles with eraser
crumbs.  I hadn't ready your email before I sent my
response.  Thanks again, Michele.

--- Virginia Whelan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Am I hearing tacit approval by the textile
> conservation community on cleaning
> textiles with bread crumbs?
>
> We need to back up so we don't miss the essential
> issue here. The differences
> between paintings and textiles aside, why would you
> chose to use a material that
> could 1) attract insects or vermin 2) potentially
> become moldy and stain the
> textile? It seems that microscopic particles of
> bread could potentially become
> embedded in the surface fibers even after careful
> vacuuming. Or is the textile in
> question glazed? treated in some way?
>
> The precaution that you should only use fresh bread
> should send up some red flags,
> don't you think?
>
>
> A quick search of AATA Online came up with several
> articles researching erasers &
> eraser crumbs that might add to the discussion:
>
> Pearlstein, E.J.; Cabelli, D.; King, A.; and
> Indictor, N.
> Effects of eraser treatment on paper.
> Journal of the American Institute for Conservation
> 22, no. 1 (1982 Fall), pp. 1-12
>
> Dancause, Renée.
> Surface cleaning a doll's corset using eraser
> crumbs.
> Textile conservation newsletter  no. 36 (1999
> Spring), pp. 8-13.
>
> Estabrook, Elizabeth.
> Considerations of the effect of erasers on cotton
> fabric. Journal of the American
> Institute for Conservation 28, no. 2 (1989 Fall),
> pp. 79-96
>
> The ConsDistList also has a several posting re
> erasers; one posting recommends the
> Surface Cleaning outline of the Paper Conservation
> Catalog, published in 1992. It
> may be still available through the AIC Office.
>
> Does someone know about other research on viable
> alternatives to bread crumbs? I
> realize vinyl crumb erasers as researched by paper
> conservators might have some
> negative aspects (potential chemical (sulfer)
> residue, migrating softeners, change
> in residue over time, and abrasion), but do you
> really feel bread crumbs should be
> used?
>
> But perhaps Lauren is researching this issue as an
> historical exercise. It
> certainly would be helpful to have some research
> done on the residues &
> abrasiveness of bread crumbs on textiles.
>
>

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