This week the blog post is going to be about the project itself and how we are working hard to keep all of this incredible history preserved indefinitely for everyone in the community to appreciate.
Currently, the clothing is stored on hanging racks in the main artefact storage area. While this has been fine, over the past 30 years of collecting and preserving the history of Thunder Bay the racks have become increasingly crowded and it is time to give the clothing a space of its own.
Thanks to generous funding from the Museum Assistance Program and the Ontario Job Creation Partnership we have been able to create a purpose-made room to house the textile collection. Over the past few months, we have been busy facilitating contractors as they lay flooring and install the state-of-the-art movable storage units. The new units have space for all our hanging clothing which will be organized by length and accession number to most effectively use the space. The new room is a thing of beauty for all who venture there.
As I move through the collection I not only re-catalog and assess the artefacts but I put them on brand new, muslin padded hangars, remove all lint and dust, perform a condition report and assess any areas that will need checking up on in 6 or so months, and drape them with brand new garment bags. After this I make sure our PastPerfect system is updated with any and all necessary information (such as provenance, measurements, donor information) and print a neat and clear garment tag to accompany the artefact. Once the new room is complete, the freshly hung and cataloged clothing will be moved into their new space.
The new room will also have space for hats, shoes, and clothing that is best stored laying down. Just like we alternately fold and hang our own clothes, some garments (especially heavy and delicate dresses) are best stored flat. The new room will have adequate space to allow us to spread out and box those garments that are best suited for flat storage.
This project has been on the Museum’s wish-list for some time and now, thanks to our incredible funding partners, it is being made possible. We are so grateful for these partnerships and cannot wait to see how this project turns out and what gems we find as we move through the collection.
Comentários