I was going to write YOU to thank you. I was going crazy with all the recipes being offered. I felt 100 times better after I read your posting b/c I thought I was the only one in the world that thought it was a crazy idea. Thanks for writing your post and to me. Virginia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michele Pagan" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 4:36 PM Subject: Thank you, Virginia > 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. > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com >