Storing antique textiles on hangers is not a good idea for a number of reasons. The damage done by hangers can be subtle, I have never seen a tunic where the outside shoulder seams have given way but I have seen a number of less dramatic effects of this type of storage. The lining material can tear from its own weight or become very fragile from stress. The stitching inside the tunic in the collar area can also give way, this is especially true for tailored tunics which often use a single hand-stitched seam to connect the inside of the collar to the lining. I agree that most collectors store their uniforms on hangers at this time but as these textiles become more fragile, that will become a thing of the past. There is some indication that rayon made in the 1940s will decompose and disintegrate over time, that is a scary thought. There are no collectors out there with Civil War uniforms storing them on hangers. Mannequin storage is safe if the items are well supported without stress to the seams, assuming the environment is safe and that exposure to UV light, dust and excess humidity are kept to a minimum. The best solution I can think of is to strike a balance by having half of your collection on display and the other half stored flat in acid-free boxes stuffed with archival tissue for support. If you rotate the display periodically you can keep the stress on the items to a safe level. This also forces you to inspect your collection periodically to ensure that problems can be treated before the damage becomes severe.
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Judas:Originally posted by judas View Post
You're absolutely right about that too, and I admit that's something I hadn't even thought to mention yet myself. Thanks for bringing that important issue up too. I also don't like those creases in my cloth items, and I'm sure that's not good for them either. I know that it's certainly not good for cufftitles, as some of those flatwire threads can actually break in half over time...
I'd also say that some of the creases, after being in a cloth item for too long, may never even go away.
This crease issue you just mentioned is yet another perfect example of one of the compromises that must be made with just about anything we chose to do. It seems that nothing is perfect, and almost everything has its own undesireable side effect. Again, I guess it's just a matter of determining which is the lesser of two evils, as they say. I'm not completely sure what the answer is at this point.
However, maybe we'll figure something reasonable out, before this is all over.
Chris
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Chris:Originally posted by Chris Pittman View Post
I think you may well have the most reasonable solution/compromise yet! After banging my head about this for some time, I certainly can't think of anything any better. With your idea, you get to display them with the joy of seeing what you have and showing others, you get a rotating variety of display items, you display them in a way that supports them to prevent the damaging stress on threads and fabric, and you are, through the method, regularly examing your collection for damage from any and all sources--including those ever possible moth infestations. If any damage does begin, you can then catch it in time. I know I just paraphrased what you said, but I was just rethinking it, in the process of typing...
Yes, I really like that idea, Chris!
Thanks!
Chris
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Just in case anyone hasn't already read PaulR's latest thread on "stuffing tunics", I'm going to post a link to it here. If any of you reading this thread are interested in storing your tunics in the archival boxes and avoiding the creases, I'd say this is about the best way to do it:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...24#post2392924
Chris
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