Textile Conservation before and after photos of silk or wool deteriorated by mold & exhibition techniques. These are a few examples of historic flags we treated that are owned by Indiana collectors and the Indiana War Memorial, in Indianapolis, IN.

1. Pictorial Study of Levels of Work
to discuss the “Faded Glory” of Military Insignia flags
after long term, 75 year exhibition decay.
Frank Matero describes “
cultural heritage as the ability
of a thing… to present the
everyday human experience
of lived time. “What survives,
what is forgotten, what is
cared for or destroyed,
describes the lives that
creative works can take. “
AIC News 1/2011

2. Typical Textile Conservation
on Small Field Maps
1944 Occupied France
Printed fabric

3. Humidify, Wetclean & Block
Japan WWII
Silk print

4. Conservation with overlays on
4 top stripes with red net
28th National Civil War 1865
Before Mold removal
Returned to the natural patina…
Patina describes” acceptable entropic changes that are considered intrinsic to
the material due to the weathering of that material under normal circumstances.
“… Weathering as a natural process, always results in a transformation of
materials through physical, mechanical, and chemical alteration.” F.M.

5. Conserved edge with support & visual underlay
Lindsey-woolsey National CW
Wool pest & edge battle loss
The work is undertaken to maintain ”contact with the past through the
identification, transmission and protection of that which is considered valuable
and relevant in the present. “ F.M.

6. Removed 1910 underlay & stitching &
replaced with similar color visual underlay
Small 3 foot Guidon
Polished metallic components

7. Close-up of 2’ guidon
Donaldsville, Cornis Bridge, Port Hudson … text is battle
honors” on original 1870s construction

8. Pictorial elements or close-ups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Look at the treatment of 5 elements
10” number 3,
5 blue dye loss areas
Oxidized copper sequins & coiled wire
Painted Eagle loss areas
Painted letter chipped, curled or lost areas
Ruskin argued for the preservation as opposed to the restoration of art and
historic buildings, which removed the face of time in a n attempt to offer “ fresh
reading.” F.M. p.3
Realistically this is never possible with textiles resulting from the absorbency
and decay of the material. JH

9. Hollytex Overlay applied as removable ground
3rd Bridgade-1st Regt Civil War
Wool with cotton stars

10. Unusual Wool Civil War flag
Typical underlays

11. Overlay of hollytex,
with gesso base and acrylic
Untouched
Restored

12. “Restoration / Preservation ” of
bleach color loss areas with in painting of textile dye
“Preservation … favors the original
25th Regimental Civil War
fabric and its age –value above all
else.” F.M.
Does this mean that we should
restore accidental mishaps during its
exhibit life?

13. 1875 Copper Sequined stars & fringe
Metallic elements polished & replaced
on navy net underlay to protect silk, seen here

14. Brown Underlay conservation
6th C W. National stripe flag with
unusual blue silk regimental painted Eagle Canton

15. Uncurled & flattened loss areas
Small in-fills

16. Basic preservation requires removing
“some” of the 1910 Mount additions
before mold removal wet cleaning or heat treating,
but the striped quilt backing remains as stabilization
Navy 1910 mounting border
Typical Back Tapes as a tapestry hanging

17. Stabilize existing “Battle Honor”
1870s & 1890s applied lettering
Gold enamel paint on silk

18. Underlay, Inlay & Stabilize Lettering
of oil or enamel paint on silk
1890s East Tenn
Chaplin “ Battle Honors Lettering

19. 1910 Backings Remain With Quilting Lines
Thickness of silk with paint
saturation
Visible 1910 quilt lines near underlay

20. Partial letter restored
to be able to read “IND. VOL” unteers
80th Civil War 1865 flag lower edge of L replaced

21. Backing as obvious choice when paper needs
conserved for stabilization
Time Capsule document ,
unrolled list of
Maxwell Auto manufacturing
New Castle, IN ,
rolled list to left

22. Visual change - reduced 1910 Mount
Spanish American 1899 Flag
Navy back was decreased

23. Extended to more original shape
116th National Civil War, more of 1910 backing shows
to reveal orig. shape

24. Review of Work
1. 10” number 3, overlaid with removal paint number
2. 5 blue dye loss areas, in painted with dye, restored color loss
3. Oxidized copper sequins & coiled wire, replaced w net
overlay for protection of silk
4. Painted Eagle loss areas , filled with brown underlay
but limited visual restoration
5. Painted letter chipped, curled or lost areas, restored image
with similar visual , cannot be easily removed.
6. Original rectangles restored
7. 1910 backing reduced or removed

25. Extreme Examples to review
levels of repair for conservation
Indiana Battle flags, preserved
partially when rolled
on original wood staffs

26. Backing is used two ways:
to replace lost edge to rectangular shape &
as restoration to Hold shards in place with adhesive underlays
When does restoration best describe the work?
When it is secured with adhesive? Stitched ? Or when not as easy to remove?
Sheridan ‘s 1840s National flag
Replaced cotton duck cloth edge

27. The appreciation shown for this conserved,
shattered cotton flag remnant
inspired my flag work
Adhesive underlays were needed for stabilization
Dubois County 27th Regt. Civil
War flag w orig. staff, cord,
tassels & ribbon

28. Unusual Original Ribbon
A Backing was later added to stabilize the original grograin
ribbon with ink Regiment ID after flattened
After unwound from staff

29. Dubois County Civil War Flag
Visual Conservation
Silk crepeline backing (similar to an infill of loss) is used
to stabilize the rectangle &
The backing also functions as a visual substitute.
(Visual conservation or restoration-look)
On exhibit