Preserving Your Vintage Collection?

[MissQueenie]

Because I work with museum and university collections on a regular basis, I'm curious...

Have any of you taken measures to ensure the preservation/conservation of your collections? I'm talking papers (documents, letters, postcards, news clippings, magazines), photographs, vintage clothing, hats, shoes, textiles (linens, quilts), rare/old books, etc.

In typical form, the doctor's children are always sick -- my personal collection of papers, books, and vintage clothing is stored the way I store all of my modern things. My delicate vintage is hanging side by side on plastic hangers (the horror!) with my "everyday" wardrobe, no doubt sagging out of shape, getting dusty, and under unnecessary strain! My old books are stacked on beside tables, squished onto already over packed shelves...my old letters are stored in a shoe box, and my family's collection of vintage and even antique photographs are in their original (certainly not acid-free, archival quality) albums.

I am slowly embarking on a mission to remove, scan, research, and label all of our old family photographs before replacing them in archival albums. This is a major undertaking, and very slow going! I would also like to store my vintage clothing in archival storage boxes and in acid free tissue on a high shelf in my closet when I'm not actually wearing it...

I guess I'm wondering if any of you out there have similar problems, projects, etc. and what solutions you're coming up with!

 

[jake_fink]

Yikes, I was cringing when I read your post. I'm careful with my collections, finicky and careful. I have a huge collection of ephemera that is stored carefully, though out of order at this point, bagged, boxed and in a room that is not dust-makingly dry or mold-formingly humid. My clothes are less carefully stored.

My wife was briefly working on a degree in archival preservation, but she won't work on my comics or pulps menus, postcards or brochures, or any of my neat stuff. Like you said, the doctor's kids...

:cheers1:

 

[MissQueenie]

Yikes, I was cringing when I read your post. I'm careful with my collections, finicky and careful. I have a huge collection of ephemera that is stored carefully, though out of order at this point, bagged, boxed and in a room that is not dust-makingly dry or mold-formingly humid. My clothes are less carefully stored.

My wife was briefly working on a degree in archival preservation, but she won't work on my comics or pulps menus, postcards or brochures, or any of my neat stuff. Like you said, the doctor's kids...

:cheers1:

It makes me cringe, too...every time I open my closet or my office door. The funny thing is that I go to ridiculous lengths for things of much less significance at work! And the irony is that I have access to the equipment and the education and skills necessary for even very basic, responsible storage. I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and take this stuff one project at a time

Good to know I'm not the only one out there with similar issues. I'm really curious to hear how people store their things, though! What sorts of ephemera do you collect?

 

[Lauren]

PADDED HANGERS. They're cheap at Ross and you can pick them up at Estate Sales. I have my closet CRAMMED full of stuff, and my victorian through 20's vintage is currently being stored in stacked boxes so I don't wear out the shoulders. My early 30's silk chiffons are folded in a drawer, and my hatboxes are stacked in modern hatboxes, but the list of all I need to do to properly store things is outrageous. It sounds put together but it certainly is not. Some of these days if I get the nerve, I'll post pictures of my atrocity of a closet. In the meantime, I have on my wish list the following:

*Acid free LONG boxes with acid free tissue to stuff into the sleeves and bodice of my dresses.

*Acid free smaller boxes for hats, accessories, shirts, and sweaters

*Muslin or cotton canvas garment bags for wools, with cedar for protecting from moths

*Muslin or canvas "Hanging wardrobes" to hang my velvets so they don't touch one another, to avoid matting.

*And if I got my wish- a room long glass fronted and heat controlled closet, where I could display mannequins in front and hang and stack boxes neatly in the back. Similar to the displays at the costume museam at Bath.

Too bad archival products are so blasted expensive.

 

[MissQueenie]

Ooh, you're a good soul, Lauren

The next time I see you, I'll bring my Gaylord's Archival catalog with me for you to look at -- they have a fantastic collection of boxes -- some versions have clear tops so you can see into them without taking the lids off and stuff. And you can usually get pretty good discounts if you order mutliples (# varies depending on product) -- I bet we could drum up a couple of people who'd be interested in splitting an order.

Oh, and be careful with the cedar -- I read that it contains oils that can damage textiles, even if it's great for keeping pests away...maybe keep it from touching your delicate fabrics somehow?

Now I'm dying to see your collection!

 

[Clyde R.]

Thanks for bringing to light a very real issue. Many of us forget that our treasures are fragile and not getting any younger...

 

[maisie]

Oh, when I read this I cringe and think how delicate all of my vintage garments are getting! I mean they are 60+ years old!

I hang all my clothing up on padded hangers and the heavy overcoats/ suit on wooden hangers (only if they have the really padded shoulders!!)
I put lavender bags in all my wardrobes to prevent moths, and i pack all my shoes and hats away in boxes with acid free tissue paper! I do however have three wardrobe full of 40's clothing, so at least it isn't crammed in there with modern clothing!!
At the end of the day though, is I would rather wear the vintage clothing before it becomes too delicate, as there is no point of it just being packed away in boxes were no one can enjoy it!!
But is there anymore I could be doing?[huh]

 

[maisie]

Also what is the best way of preserving 60+ years old magazines and newspapers??

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I have a large ephemera and antiquarian book collection. I use a dehumidifier and acid-free plastic sleeves and boxes.

 

[metalnut]

Because I work with museum and university collections on a regular basis, I'm curious...

Have any of you taken measures to ensure the preservation/conservation of your collections? I'm talking papers (documents, letters, postcards, news clippings, magazines), photographs, vintage clothing, hats, shoes, textiles (linens, quilts), rare/old books, etc.

In typical form, the doctor's children are always sick -- my personal collection of papers, books, and vintage clothing is stored the way I store all of my modern things. My delicate vintage is hanging side by side on plastic hangers (the horror!) with my "everyday" wardrobe, no doubt sagging out of shape, getting dusty, and under unnecessary strain! My old books are stacked on beside tables, squished onto already over packed shelves...my old letters are stored in a shoe box, and my family's collection of vintage and even antique photographs are in their original (certainly not acid-free, archival quality) albums.

I am slowly embarking on a mission to remove, scan, research, and label all of our old family photographs before replacing them in archival albums. This is a major undertaking, and very slow going! I would also like to store my vintage clothing in archival storage boxes and in acid free tissue on a high shelf in my closet when I'm not actually wearing it...

I guess I'm wondering if any of you out there have similar problems, projects, etc. and what solutions you're coming up with!

Like you I am scanning all my photos worth keeping, before putting original in better storage. My pipe collection is beign cleaned up, then put into many display cases around 20 x 18 so I can rotate them in my living room. After all ,no point in collecting stuff then never looking at it. To add to that I had a website set up to try and share my collection with others and get more information in and out about them www.smokingmetal.co.uk. Ther eis a link to my webdesigned, but the one I use is probably OK for just about any type of collection

 

[Rosie]

I fear I'm pretty bad. My vintage clothing I pretty much treat like my "regular" clothing with the exception of maybe using differnt hangers and making sure I actually hang them up instead of throwing them on the chair when I take them off.

My vintage catalogs other than being kept in plastic sleeves in a big brown envelope are kept on the bookshelf along with all of my other books. Even my Watkin's Household Tips, which is a rather old book is up on the book shelf.

My other vintage items, stove toaster, canisters, etc. I use regularly.

 

[goldwyn girl]

My vintage clothing is my "regular" clothing, but it is all hung on padded coat hangers, my cotton dresses are hand washed, starched and pressed . My crinolines also hang up but they take up a lot of room. My furs and winter coats are hung in breathable suit bags. My shoes are in hanging racks, boy I just love to hang things don't I.....hehe.......... My lingerie is kept in draws and hand washed and my linens which are also vintage are starched and pressed. I use these as one would a "new item" but I launder in the gentlest way, afterall, you can't pop down to Macys and buy a new one. My books and catalogs are on bookcases so they are easily accessible for daily reference. I use my vintage furniture and place settings, actually if it's not in a condition I can use I normally don't buy it. I want to enjoy my things so they are not merely a collection, they are a way of life even if it means I have to more careful and mindful of their care. I also travel with vintage luggage. But thats just me

 

[Hamilton_Honey]

I try to care for my things and also enjoy them. All my hats are dusted, padded with acid free tissue and kept in hat boxes - not too crowded.

All my vintage garments and out of season clothes that are not being currently worn are cleaned and folded in suitcases or garment bags. I use ONLY padded hangers for everything I own - old or new! And they even coordinate with my decorating scheme! hah!

Jewelry, stockings, hankies, hairnets/snoods and scarves are all used regularly and cleaned , pressed, organized in drawers with room to "breathe" and jewelry gets wiped off after wearings to remove oils and dirt. (Don't store any kind of plastic jewelry in tightly closed boxes - they give off chemicals that will eventually damage them if not able to breathe)

Shoes in hanging fabric shoe bags (the shelf kind) and a few in shoe boxes.

Linens: LOVE THEM! these are all kept clean and folded in a dresser just for them except those being currently used, and laces are wrapped in tissue. One big tip to all you linen lovers - don't store them starched!!!! Starch is a plant derivative and will discolor and break down the fibers of your lovely linens over time, as will pressing creases into them. Just keep them clean and folded neatly (but not pressed) until you re ready to use, then do the spiffing up -they will last much longer.

Furniture gets dusted with soft cloth and periodically gets an oil or wax treatment depending on what it is. Anything Formica (or similar material) gets a Johnson's paste wax polish now and then also to reduce scratching and staining. It works!! try it on your non-tile bathroom or kitchen counters and chrome appliances! Anything glass or ceramic gets washed in warm soapy water now and then.

With vintage books, all kept on sturdy bookshelves (not too crowded or allowed to lean over), and used and dusted regularly. Sheet music is kept in a vintage scrapbook with archival mylar protectors (this is a new, ongoing project). 78's though are currently stored in original paper sleeves or albums, and get listened to fairly often....

Family photos - unfortunately I only have copies of the oldest ones. Th rest get kept in albums, frames or photo boxes inside an old trunk that once belonged to a lovely departed friend of mine....

My old dolls need some attention though. They are just stored in an old dress trunk right now.

I'm really only about half as organized as I sound.

 

[Hamilton_Honey]

PADDED HANGERS. They're cheap at Ross and you can pick them up at Estate Sales. I have my closet CRAMMED full of stuff, and my victorian through 20's vintage is currently being stored in stacked boxes so I don't wear out the shoulders.

Padding and folding are so important! And anything beaded should NEVER be hung up - the more beads, the less it should be hung! the weight of the beads with actually tear the threads of the garment over time.

Another good thing to do with anything that has delicate shoulders is to sew some narrow ribbon into the side seams or some other likely place and loop those over the hangers to help reduce the weight of the garment pulling on the shoulders. (should be just barely long enough to reach hanger).

 

[SpitfireXIV]

My other vintage items, stove toaster, canisters, etc. I use regularly.

me too! i got tired of looking at boxes upon boxes with all this pretty vintage waiting for the "perfect dream house" (which is closer to reality because it's finally on the market!) to be used.

i do handle those things with a bit more care than the rest of my stuff, out of respect for their age... but, i use them.

 

[evelynn]

Hi everyone, this is a topic of major interest for me right now! I've been working on my vintage collection but have not yet really learned how to store it. The comments here have given me some good info on how to store books and magazines (I have been treating them like regular items and they are probably about to fall apart!), but I would like to ask your advice for other things in my wardrobe.

First of all, I have a collection of lovely 50's nightwear (negligee, nightgowns, etc) and I have been just hanging them in my closet. I thought if I folded them in drawers, they would get crumpled. Is it hurting them to hang them?

Also, scarves. How do you all store your scarves- folded away or hanging? Mine are hanging on hooks and that's probably not ideal either. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
L