Spring 2012 - Dress and Textile Specialists

More documents

Recommendations

Info

influences, economic prosperity, global trends and the regional technical excellence in textiles and clothing over a 100 year period using clothing, accessories, photographs, film archive and narratives. _______ How to move a dress collection without a database, Meg Dorman, Curator, Kensington Palace I work at Kensington Palace for Historic Royal Palaces. In 2009 we were asked to move the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection to an interim store as a building project was about to start and the current stores were to become part of the new visitor hub. We decided to make the most of the move. We had no central database that contained catalogue information and locations of objects in one place - we had several different ones that had to be used simultaneously. In 2009 the collection was spread over 6 different rooms and two floors. We found a space in the Palace that could hold the entire collection in one area which was a bonus. This meant that visits to the stores could be more easily managed and we wouldn't have to carry objects through the visitor route. The first step we took was to take inventory. We wanted to plan where every object was going to go in the new store so that the actual move could be done as smoothly as possible. In the new store (with a new layout) everything would be in a different place. To make the transition a bit simpler we took photos of every hanging object and an overall photo of every drawer. These were printed out in advance ready for the move. We wanted to change the inventory as little as possible so as we were moving from drawers into boxes we had boxes made to the same size as the drawers. Then the contents could be easily packed into the new boxes without lots of changing locations. The photos were attached to the outside of the box to make it easier to find things in the new stores. We printed new labels in advance as well and these were placed in Melinex envelopes on the outside of the boxes. The actual move went quite well. It was done with in-house staff moving boxes before we opened (the route to the new stores went through exhibition spaces) and then placing them during the day. Every object was listed on a spreadsheet showing its old location and its planned new location. We tried to make the most of the move by improving access as much as possible for ourselves and the visitors to the collection. To keep the collection together we had to stack boxes on racking almost to the ceiling. This makes it difficult to run a stores visit on one's own as the boxes are large and sometimes high. Some objects we knew we accessed frequently and these were placed in rooms with spaces for tables and on lower shelves. We learned some lessons - you can't plan carefully enough! Planning where every object goes in advance was incredibly helpful. If you have the time/money make sure the boxes you use can be handled by one person if possible. If budget permits then movers would be helpful as well - moving a collection for months on end takes a toll on your staff! The photos have been great, especially when looking for objects on high shelves. We re-used about 200 boxes and purchased 350 new ones. We moved 21 hanging racks of garments. The move took three months with six members of staff working constantly. The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection contains approx 12,000 objects. _____ 30
Access and the new Fashion & Textile Gallery, The Bowes Museum Joanna Hashagen, Keeper of Fashion & Textiles The Design Brief stated that the new gallery was to be ‘spectacular by presenting textiles in an exciting way, using the latest display ideas and materials and to be serious by providing access to study collections and storage within the gallery.’ The main priority was to enable greater access to the extensive textile collections for the general visitor and the specialist, through changing displays, study facilities and accessible storage in a new purpose built gallery. The aims of the new gallery were: To promote wider public appreciation of, and access to, the textile and dress collection by new ways of presentation and interpretation. To present each object accurately and in context, to encourage the visitor to look closely at the detail, to appreciate its beauty and the technical skill involved in its making. To provide simple methods of changing displays and graphics with nothing screwed down or permanently fixed. To create a flexible system for displaying objects; to enable layering and placing of objects at their appropriate height, such as lace collars at shoulder height, curved, as if around a body, to give visitors a clearer understanding of how these items were used originally. Image – view of gallery showing permanent display with monitors and hanging system The permanent display cases The aim of developing a hanging system was to create a contextual ‘interplay’ of objects. The designers devised a system of metal hanging bars which hook over the top frame of the large showcases. They slide along the outer rails, so they can be positioned anywhere and objects hang from a rod or wire, at any position or height. The objects are easy to remove as they just unhook. This means objects and labels can be quickly and easily changed, with no need for technicians. The ability to hang actual portraits inside the cases, with this system, has created an evocative, intimate relationship with the dress on display. 31
Page 1 and 2: DATS Dress and Textile Specialists
Page 3 and 4: DATS Committee 2012 Chair Christine
Page 5 and 6: Effective Collections - making the
Page 7 and 8: This assessment method could be app
Page 9 and 10: Mad Hatter Knitting ‘The Big Weav
Page 11 and 12: An exhibition from the Embroiderer'
Page 13 and 14: This special exhibition will examin
Page 15 and 16: This ‘storage backdrop’ is some
Page 17 and 18: Increasingly too, access to the col
Page 19 and 20: aimed to enhance the collection’s
Page 21 and 22: Figure 1. Linking understanding of
Page 23 and 24: Josie Sheppard, previously Curator,
Page 25 and 26: department/officer, 3. if you can,
Page 27 and 28: Figure 2 YFA Branding applications
Page 29: Without the YFA Mrs H would not hav
Page 33 and 34: A review of temporary exhibitions,
Page 35 and 36: Photo 1: Bowes 1 Photo 2: Bowes 2 L
Page 37 and 38: I am currently working on The Black
Page 39 and 40: NEWS and EVENTS LIFE IN THE OLD CLO
Page 41 and 42: vistas reopened, reinstating the dr
Page 43 and 44: The Costume Project studio is based
Page 45 and 46: powerful images! The three below ar
Page 47 and 48: Dovecot Studios, Dovecot, 10 Infirm

Spring 2012 - Dress and Textile Specialists

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?