Hi Matthew, You would be more than welcome to come and visit the textile collection storage area of the Powerhouse Museum and discuss the pros and cons of various systems with conservators/ collection managers and curators. Feel welcome to give me a call to arrange a visit. www.phm.gov.au Mary Gissing Conservator of Cultural Material Powerhouse Museum PO BOX K346 Haymarket NSW 1238 Tel: 61 2 9217 0271 Fax: 61 2 9217 0498 Email: [log in to unmask] "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal" Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968. -----Original Message----- From: Matthew Scott [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, 29 August 2003 3:28 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Textile Storage Hi I am asking for advice from institutions with textile/ decorative arts collections in storage. The Resource Centre of the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales (based in Sydney, Australia), has a diverse reference collection of domestic decorative items from the 19thC and 20thC available to researchers and the general public. The collection includes furnishing fabrics and trimmings, upholstery remnants, cushions, hassocks, curtains, carpets, rugs, linoleum, oilcloth, furniture fittings/hardware, wallpapers, architectural elements and garden ornaments. The Resource centre has out grown its current space and will be relocated to a new facility, increasing its profile and level of public access. We would like to aim for ideal storage, knowing that compromises will inevitably be made along the way, but hoping to avoid the worst. Any information regarding your institutions existing methods of storing large textiles and similar would be greatly appreciated. Some of our general questions include: What style of storage do you use for your textiles/decorative items, i.e shelves, plan drawers, cabinets etc. Why was this style of storage chosen? Was consideration given to the organisation of frequently used items. Does it differ from less called upon objects? What have been the pros and cons of this storage system? Has it met expectations or failed Rolling vs flat. Has anyone found rolling resulting in damage to the textile? What criteria do you use to decide whether to roll, hang or store textiles flat Has anyone experimented with hanging textiles in storage? What compromises should be avoided? Matthew Scott Conservation Officer Collections Management Unit Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the systems manager - [log in to unmask] **********************************************************************