Flag storage

[Nick B]

Hi

After reading the 400 year birthday of the union jack I decided to get out my rather large union jack. As I was trying to get a good photo (i only managed to get a pic with half of it becuase I couldn't find a decent place to hang it)
I noticed large creases in the cloth were its been folded. I searched the forum and found people say to roll them, I don't really have room to roll this flag, (or my 9 foot party flag) So should I refold them along different lines every couple of months? Or any other suggestions?

Cheers
Nick

[MikeB]

Flag Storage

Hi Nick-
Sounds like you have some nice flags! If they are silk and beginning to show signs of fold creases, you should not fold them along the same lines. You should choose new ones. Rolled storage is a good way to go as is flat storage. One of the things you might try is to loosely fold the flag (I know it's large,) placing acid free/archival tissue paper, or muslin cloth in between each fold until you have the flag down to a more manageable size. I would recommend that you then put it into an archival storage box (they come in many sizes, some quite large.) As in all textiles, make sure to monitor the temperature and humidity. Those 2 factors can spell out big problems for flags especially ones made from silk. Cotton gloves should also be worn while handling, but most people want to actually touch their items. If you have to touch, make sure you wash your hands first. This will cut down on the transfer of oil between your skin and the material. Oil attracts dirt, a major no-no in textile preservation. Hope this helps. Mike

[Nick B]

Thanks very much for the helpful reply, I will try to fold them loosely and maybe get some acid free tissue, These are just cotton (i think) so pretty basic flags but I still like them a lot.

[George Stimson]

Is it a good idea to steam creases out of flags?

[MikeB]

Flag Storage....

Hi Nick-
If your flags are cotton then you don't have the same problem with the textile fibers as you do with silk. Silk is more fragile and more susceptible to problems than cotton. Cotton has it's own difficulties, the biggest being that it swells/attracts moisture which can harm the fibers. I think you will be in good shape if you store your flags as recommended.
Hi George-
What I can say about ironing is that it does nothing to improve the current condition of one's flags, can harm the fabric, but it sure makes them look nice! If your flags are rather on the new side (not highly collectible/valuable,) then don't worry about ironing. If they are older silk or contain bullion thread or other embroidery, (valuable,) etc. then I would not do it unless it is one time only and then the piece is set-up for display. I know of a local, small-town museum that had a great old collection of silk flags. Every year they would do an exhibit of battle captured flags around the 4th of July time frame. The volunteer/"curator" would get out the iron each time and flatten them out nicely. Over time the material became brittle and yellowed, while some became brown and were even burned. Some places steam press them and that presents a whole different set of problems too. Mike

[Nick B]

I have been checking my damp rid containers and running a dehumidifier to get rid of excess damp but over all it seems fine of that front. It was mainly these bad fold lines. Thanks for all the help