A United States Color Troop's Flag Marker Found in a Small Local LIbrary!

Remarkable historical artifacts can be found in so many places, not always in museums or historical societies. Here is a story of a remarkable flag marker found at a small library in Western New York State. Spicer Art Conservation, LLC has previously treated another USCT flag (read about it here).

The library's director with the framed flag before treatment.   

The flag marker is a silk 35-Star National flag with a 6/6/6/5/6/6 star pattern located in the canton. Embroidered in yellow and light blue silk threads on the strips with "26 / U.S.C.T." The small flag measures 17 7/8" H x 24 1/2" W. All of the seams are flat-feld. The blue silk hoist is a folded over to create a sleeve with four holes that were used to attach the flag to its staff. A small fragment of the fly edge survived. 

Drawing of the flag's construction. In the drawing a small vertical section
of the stitched fly edge can be seen.

The 26th USCT is one of three troops from New York State. It turns out that it is also called 26th Regiment New York Infantry (Colored). The 26th Regiment was organized at Riker's Island, New York harbor, in February 27, 1864. The unit was commanded under Col. William Silliman. 

Below, is the surviving regimental flag for the unit, beautifully embroidered with silk bullion fringe. 

A beautifully embroidered regimental flag for this unit still exists and
is held in the collections of the Division of Military Naval Affairs.
Embroidered at the lower section is "GOD AND LIBERTY".

At one point in the flag's history, it had been glue to a laminated board. Excessive glue was used.

The flag glued to the board once removed from the frame.

 

The slow process of removing the laminated back board that the flag was glued.

The vast majority of the paper board layers were able to be removed. But still not all could be removed safely with out damaging the silk. The small areas were determined to stay.

Encapsulated flag, showing the reverse side.

 

Once the flag was encapsulated, it was then positioned onto a prepared aluminum honeycomb panel. Layers of needle-punch batting are incorporated to create the best pressure with the covering UV-filtered Plexiglas.

Attaching the show covered fabric to the mount.

The flag was positioned onto the prepared mount, covered with UV-filtered Plexiglas and secured with a powder-coated aluminum frame.  

 

Completed and mounted flag.

 

The 18th Star

About a year ago a flag rolled onto a large diameter tube came to my studio, brought by the Preventive Conservator, Tara Kennedy from the archival collection at the Divinity Library at Yale University. They had recently learned of a large, wool bunting, 18-star, thirteen stripe National flag in their collection. This was part of an investigative project for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) by Library Alliance intern Taylor Williams, who is a forensic science undergraduate from Southern University of New Orleans. The flag arrived at Yale in 2017 as part of a transfer of several hundred boxes of archival materials from Andover Newton Theological School, formerly located in Newton, Massachusetts. Every eighteen-star flag is very unusual and rare. What was the date of the flag? Could it be a real 18-star flag from 1812? These and other questions could only begin to be answered with a fuller understanding of the flag. This began with a full analysis and description of the flag. 

Overall of the 18-Star flag.

Schematic of the flag illustrating the locations of seams and selvages.

What is a flag analysis? This is a technical study that includes every aspect of the flag’s construction, including measurements and type of materials used. The study documents gross overall construction and progresses down to the spin and thread count of each fabric present (see the table below). The physical examination is done under both simple, 8x magnification and microscopy at 100x and 250x magnification. The known physical properties are compared to other known flag examples of similar type and ages. Some technical studies include analysis of the dyes as well, which was not performed in this case. 

Magnification of the three wool fabrics. The salvage edge is located on the left side of both the blue and red fabrics. Each are a plain-weave structure with threads spun in the Z-direction.

The Canton

The first indication of the unusual nature of this flag was in the construction of the canton. It was made with three horizontal seams, evenly spaced about 8” apart. Found at each seam were selvage edges, meaning that each strip of fabric was a full width, not pieced with fragments. This narrow-woven bunting is called “quarter cloth.” Its presence in this flag was unusual. 

Uniqueness of an 18-star flag The second official national flag was in 1795 with 15-stars to include the states of Vermont and Kentucky. The third official flag was in 1818 with 20-stars (Mastai and Mastai 1973; Madaus and Smith 2006). The third Flag Act stated that the number of stripes would remain at 13. Many flags used during the War of 1812 featured fifteen stripes as well as stars. The eighteenth star of the US national flag represents Louisiana, which achieved statehood on April 30th 1812, following Ohio (1803) and before Indiana (1816). There was no official 18-star flag. This is why so many 15-star flags, such as the Star Spangled Banner and the Fort Niagara flag, were used long after they no longer correctly represented the number of states in the Union. Grace Cooper in her book Thirteen-Star Flags: Keys to Identification notes, ‘It is doubtful that there were any eighteen-star or nineteen-star flags. . . With the War of 1812 raging, one would not expect the national flag to be changed while it was under fire” (Cooper 1973). However, in So Proudly We Hail, (Furlong and McCandless 1981) a silk, eighteen-star and eighteen stripe flag is shown. This is called the Baton Rouge Flag and is in an unknown collection (see below). It clearly does not fully follow the Flag Act specifications about the number of stars and stripes. The stars in this this Baton Rouge Flag are in a 5-4-5-4 pattern. Its existence indicates that the Yale's 18-Star flag is possibly historically real.

The silk Baton Rouge Flag with 18-stars and 18 stripes.

Are there other 18-star flags? In 1860 when southern states were beginning to secede, areas of the north were beginning to make flags with stars representing those states who were known to remain in the Union. Such flags have been called Exclusionary Flags. A surviving example is the 18-Star flag from Isaac Hayes Arctic Expedition of 1860 that left from Boston (Zaricor; ZFC0630; Mastai and Mastai 1973). This cotton flag was professionally made, with two-concentric rings around a center star. In contrast are Louisiana Secession flags. A surviving flag has eighteen stars, being the eighteen state, however with fewer stripes (Bridgeman). Both of these surviving flags are made of cotton.

Summary of Findings 

The fabric analysis of the 18-star flag bunting used fits within the range of threads per inch of the early nineteenth century. According to Cooper, use of single Z-spun threads persisted into the Civil War. The flag is made of high-quality wool, hand-woven fabric and is skillfully constructed with an unusual star count. All of the findings indicate that the flag is genuine to the time period of when Louisiana became a state in 1812.

Remembering World War I and II Service Banners and the 'Home Front'

Sheet music, "Our Service Flag: A Blue Start 
Turned to Gold," 1920, Library of Congress.

Over the years at Spicer Art Conservation, we have seen many types of service banners or service flags that were meant to be displayed by service members' families. First used during World War I, the banner was designed and patented in 1917 by U.S. Army Captain Robert L. Queisser of the Fifth Ohio Infantry, in honor of his two sons who were serving in that war. With subsequent use, their design and sizes were standardized and codified.

The flag or banner is officially defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities. A gold star with a blue edge represents a family member who died during Military Operations. This includes those who lost their lives during World War I, World War II, or during any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the United States was engaged before July 1, 1958, or those who lost their lives after June 30, 1958:

• while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;

• while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or

• while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party against an opposing armed force;

or those who lost their lives after March 28, 1973, as a result of:

• an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of Defense; or

• military operations while serving outside the United States (including the commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States) as part of a peacekeeping force. [1]

A personal banner, often placed in a window. The
blue star signifies one family member serving in
the Armed Forces. Should the family member
die in service, the family had the right to replace
the blue star with a gold one.The size of this banner
needed to be the same size ratio as the American flag.



The Gold Star Mother designation originally started in 1928 
by Grace Darling Seibold to recognize mothers who lost 
sons in WWI. The last Sunday in September is observed 
as Gold Star Mother's Day. Above, Gold Star Mother's 
Day at Arlington National Cemetery in 1936.

These banners were widely distributed in the home front, but lost favor during the Vietnam War. There has been a resurgence in their use since the first Gulf War. For example, the Silver Star is a tradition begun in 2004, marking service personnel who were wounded.

A 1918 Service flag, presented to Mills County by Glenwood
Lodge No. 43, Knights of Pythias
Many organizational banners were personalized
with the names of their members and, thus, can be very large.

WWII banner for Navy service. The printed design is
'flocked'. It still has its wooden rod with cord and tassels

WWII Banner from the West Side Rowing Club,
Buffalo, NY

The idea of commemorating members of a group has a tradition with GAR roll of honor as a means to honor valor and bravery of members.

GAR Roll of Honor with 18 names

Names are printed onto cardboard and attached to
fabric with a ribbon

Notes and Resources

[1] Wikipedia, "Service Flag," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_flag, accessed January 12, 2019.

CRW Flags, "Service Flags (U.S.)," https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us%5Esvc.html, accessed January 12, 2019.

"The Service Flag of the United States," http://www.usflag.org/history/serviceflag.html, accessed January 12, 2019.

A Tricolor in the canton of a Civil War National Color

It's Flag Day, June 14, and there is interesting history to go with an artifact being conserved this summer at Spicer Art Conservation. We going to be mounting an unusual Civil War National Color from the collection of the New York State Military Museum, soon to be going on loan for an exhibit in Germany.

On the obverse side of the flag are 34 embroidered stars in the grand luminary design in the canton. On the reverse side is a tricolor of black, red and gold, a German National flag (the black and red fields are comprised of solid pieces of fabric, while the bottom gold field is comprised of four ribbons stitched together horizontally.)

It is unusual to have another national flag in the canton of a US National flag. These were tumultuous times in Europe, with the widespread 'revolutions' of 1848, and the black-red-gold tricolor became the symbol of those advocating a German Republic. Following the disturbances, many Germans emigrated to the United States, and, having lost their bid to establish a republic at home, these immigrants became whole-hearted Americans, and some of them enlisted to preserve our Republic.

The reverse-side of the canton, a tricolor of
black, red and gold strips.

The four ribbon rows used to create the
yellow strip of the German flag.

"The large German-American population of the North was among the first to rally to the defense of the Union in 1861. In all, over 200,000 of these immigrant Americans would enlist in the Federal armies. Some of them were not only eager volunteers, but distinctly dressed as well. Two New York City German regiments, the 8th and the 20th Volunteer Infantry, wore uniforms reflecting the Germanic tradition of marksmanship and the use of rifles." (*Don Troiani's Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War (Stackpole Books 2002).

(Learn more at  the New York State Military Museum's webpage about the 8th Infantry https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/8thInf/8thInfMain.htm )

It may be a bit of a shock to some to recognize the tricolor in the US national flag canton to be the modern German flag--it looks like something from an editorial cartoonist's pen. This flag has a long history, and it has specific meaning. Wikipedia ("Flag_of_Germany") tells us that there have been two tricolors competing to be the German national flag: black-white-red (imperial colors) and the current black-red-gold (republican colors). The black-red-gold flag appeared first in 1778, and was prominent during and after the 1848 revolutions. It was proposed to be the flag of a constitutional monarchy for united Germany. Black-white-red was the imperial flag until the end of World War I. The black-red-gold flag again returned during the Weimar Republic, giving way to the imperial colors during the Nazi regime. Following World War II, the republican design was revived to represent Germany, what we referred to as 'West Germany' during the Cold War. During that time 'East Germany' included a field of 'socialist heraldry', the latter dropped upon reunification in 1990.

The grand luminary star pattern.

If you look carefully below the nylon net,
the star is embroidered as a circle with a
chain-stitch outline, with five-points.

The flag that SAC is treating was made for the 8th NY Volunteer infantry, a regiment composed of the German-Americans. The 8th was referred to as the 1st German Rifles, commanded by Ludwig Blenker. They were issued M1842 Muskets rather than rifles, but still chose to wear the green trim associated with rifle units. They were one of many Union regiments wearing gray in 1861.

After some brief searching and asking around, I have not yet been able to locate any other examples of a flag from a different nation being combined into the US flag for any of the other immigrant troops. There are examples of troops carrying a flag representative of their home nation along with a US flag, but nothing where the 2 flags are combined into 1 flag like this one is. We would be interested in learning more about such flags.

Conserving Patton's Third Army Flag

By Barbara Owens, SAC staff

Happy Flag Day 2017 and Happy 242nd Birthday to the US Army!  At Spicer Art Conservation we wanted to celebrate these two occasions by talking about the conservation of a historic American Army flag, General George Patton's Third Army Flag.

Patton's Third Army flag when it arrived at Spicer Art Conservation.
(Image courtesy of the Gen. Geo. Patton Museum of Leadership, Ft. Knox, KY).

This flag is quite unique in that it is a textile constructed as a flag, yet it was never meant to fly.  Instead, Patton's Third Army Flag is a commemorative piece containing insignia from each of the 56 Units and Divisions of Patton's Third Army, as well as several lengths of laurel embellishments, all overlaid onto an organizational flag of the third army.  The flag was created specifically as a commemorative piece and was presented to General Patton by Major General Robert Littlejohn (who was chief quartermaster of European Theater of Operations).  The flag was given to Patton just weeks before his death on December 21, 1945.  The image below is perhaps the only photo of Patton with the flag.

Littlejohn presents the flag to Patton.  (Photo from U.S. Militaria Forum). 

The flag features some insignia or embellishments that are not part of the 3rd Army or its regiments.  Several lengths of laurel radiate from the center and create a separation between the Unit patches.  These laurel leaves are "European" in character, but quite fitting for inclusion in Patton's flag as he commanded throughout Europe and perhaps more importantly, laurel symbolizes victory.  An appropriate symbol to include in a presentation to a celebrated General who had famously been involved in victories of the WWII, from North Africa to Germany.

Creating a pressure mount for Patton's Third Army Flag:
A pressure mount is a type of framed mount for the display of a textile or paper artifact to create overall pressure to support the artifact. For textiles in particular, a pressure mount enables the artifact to be placed on a mount but with few or no stitches placed in the artifact to secure it to the mount.  The mount begins with a support panel composed of a rigid archival material, such as a honeycomb aluminum panel. The support panel is then covered with soft base layers created from needle-punched polyester batting. The batting serves as a soft surface for the artifact to rest on. The artifact is then covered with UV filtering plexiglas and it is secured within an aluminum powder coated frame; the edges of the frame are sealed to prevent dust, debris and airborne pollutants from entering the frame.

Patton's Third Army flag had been previously framed and was stitched to a heavy piece of black polyester fabric. The previously used frame was not a sealed pressure mount and therefore dust and airborne particulate entered the back of the frame to settle on the mounting fabric (see image below).

The previously used frame had allowed dust and airborne particulate to enter the back of the frame. Above, the reverse side of the mounting fabric shows the layer of dust.  Above, you can also see the extensive stitching in yellow thread used to attach the flag and fringe to its display fabric.

This flag is not flat:
A flag like this is unique in that the embroidery, insignia, and fringe create a 3-dimensional surface.  Additionally, the stitching of the various elements onto silk creates puckering between the patches and laurel.

This planar view of the flag's surface, shows the raised quality of the laurel embellishments.

The center area, where the large army "A" is located in an embroidered circle, is quite thick, with a round embroidered "A" being featured on both the obverse and reverse of the flag.  In fact, the large circle with the Third Army emblem is the only embroidery featured on the reverse side of the flag.

Paying attention to the raised embroidered areas of the flag is important for a number of reasons.  First, cleaning a surface that has texture and depth requires more attention to detail.  Second, when mounting the flag for display, if the raised areas are not supported, the weight of those areas can sag or shift as gravity takes its toll.

Building the Mount
Creating a pressure mount for a textile like Patton's Third Army Flag requires that the raised elements be supported consistently and overall with a padded surface as the base for the mount. If it had instead been placed on a hard, flat, base surface and Plexiglas was simply played over the top, it would result in the raised areas being crushed.  For a textile like this, the padding that covers the surface of the mount cannot consist of just one solid piece, instead the padding must be muli-layered, having areas cut-out of the padding to allow for the embellishments to rest into.

While the pressure mount is being constructed, various layers of batting are
compiled to line up with the embellishments on the surface of the flag.  

The construction and building of the pressure mount is careful work.  The layers must align properly, and they must support, but create no additional bulk.

The batting layers with the visible "wells" to accommodate the thicker portions of the flag.

Patton's commemorative patch flag features some interesting construction techniques.  The fringe is affixed to the outside of the flag, this indicates that the flag was a standard issue Third Army Flag.  The unit sleeve patches were affixed with care and thought; the red patches were stitched in a blanket stitch with red thread, the blue patches with blue thread, etc. (close-up image below).

Close-up of some of the sleeve patches and the individualized
color stitching used to best match the patch.

Above, the close-up image reveals the close proximity placement of the sleeve patches, as well as the decorative laurel. The attachment shows the puckering or "undulation" of the silk as the heavy pieces are are stitched to silk - a slippery and unforgiving fabric!

As the pressure mount comes together, each component must work in synchronicity.  The layering of the batting must sit properly beneath the patches and embellishments. The Plexiglas must create the right amount of support and proper pressure, but not too much pressure as to be damaging.  The layers of the frame; the base support layer, the artifact, the Plexiglas, the frame itself, all must work together and house the textile in a way that will create the best possible mount for as long as the flag is framed within it.

Each year Spicer Art Conservation assists organizations and individual collectors with their flag conservation and mounting projects.  Our expertise in the preservation of these historic artifacts has given us the opportunity to work on some of the most unique and interesting pieces of history. We are pleased to be a recognized expert in flag preservation and wish all flag enthusiasts a very happy Flag Day!  We are additionally pleased to serve the US Army in the conservation of their collection of artifacts and wish the US Army a very happy birthday!
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Gwen Spicer is an art conservator in private practice. Spicer Art Conservation specializes in textile conservation, and is a recognized expert in the care and conservation of historic flags and banners. Spicer Art Conservation additionally specializes in object conservation, and the conservation of works on paper.  To contact Gwen, please visit her website or send an email.

How to make a longer storage tube for large textiles, especially oversized flags

Rolled storage is a great method for storing oversized textiles, especially large flags. Rolling is a method that precludes the textile from being folded, therefore eliminating fold lines and areas of weakness caused by folding. Oversized textiles, especially very large flags, require special accommodations so that they may be rolled. Since flags and large textiles come in a wide range of sizes, standardizing a rolled storage system can be challenging. First, there must be enough storage space for a large rolled flag to be housed. The second (and maybe biggest) challenge is that the supplies for rolling very large flags and textiles do not exist, they must be created.

This post is about how to create a custom sized/oversized acid-free tube by adding length.  It is not intended to teach about rolling of textiles, however that information can be found in part three of our previous posts about flag storage: "How to Store Your Flag: Part 3 - Rolling".

While I was doing the survey of a large collection of flags at the State Historical Museum of Iowa we found that the standard 8 foot long tube would not accommodate several of the flags; in fact the longest of the tubes needed for Iowa's collection was 16 feet. So what to do? What follows are images and even a video (above) that explains one method to create a lengthened tube. The process of creating that very long tube is demonstrated by Pete Sixbey, conservator and Kay Coats, collection manager, both of the State Historical Museum of Iowa.

Measuring the cut of tube for the extension and the insert.

Making the cut.

On the table saw, slicing out lengthwise a 1" channel. This width
is basically the distance of the thickness of two walls of the tube

The cut out channel. This width of the channel is critical
to insure that the  insert is tight inside both halves of the tube.

Now squeezing the insert down to fit inside of the tube.

A vise-grip and clamp provide pressure on four sides.

Positioning one side of the tube.

Fitting the smaller tube inside of the larger. A mallet might be needed. 

And now for the other side! Above you can see the sliced tube
fitting inside of two 8 foot tubes, therefore creating a 16 foot tube.

Iowa's larger flags are now rolled using archival materials and can be safely stored until they require conservation treatment or are ready to be prepared for exhibit or mounting.

Happy Flag Day from all of us at Spicer Art Conservation. The preservation and conservation of historic flags and banners is our expertise and it has been out great pleasure to assist institutions, museums, state houses and private collectors with flag collections both great and small.  

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Gwen Spicer is a textile conservator in private practice.  Spicer Art Conservation specializes in textile conservation, object conservation, and the conservation of works on paper.  Gwen's innovative treatment and mounting of flags and textiles is unrivaled.   To contact her, please visit her website.

Objectivity is essential when evaluating artifacts

A conservator is often trusted to determine what something is, where it comes from, and the time period in which it was made. And while we are not antiques dealers, nor can we give an estimated sales price (a la "Antiques Road Show"), it is often a conservator who is sought to weigh in on the authenticity of an item, simply from the perspective of an expert who is in close working contact with artifacts on a daily basis.

Recently, I watched a fellow textile expert look at a textile composed of silk and wool. The owner had hoped the artifact was from a particular time period, and it was quite likely to be, but the provenance of the piece was largely unknown. It was not until after the examination of this textile that the expert asked for the "story". So as not to be biased by the hopes of the owner, this expert based their examination on the hard evidence: thread count, weave structure, dyes used, degradation of the silk areas, stitching methods, style of the piece, hems, selvedge ends, (and other things that textile folks find fascinating!).

In a blog post written not long ago, we spoke of dating objects and our research into the "sprang" weave structure of a sash from the War of 1812. That blog post has received 1000's of views, and lots of comments and emails asking us about the dates of similar objects. In the studio at the same time was a beaver felt-style chapeau with "1812" prominently sewn to the front flap with a lovely decorative cord. And while it would be easy to say it was from 1812, that was not the case. From observation alone, the hat was quite worn and featured the date to commemorate the War of 1812, that was certain. But was it worn in battle? That seemed unlikely from several factors: the materials used to construct the hat, the condition of the hat, the rank of the owner, and the style of the hat was from a slightly later period (so while it was similar, it had distinctly later features). Our findings were discussed in our blog "what's in a date?".

Was this hat worn in the War of 1812, or does it commemorate the War of 1812?

There are many items that commemorate dates, like the 1812 hat above, that can easily be thought to originate at the time or event they commemorate. Such is the case with flags, pennants, buttons, banners and other items that are reproduced for a celebration, especially a centennial or significant anniversary.

On the other hand are objects that have a strong story or a label that was affixed to the object a long time ago. These are items that have history from legend retold or sometimes from documentation that is quite old, but does not go back to the date of the object.

For example, a lovely textile, which came into the studio along with some other artifacts, was believed by the owner to be something quite extraordinary. For this owner, family tradition had cemented the importance of the garment they believed to be from the late 13th century. Yet, the story (which was beautiful and had accompanying documentation that dated to the mid 1800's) was not plausible for a variety of reasons. The most persuasive factor was that this artifact was made using a technique that was not known until hundreds of years later. Also this textile was in very good condition, yet was hoped to be a 740 year old garment.

A lovely knitted garment with open work and ribbed scalloped edges. Family
history claimed it was knit by a queen in the late thirteenth century.

It was a surprise to the owner that another item in their collection was actually older, and was the one that was remarkable. This textile (photo detail below) was used as a protective covering to hold a circa 1800 book. The covering is a pouch made of linen with silk, and the embroidery is wonderful. When we commented on it, the owner stated that the textile was always "just the bag used to protect the book". The bag was clearly not made for the book, the book just happened to fit inside and so the two are now, and for many past decades, "together".

Detail of the small embroidered pouch. The owner was surprised that it
was possibly a 17th century piece depicting King David playing his harp.

Sometimes an item will be misidentified as something it is similar to, but is not: "Japanese Kimono", "Tapestry", "battle flag", etc. will turn out to be a Chinese robe or a weaving that was hung on the wall, or a flag made to commemorate a military unit. These long standing labels can be difficult to shed. And often it is difficult to tell the client that what they have is not exactly what they think they have. However, the history of the object is still there, it's just different than what was assumed, but certainly just as (and sometimes more) interesting.

Is this a Revolutionary War era flag because it features 13 stars? One must be cautious that the number of stars, does not automatically mean the flag is from that specific time period. Flags, like the 1812 chapeau above, are often made to commemorate the anniversary of an event. 

Depending on the artifact, whether it be a textile, object, paper etc. Particular attributes are important. Objects made of wood, metal, glass or any medium all have specific characteristics that are indicative of the way they were made, and often when they were made. As discussed above, textiles can be quite telling when you look at the way they are woven, the fabric they are composed of, or the way they are dyed.

Why is dye analysis so important and what can be learned from it? Dye analysis is not meant to tell the date something was dyed, instead it is used to determine if a dye is natural or synthetic. We know that synthetic dyes were discovered in 1856. This is a clear date line because regardless of the appearance of an item, if the dye present in it is synthetic then the item absolutely cannot be dated before 1856.

More so than analysis, or even hard facts, is the simple fact that you must remain unbiased from trying to make an artifact fit into a particular era. For example, recently an item came to us that had been framed. The item was believed to be of a particular time because of the frame. However, the item was separate from the frame, yet because they had been together for so long they were assumed to be one in the same.

Determining an artifact's authenticity or period of manufacture or era can be quite difficult (if not impossible) without supporting documentation or a lot of unbiased research. Bias is a dangerous thing, hence is why scientists guard against it in their research to remove their predispositions from the outcome. It is no less dangerous in attempting to prove validity in dating artifacts, proving authenticity or establishing provenance.

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Gwen Spicer is a textile conservator in private practice.  Spicer Art Conservation specializes in textile conservation, object conservation, and the conservation of works on paper.  Gwen's innovative treatment and mounting of flags and textiles is unrivaled.   To contact her, please visit her website.

Collection management in museums where recommendations are being followed

Imagine the success in collection care that could be achieved if the recommendations in a site visit report or collection care report could be followed and implemented?

But for many institutions, by the time a report is deemed necessary, an overwhelmed state has already been reached. The museum staff simply may not know where to begin because the task has been labeled as "daunting". Yet, in some situations the survival of the collection, and certainly the most vulnerable items in the collection, need to be addressed or be lost.

I know, you are reading this and saying, "we are understaffed!", "we have a shoestring budget!" or, "you've never dealt with my board!"

Those are stumbling blocks, no one will deny. But implementing recommendations does not have to be an "all at once" effort, nor does it have to be "everything or nothing at all". Hence is why most recommendations are prioritized and a time-line is projected.

Success Story: The Banner Collection of the Literary and Scientific Circle of the Chautauqua Institution.
The background story is this: the Chautauqua Institution is a small community known for their short intense summer season, and many residents are seasonal only, leaving just a handful of people on-site in the off-season. Many buildings belonging to the institution are unheated in winter.

Overall of the 1947 banner with its protective covering.

The 1947 banner features a painted surface.

The Chautauqua Institution dates back to 1847. The banner collection dates to 1875 where it is known as the collection from The Normal School, then the Scientific and Literary Circle from 1882. The collection grows by one banner each year as the literary circle creates a banner to symbolize that year. Every banner since the inaugural banner is in the collection. Traditional also calls for the banners to be removed from display/storage and be marched in an annual parade.

About 15 years ago, the Institute called to consult with Spicer Art Conservation about the condition of some of the older banners that had grown quite fragile, as well as to seek advice about the building in which the banners are housed. The building, Alumni Hall, which is original to the grounds, had no basement, no insulation, no covering over the lights or windows, no heat, no dehumidification system, and no air conditioning.

Alumni Hall. Some of the banners are reproduced to be hung outside.

The first step was a survey of the collection, included in the survey report were recommendations which were classified into categories. The most urgent needs were identified to be dealt with first, followed by those which were close behind, and finally the needs that could wait. After the survey, a hands-on session was conducted to train anyone in contact with the collection how to properly handle and care for the banners.

One of the shelving units in the collection.

The all-volunteer committee was eager to learn about best practices and while they were concerned about the monumental task ahead of them, they made the decision to move forward, one recommendation at a time, and create the best possible environment for their collection.

The committee worked on each step, they budgeted for things they did not expect (like getting dehumidifiers), and they worked for a solid decade. Ten years later, the collection was reassessed. The collection was being stored, displayed and handled properly. Guidelines were in place, and the environment was being monitored constantly.

Each banner is placed on its solid support in archival shelving with an image of the banner on an identification card.

The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle's (CLSC) collection of banners has become the hallmark for how to implement change and create the best storage and display environment possible for any textile collection. This past week I returned to Chautauqua for another visit to examine the collection and give a talk about the banners and this incredible story of success.

With hard work and perseverance, the entire collection has been conserved properly. If a tiny institution can do it with an all volunteer staff, anyone (who is willing) can do it too.

The banner collection of the CLSC has been featured in our blog once before. That entry is one of our most popular and most viewed. Simply titled "How to Store your Flag Part 1" it has been viewed by thousands and I invite you to view it by clicking the link. There are simple storage solutions there, and it is never to early or too late to implement proper storage.

And of course, if you need a professional conservator, reach out! No project is too big or too small for Spicer Art Conservation. We are here to help institutions, historic societies, private collectors and anyone who is interested in the care and preservation of historic textiles, banners and flags.

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Gwen Spicer is an art conservator in private practice.  Spicer Art Conservation specializes in textile conservation, object conservation, and the conservation of works on paper.  Gwen's innovative treatment and mounting of artifacts is unrivaled. To contact her, please visit her website.