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

Typical Textile Conservation on Small Field Maps

1944 Occupied France Printed fabric

Humidify, Wetclean & Block

Japan WWII Silk print

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.

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.

Removed 1910 underlay & stitching & replaced with similar color visual underlay

Small 3 foot Guidon Polished metallic components

Close-up of 2’ guidon

Donaldsville, Cornis Bridge, Port Hudson … text is battle honors” on original 1870s construction

Pictorial elements or close-ups

Look at the treatment of 5 elements

1. 10” number 3,

2. 5 blue dye loss areas

3. Oxidized copper sequins & coiled wire

4. Painted Eagle loss areas

5. 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

Hollytex Overlay applied as removable ground

3rd Bridgade-1st Regt Civil War Wool with cotton stars

Unusual Wool Civil War flag

Typical underlays

Overlay of hollytex, with gesso base and acrylic

Untouched Restored

“Restoration / Preservation ” of bleach color loss areas with in painting of textile dye

25th Regimental Civil War

“Preservation … favors the original

fabric and its age –value above all else.” F.M.

Does this mean that we should restore accidental mishaps during its exhibit life?

1875 Copper Sequined stars & fringe

Metallic elements polished & replaced on navy net underlay to protect silk, seen here

Brown Underlay conservation

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

Uncurled & flattened loss areas

Small in-fills

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

Stabilize existing “Battle Honor” 1870s & 1890s applied lettering

Gold enamel paint on silk

Underlay, Inlay & Stabilize Lettering of oil or enamel paint on silk

1890s East Tenn Chaplin “ Battle Honors Lettering

1910 Backings Remain With Quilting Lines

Thickness of silk with paint saturation Visible 1910 quilt lines near underlay

Partial letter restored to be able to read “IND. VOL” unteers

80th Civil War 1865 flag lower edge of L replaced

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

Visual change - reduced 1910 Mount

Spanish American 1899 Flag Navy back was decreased

Extended to more original shape

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

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

Extreme Examples to review levels of repair for conservation

Indiana Battle flags, preserved partially when rolled

on original wood staffs

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

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

Unusual Original Ribbon

A Backing was later added to stabilize the original grograin ribbon with ink Regiment ID after flattened

After unwound from staff

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