My Journey to Textile Conservation: Past, Present, and Future

Beginnings

One of the first hurdles to becoming a textile conservator is knowing that the field exists at all. Many people have interests in museums, art, craft, history, or science but have no idea that they could channel these passions into textile conservation. Very few people (including several of my family members) known what textile conservation is. Most hear the word “conservation” and assume I do something with the environment.

I am very lucky that my mother is a museum curator who also has a love for textiles. As a small child she taught me how to cross stitch, hand sew, and explore my interests in fiber arts. This resulted in the theft of everyone’s old socks as materials to sew stuffed animals.

Around the age of 16 I received my first sewing machine, began sewing my own clothes, and became interested in chemistry. Therefore, my mother thought that textile conservation would be a great career for me.

We toured the Textile Conservation Workshop together, talking to the conservators, looking at their ongoing projects, and learning about the profession. Being a teenager, I insisted that my mother was wrong and that I would be a terrible conservator.

Undergraduate Degree

After high school, I went to Eastern Connecticut State University as a major in history. Within the first few months I realized that my mother was right and I did want to become a textile conservator. Don’t tell her I said that though. So I immediately looked into what courses were required to get into a conservation graduate program.

As a history major I learned about the societal contexts of the objects I would be conserving in the future. I went on to minor in French so that I could read primary source documents on fashion. I also minored in Costume and Fashion Design and I learned about how clothing is made including pattern drafting, draping, and more complex clothing construction techniques.

I also took classes on organic chemistry, drawing, painting, sculpture, art history, museum studies, and anthropology to meet the entry requirements for the conservation graduate programs.

During the summers in between my undergraduate courses and after graduation I completed a number of internships to gain practical experience in textile conservation.

Conservation Internships

My first big break into the field of art conservation was an internship in Object Conservation at the Yale University Art Gallery. During my internship, I documented the condition of objects, installed two exhibitions, and assisted with conservation treatments.

After Yale, I went on to intern at the Textile Conservation Workshop (which I had visited as a teenager), the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Museum of Modern Art. I further developed my skills in a variety of conservation treatments, collection storage, working with clients and museum staff members, and displaying textiles.

I also volunteered at smaller local history and art institutions such as the Windham Textile and History Museum, the Creative Arts Workshop, and New Haven Museum.

Center for Textile Conservation

I now had the practical experience and the academic background to enter a Master’s program in textile conservation! Unfortunately, there are very few programs in art conservation and even fewer that focus on textiles. I chose the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Textile Conservation (CTC) for a few reasons.

Unlike many other programs, the CTC concentrates on both art conservation and textiles. It also has a focus on teaching practical skills via conservation treatments on historic objects and a work placement. I also wanted an excuse to move to Scotland.

As a student at the CTC I took courses on conservation techniques, ethics, preventive conservation, and how textiles are made. I learned how to dye fabrics, wet clean textiles, handle organic solvents, and communicate conservation treatments to clients.

I conserved a variety of textiles including an 1860s blouse, a 1980s t-shirt, archaeological fragments, a knitted corset made in Glasgow, and a WWI embroidered purse. You can read about my treatment of William Gray’s purse in the Summer 2021 issue of PieceWork magazine.

Between my first and second year in the program I had a placement at National Museums Scotland in their textile and paper conservation department. Most of my placement was devoted to preparing for the exhibition Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland. This involved condition checking incoming loans, conserving objects in the exhibition, and mounting numerous costumes and textiles. My placement helped me continue to develop my conservation skills, make contacts in the field, explore my interests in knitwear and costume mounting, and experience the fast pace of working on a major exhibition.

At the end of final year in the program, I began working on my dissertation. It was hard to choose a topic because there are so many fascinating things to study in textile conservation! I pursued my interests in modern materials, wool, and textile production. My dissertation, “Review of Shrinkproof Wool Treatments and their Effects on Textile Conservation”, examines how manufacturers have historically and continue to treat wool to prevent felting. I also theorized how this is could impact the ageing and future conservation of these objects.

Post Graduation

I graduated from the University of Glasgow with a MPhil in Textile Conservation in December of 2020. Due to the pandemic, many museums have closed making conservation jobs difficult to find. Currently, I have been attending online professional development seminars to improve my knowledge after graduation. This has included learning about methods of carpet cleaning, the history of purses, the spiritual practices around thangkas, and starting a conservation business.

I have also focused on educating the public, particularly textile crafters, about art conservation. My experiences with textile conservation has changed the way I craft and care for the objects I make. On my blog I have written about how to treat a moth infestation, store your embroideries, different types of textile fibers, and I hope to keep writing more!

Readers of PLY and PieceWork will know that I have also been working as a freelance writer. Most of my articles focus on textile conservation and history and how they can inform our crafting. You can find a list of my publications here.

I am also eternally crafting including knitting, sewing, dyeing, spinning, and now weaving. Textile crafting helps me understand how the objects I conserve were made.

In the future, I hope to continue reaching out to crafters about textile conservation via articles and this blog. I also plan on opening a textile conservation studio in eastern Scotland so that I can explore my passion for preserving historic connections to the past.

I also would like to thank my husband, friends, family, teachers, intern supervisors, and anyone else who helped me during my pursuit of a career in textile conservation. I wouldn’t be where I am without you!