HI everyone,

What am I missing here?
One of the most basic things I first read about
textile conservation included the dictum to keep food
away from textiles, for many reasons, one of which is
its attractiveness to pests.
Why the use of bread - is this not a food item?
Has no-one ever tested the surface of a textile
cleaned with bread to determine what kind of residue
is left? Why would anyone want to revert to using
bread, now that we have so many synthetic sponge
materials to choose from?

Please help my feeble brain figure this one out!

Thanks,
Michele

--- Joanne Hackett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> David Miller, Senior Paintings Conservator at the
> IMA, supplied the
> following recipe for bread used in cleaning
> paintings.  He said it was
> most often used to clean paintings with no varnish
> and a thin ground,
> such as a color field paintings, or paintings such
> as Morris Louis
> paintings that have a great deal of unprimed or
> unpainted canvas.  He
> first came across the technique when working in
> Canada in the 1970's
> with Dutch paper conservators.  The recipe was
> supplied to him by Jim
> Bernstein.
>
> 1 1/3 pkg. of Fleishman's Yeast - place in warm
> water (follow package
> directions) until yeast is activated (frothing);
> approx. 15 minutes.
>
> 2-3 cups lukewarm water
>
> 4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose wheat flour
>
> Mix together to make a paste then add the flour and
> water (only as
> much
> as needed) to form a dough ball.  Knead as you would
> bread.  Do not
> add
> any salt, oil, or fat.  Let rise until doubled in
> size in a bowl
> covered
> with plastic wrap, then punch down and let rise
> until doubled again.
>
> Place and form in an ungreased, non-stick bread/loaf
> pan and bake
> @350F
> for 45 minutes or until done.
>
> Let cool and store in a plastic bag.
>
> Use as soon as possible - will only be good for 2-3
> days.  Best to
> bake
> the day before needed.
>
> Do not use the crust or dry parts of the bread since
> it could abrade a
> paint surface.  The interior should be moist and
> spongy.  Break up the
> interior and apply in a circular motion.  Remove
> crumbs from the paint
> surface before the bread becomes completely dry.  A
> haki brush is
> useful
> for removing crumbs.
>
> Joanne Hackett
> Associate Textile Conservator
> Indianapolis Museum of Art.
>
>



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