Collection Needs Assessment Survey

A Needs Assessment Survey of the Costume Collection

in the Winship Drama Building

Melissa Bradshaw

Management of Preservation Programs

LIS 392P.1

Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa

December 4, 2002

1 I. Collection History

The costume collection started in the mid-1960s as a large donation of items by Lucy Barton, a patroness of the Department of Theater and Dance. More donations were acquired, but cataloging of the clothing did not begin until the

1970s. At that time, the information was written on index cards, which simply contained a brief description of the item with details of its provenance. Before

Joe Adams took over the project in 1992, the data was in spreadsheet format, with entries ranging from the first acquisitions in 1965 up until 1991. The date is incomplete. Joe is in the process of adding new acquisitions to FileMaker Pro, as well as gradually transferring information from the spreadsheet, but it is a huge project and his primary free time to work on it is during the summer months.

II. Collection Description

In addition to clothing, the collection includes accessories, such as hats, shoes, gloves, and bags (to name a few), and dates from the late 1800s to the present. Joe estimates that the collection comprises more than 1,000 items.

Before placing new acquisitions with the collection, Joe evaluates and wet cleans or vacuums each item. He is not a conservator, but he is able to stay current of textile conservation trends through the Conservation DistList. He also performs minor treatments.

The room where the costume collection is kept is in the basement adjacent to the area underneath the stage of the Oscar G. Brockett Theater in the Winship Drama Building. It was originally used as a prop storage room, thus it does not have ideal environmental conditions or control, nor does it have

2 convenient electrical outlets. There are air vents along the ceiling

[Figure 1], and fortunately, the temperature remains fairly constant (see

Appendix E for environmental monitoring figures). There is only a slight Figure 1 problem with pests—primarily crickets—and Joe sets traps about once every six

months. However, I did come across two small insects as I was surveying the

collection. One was a tiny silverfish (and fortunately, I did not see any others in

the box) and the other insect looked similar to the larvae of a carpet beetle,

according to a photograph in “Caring for Your Collection” (Finch and Bosworth

The lights (all incandescent) remain off when the room is not in use. The

collection is used for classes and research only, which occurs roughly ten times

per semester.

Approximately half of the clothes in the collection are hanging and

the other half are stored in large, acid-free textile storage boxes [Figures 2-

4]. Joe hangs many of the large pieces of clothing because he

Figure 2 prefers to store them unfolded. There is not enough cabinet space

for all of the hanging items, so many are on racks out in the open. When

he is able to assess what items can be deaccessioned from Figure 3

inside the cabinets, he transfers some of the “outside” hanging

clothes to the cabinets. Figure 4 Most of the hangers used are wrapped with acid-free tissue;

others are padded and covered in unbleached, unsized muslin. The latter are

specially made by Joe and students working in the costume shop, but they are

3 only able to complete about a dozen hangers per year since it is an

extraneous project.

The storage room is lined with wooden storage cabinets and drawers Figure 5 that were funded by a donor in the 1990s. They are lined with a protective

coating to prevent off-gassing of the wood [Figures 5-7].

III. Survey Design and Implementation Figure 6 When I asked Joe if he wanted me to concentrate on certain

parts of the collection, he suggested I evaluate the blouses and the Figure 7

children’s clothing. There were exactly 50 blouses and 100 pieces of children’s

clothing in the storage boxes. I surveyed all of the blouses and took a random

sample of the children’s clothing by going through each box and writing down

either the catalog numbers or a brief description of the objects (since many of

them did not have catalog numbers). Unfortunately, there was no way to

estimate how many items were in a box because they are stored according to

their period style. As for the children’s clothes, they are not arranged yet by

style, but by sex. For example, one box is labeled, “Young Girls’ Clothes” and

another is labeled, “Baby Clothes,” and the garments in the boxes vary greatly in

type and period style. After going through the boxes of children’s clothes, I

randomly selected 30 items from the numbered, brief descriptions of the objects

using the random number table. The sample allowed a 95% confidence rate.

Joe had suggested at the beginning that I could also survey the petticoats, but

time did not permit it.

4 To create a sample survey, I applied the premise of The Yale Survey

(Walker, Greenfield and Fox) and my knowledge of surveying books to be able to look at clothing in a similar way, e.g. with stitching, type and condition of fabrics, time period in which the item was made, and signs of environmental damage. As

I worked with the collection, I made changes and additions to the survey as appropriate, especially pertaining to period style and types of fabric. For further ideas on important descriptors, I referred to a research paper I had done on the preservation and conservation of textiles. In her article, “Textiles,” Sara J. Wolf explains that the manufacturing process or the construction of an object can affect its rate of deterioration (89). The weight of the fabric is also an important factor when determining preservation needs. Thus I added “Manufacturing process(es)” and “Weight of fabric(s)” to my survey tool. Appendix A shows the preliminary survey tool I used; Appendix B shows the final tool with the revisions I made.

I asked the following questions of the items in the collection to determine their needs:

o Catalog number

o Location (box or hanging item)

o Approximate dates of item

o Color(s) of fabric

o Object type (blouse or children’s clothing)

5 o Period (These labels reflect the same period styles as those taught

in the costume history classes offered in the Department

of Theater and Dance.)

. Fin de Siècle (late 19th century)—see Figure 8 Figure 8 . Edwardian (1900-09)—see Figure 9 Figure 9 . Neo-Empire (1910-13)—see Figure 10

. World War I (1914-20)—see Figure 11

o Sex (if the item is intended for a male or female, or if it Figure 10

is unisex or ambiguous, such as with some infants’ clothing) Figure 11 o Type of fabric(s) (silk, cotton, linen, lace, velvet, wool, or organdy)

o Weight of fabric(s) (thin and translucent, medium and opaque, or

thick)

o Manufacturing process(es) (woven, knitted, crocheted, or other)

o Condition of fabrics

. Good, fair, or poor

. Thin, weak (if the material was showing signs of

degradation, such as an increase in translucency and tears

in certain areas of the object)

. Discolored (darkening or fading of the fabric’s color in

significant areas of the object; also applied to large stains,

such as around the collar or from perspiration)

. Spots, stains (smaller, often more intense, discolorations)

6 . Holes (losses, not necessarily from tears; often pertained to

insect or rust damage)

. Tears

. Pulls, snags (usually occurred in areas of thin, weakened

fabric)

. Loose threads o Stitching (intact or not intact on any area or areas of the item) o Closures (buttons, hook & eye, snaps, and ties, and whether each

is intact or not intact, or if no closures are apparent on the garment) o Ornamentation (intact or not intact on any area or areas, or if there

is no ornamentation) o Environmental damage (signs of insect, rust, or mold damage or

other) o Recommended treatment

. Store as is

. Layer with tissue (lay a piece of acid-free tissue in between

each item of clothing)

. Wrap with tissue (for smaller items, such as bonnets, socks,

mittens, etc.)

. Store in box (for items that are presently on hangers)

. Other

7 (I did not include any recommendations for conservation treatment, as

I am not knowledgeable enough in the area of textile conservation to

feel comfortable giving such advice.)

IV. Findings [see Appendix C]

I would estimate that the collection holds approximately 2,000 items (as opposed to the previously estimated 1,000) due to the volume of items in the boxes of blouses and children’s clothing alone. Of the 80 items surveyed, 64% are in good condition, 35% are in fair condition, and only 1% are in poor condition. Sixty-eight percent have stitching that is intact, while it is not intact for

12%. For environmental damage, 78% have none and, of the items that do, 16% have insect damage, 4% have rust, 4% have mold, and 1% have water damage.

Three percent of the items can be stored as is, while 91% need to be layered with tissue, 6% should be wrapped in tissue, 3% should be stored in boxes, and

8% have other recommendations.

V. Conclusions

The collection is in overall good condition. Unfortunately, due to the lack of space, there is not much room for many more storage boxes. Items that are currently hanging are not able to be stored flat at this time. Since Joe is not able to work on the collection much during the school year, a full-time temporary assistant would be a huge asset to him in updating the database, mending objects, and making padded hangers. Once the database is complete, Joe will

8 be able to make it accessible online to researchers, as he hopes to eventually do.

VI. Recommendations:

1. All items stored in boxes should have a sheet of acid-free

tissue in between each item.

2. Wrap smaller items, such as socks and bonnets, in tissue.

3. Items of stiff material, such as organdy, and/or with

prominent ornamentation would be better as hanging

garments stuffed with crumpled tissue. If that is not optimal,

they should be stored on top of more “flexible” garments and

stuffed with tissue.

4. Store jackets and other heavier items at the bottom of the

boxes; store the lighter items on top.

5. Shape bonnets by stuffing them with crumpled tissue.

VII. Estimated Budget

Appendix D shows a few suggested items for continuing preservation work on the costume collection. Since Joe already has most of them, the list is simply an estimate on possible future costs. The Crepeline is a loosely woven, 100% silk organdy sold by Talas as a backing support for fragile textiles. It is a conservation-grade material but is quite expensive, so there is probably another material that can serve as a substitute.

9 Works Cited

Finch, Karen, and Danielle Bosworth. "Caring for Your Collection." The Illustrated

History of Textiles. Ed. Madeleine Ginsburg. London: Studio Editions,

1991. 193-209.

This book is primarily intended for the student of museum studies or art

history and gives an excellent voyage through time in the history of

textiles. "Caring for Your Collections" provides an analysis of the causes

of degradation of historical textiles and recommends ways in which they

can be protected from further destruction by pests and pollutants.

Walker, Robin Gay, Jane Greenfield, and John Fox. "The Yale Survey: A Large-

Scale Study of Book Deterioration in the Yale University Library." College

& Research Libraries 46.March (1985): 111-32.

This is an in-depth account of the first large-scale preservation needs

survey ever conducted. The beginning to end of the project is described

in such a way that it serves as a model for any institution desiring to

conduct its own survey of the physical condition of its collections.

Wolf, Sara J. "Textiles." Caring for Your Collections. Ed. Arthur W. Schultz. New

York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992. 86-95.

The articles included in this books are written with the lay person in mind,

and they serve as an excellent reference guide for owners of monetarily-

10 and sentimentally-valuable collections. The "Textiles" article describes the primary environmental enemies of textiles, inherent vices, recommended cleaning, care and maintenance, proper storage, and suitable storage methods.

11 Appendix A Collection Needs Assessment Survey of the Costume Collection, Winship Drama Building

Catalog #: ______Location: ______

Approximate dates: ______Color(s): ______

Object:  Blouse  Petticoat  Children’s clothing: ______

Period:  Edwardian  Neo-Empire  World War I 

Sex:  Male  Female  Unisex/Ambiguous

Fabric(s):  Silk  Cotton  Linen  Lace  Velvet  Taffeta

Weight of fabric(s):  Thin, translucent  Medium, opaque  Thick

Manufacturing process(es):  Woven  Knitted  Crocheted

 Other:

Condition of fabrics:  Good  Fair  Poor  Thin, weak  Discolored

 Holes  Tears  Pulls, snags  Loose threads  Spots, stains

Stitching:  Intact  Not intact

Closures:  Buttons  Hook & eye  Snaps  Intact  Not intact  Intact  Not intact  Intact  Not intact

 Ties  None/Not apparent  Intact  Not intact

Ornamentation:  Intact  Not intact

Environmental Damage?  No  Yes What kind?

Treatment Needed?  Store as is  Interleave with tissue  Store in box

 Other: 12 Appendix B Collection Needs Assessment Survey (Revised) of the Costume Collection, Winship Drama Building

Catalog #: ______Location: ______

Approximate dates: ______Color(s): ______

Object:  Blouse  Children’s clothing:

Period:  Fin de Siècle  Edwardian  Neo-Empire  World War I  Unknown

Sex:  Male  Female  Unisex/Ambiguous

Fabric(s):  Silk  Cotton  Linen  Lace  Velvet  Wool  Organdy

 Other:

Weight of fabric(s):  Thin, translucent  Medium, opaque  Thick

Manufacturing process(es):  Woven  Knitted  Crocheted

 Other:

Condition of fabrics:  Good  Fair  Poor  Thin, weak  Discolored

 Holes  Tears  Pulls, snags  Loose threads  Spots, stains

Stitching:  Intact  Not intact

Closures:  Buttons  Hook & eye  Snaps  Intact  Not intact  Intact  Not intact  Intact  Not intact

 Ties  None/Not apparent  Intact  Not intact

Ornamentation:  Intact  Not intact  None

Environmental damage?  No  Yes What kind?

Treatment needed?  Store as is  Layer with tissue  Wrap with tissue  Store in box

 Other: 13 Appendix C Results from the Needs Assessment Survey of the Costume Collection, Winship Drama Building

Total number of items in the collection: ≈2,000 Total number of items surveyed: 80 (4%)

Object Stitching: Blouse: 50 Intact: 68 Children’s Clothing: 30 Not intact: 12

Period Closures: Fin de Siècle: 1 Buttons Edwardian: 28 Intact: 37 Neo-Empire: 18 Not intact: 10 World War I: 17 Hook & eye Unknown: 16 Intact: 6 Not intact: 4 Sex Snaps Male: 5 Intact: 6 Female: 63 Not intact: 3 Unisex/Ambiguous: 12 Ties Intact: 19 Fabric(s) Not intact: 7 Silk: 16 None/Not apparent: 15 Cotton: 45 Linen: 8 Ornamentation Lace: 34 Intact: 63 Velvet: 2 Not intact: 8 Wool: 5 None: 8 Organdy: 3 Other: 1 Environmental damage No: 62 Weight of fabric(s): Yes Thin, translucent: 58 Insect: 13 Medium, opaque: 14 Rust: 3 Thick: 8 Mold: 3 Water: 1 Manufacturing process(es) Woven: 70 Treatment needed Knitted: 4 Store as is: 2 Crocheted: 2 Layer with tissue: 73 Other: 9 Wrap with tissue: 5 Store in box: 2 Condition of fabrics: Other: 6 Good: 51 Fair: 28 Poor: 1 Thin, weak: 17 Discolored: 67 Holes: 30 14 Tears: 31 Pulls, snags: 21 Loose threads: 23 Spots, stains: 62 Appendix D Project Budget

Supplies and Materials Source Quantity Price

Textile storage boxes (8"x40"x18.5") Gaylord 10 ea. @$24.35/ea. $243.50

Cloth labelling tape (1"x72yds.) Gaylord 1 roll @ $14.95/roll $14.95

Buffered acid-free tissue (40"x1000') Gaylord 1 roll @ $125.45/roll $125.45

Crepeline, natural (39"x36") Talas 1 yd. @$22.20/yd. $22.20

Crepeline, black (39"x36") Talas 1 yd. @$24/yd. $24.00

Total $430.10

Appendix E Environmental Data (11/13/02, 4:20 pm)

Location Temperature (ºF) % RH Lux UV

Work table 72.5 42.8% 130 1.7

Cabinet K 72.5 42.5% 35.5 1.4

Cabinet B 72.5 42.7% 34.5 1.6

Accordian door cabinets 72.4 42.8% 19.2 0