MOUNTING SYSTEMS FOR ETHNOGRAPHIC

TEXTILES AND OBJECTS

Gail Sundstrom Niinimaa
ABSTRACTSafe mounting systems for ethnographic textiles and objects are
necessary to minimize damage while on display. The Glenbow Museum in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, has been developing various systems for exhibiting ethnographic
material over the last five years. The author describes several methods that have been
used to exhibit textiles and objects safely in both travelling and in-house exhibits.

1 INTRODUCTION
Mountmaking is an important aspect of conservation as irreparable damage can occur to
an object resulting from a poorly designed mount. At Glenbow the conservation
department is extremely active in mountmaking as part of its preventative
conservation role within the museum. Over the last five years in conjunction with in-
house and travelling exhibitions, the Glenbow Museum has been developing mounting
systems for ethnographic textiles and objects.
The following criteria have been used for a good mount:
1. must support the object fully without causing stress or strain on the artifact;
2. must use materials which are not toxic and will not react with the object;
3. must not interfere with the aesthetic appearance of the artifact wherever
possible.
As there can be conflict between conservation and aesthetics, a compromise must often
be made among the conservator, designer, and curator.
In October, 1982, the exhibition Quillwork of the Plains was mounted for travel to six
locations across Canada. It was this exhibition that sparked an interest in making
individual mounts for the artifacts which would be used both for travel and exhibition.
It was felt that if the artifacts were mounted onto small acid-free matboard supports that
stayed with the object there would be less handling and consequently less damage to the
pieces while on exhibition.
This paper will outline the various types of mounts that have been used in the travelling
exhibitions Quillwork of the Plains and Metis, as well as for some of the in-house
exhibitions, and will provide details on the mounts' construction. Materials will be
discussed, as well as factors to consider when making mounts for objects.

2 SUPPLIES
The following supplies have been used for the mounts described in this article:
Acid-free matboard4-ply (Alpha or Bainbridge brand name).
Cotton knit fabricsurgical cotton tubing used for making plaster casts, knit
from prescoured cotton yarn.
Linen fabric(natural linen, not dyed) woven fabric prewashed in hot water and
neutral detergent, i.e. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
Double-sided tape3M brand 950, a modified acrylic transfer adhesive, was
used to attach the fabric onto the matboard. The tape was used on the back of the
matboard only, where it did not come into contact with the artifact. The 950 tape
has good strength to hold the fabric on the matboard.
Tygon tubingmicrobore Tygon tubing (.030mm exterior diameter) was used
for securing the artifacts to the mounts. This was preferred over fishline as it is
more pliable and ties very easily. Intravenous Tygon tubing is used in the
medical profession. Since this product was used, there has been some question
about its stability. Polyethylene or polypropylene tubing is a more stable
substitute.
Polyester fibrefillnon-chemically treated Fortrel fibres are purchased from a
manufacturer of outdoor clothing and sleeping bags. Fibrefill adds bulk without
weight.
Ethafoammade by Dow Chemical, is an expanded polyethylene used
commercially as a shock absorption material. It is a tough, durable material
which is resistant to chemical attack. It also has good resistance to water and
dust due to its closed cellular structure. It is extremely easy to cut with a sharp
knife. These properties make it an ideal material for mountmaking.
Velcrowhen using Velcro the soft fuzzy side must be used with the mount or
object and the rough hook side places on the wall or in the case. The reason for
this is that if the soft side is placed next to the artifact there is less chance of the
Velcro damaging the original artifact. Should the hook side of the velcro come
in contact with the artifact the hooks may cause abrasion. Care must be taken
when mounting to ensure that the hooked Velcro only comes in contact with the
matching fuzzy Velcro.

3 PIPE BAG MOUNT
The basic mount consists of a piece of acid-free matboard cut to the exact size of the
bag. The matboard is then covered with a suitable cotton or linen fabric, depending on
the colouring of the piece and the exhibition colours. Generally natural linen and natural
cotton were used. Both knit and woven fabrics are suitable for use, and commercially
dyed brown cotton knit was used in some instances. All of the backing fabrics were
prewashed in hot water and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
In order to hold the bag on the mount, an inner bag is made of the same fabric and
stuffed inside the length of the bag. This inner bag or sausage may be stuffed with
polyester fibrefill or with a thin sheet of Ethafoam. Fabric tabs are used to join the
fabric-covered backing to the inner bag, the tabs are wrapped from the fabric-covered
acid-free matboard around the fabric-covered insert and stitched together. It is the
friction created between the fabric-covered board and the bag and the inner sausage
bag which holds the artifact in place. For a 45 angle mount nothing more is required.
Should the bag be exhibited vertically, microbore Tygon tubing can be used across an
inconspicuous area, i.e. beading, and secured to the back of the mount with a few
stitches to hold the bag in place. Sometimes a matching colour of thread is placed across
the top of the bag to hold the flaps in place. A Velcro strip is placed on the back of the
acid-free matboard to attach it to the display case or wall. (Figure 1).

Fig. 1.

4 ROLL-UP BAG
A similar type of matboard support was made for the roll-up bag. Three acid-free
matboard inserts for the three pockets on the bag were covered with fabric and placed in
the pockets. Fine microbore Tygon tubing was used to link the inserts to the matboard
support by wrapping around to the back of the board and secured by tying or stitching.
The Tygon tubing is easy to tie into place and is relatively inconspicuous. The smooth
round surface of the tubing provides somewhat of a cushion between the mount and the
artifact. (Figure 2).

Fig. 2.

5 KNIFE SHEATH
The small knife sheath was attached to the fabric-covered matboard by a small, fabric-
covered tab which was inserted into the sheath and attached to the fabric-covered
backing board by hand stitching. The friction of the insert against the artifact was
sufficient to hold it in place. Silk crepeline was used to secure the native tanned
buckskin thongs by stitching in place to the backing board, since there was some
concern that the thread alone would cut into the fragile thongs. (Figure 3).

Fig. 3.

6 ROUNDEL (EMBROIDERED DOILY)
Two different approaches were used to deal with roundels. This first one involved
placing the roundel on a fabric-covered, acid-free matboard support using small
brackets made of copper wire inserted into Tygon tubing to secure the roundel onto the
support. The brackets were secured to the back of the board by stitching. The second
approach used Plexiglas. A Plexiglas mount was made which consisted of a backing
piece and a bevelled frame, both of Plexiglas, which rested gently on the circumference
of the roundel. A hinge was made to secure the frame to the backing piece in order to
hold it securely in place. The roundel had a diameter of 15cm; the Plexiglas overlapped
on the artifact 1cm. Although the Plexiglas was noticeable it was not distracting.
(Figure 4).

Fig. 4.

7 ROACH HEADDRESS
A small piece of acid-free matboard was covered with cotton fabric and manipulated
into a slightly curved shape. This mini-mount was stitched to the headdress around the
perimeter. Ethafoam strips were cut and sewn to the beaded section, thus providing
support for the beadwork. A small piece of Velcro was sewn onto the mini-mount. The
matching Velcro was attached onto a Plexiglas mount which followed the shape of a
head. This type of mount was required for the Roach Headdress due to the design of the
headdress, which does not include a cap or head piece. The shape of the headdress is
determined by the contour of the head when worn, and thus the mounting system is
essential to create the right shape. (Figure 5).

Fig. 5.

8 TRAILING HEADDRESS
A Plexiglas mount was made for a 10-foot long headdress. The headdress was fully
backed with cotton plain weave fabric, using cotton thread and running stitches, as it
was too fragile to support its own weight. A window was left on the back so that the
original backing fabric would be available for study. Velcro strips were first sewn onto
the backing fabric by machine. Matching Velcro was attached to the Plexiglas mount
with 3M brand 950 double-sided tape. (Figure 6).

Fig. 6.

9 MANNEQUINS
Mannequins are made from an Ethafoam disc system which is carved to the proper body
shape suitable for each costume. This method was first developed by Colleen Wilson of
the British Columbia Provincial Museum, using styrofoam and PVA adhesive. Glenbow
uses the same method and different materialsEthafoam and 3M brand Adhesive-
product EC4693 (S.B-R base in aliphatic solvent).
The following steps are used to construct a mannequin:
1. The inner measurements of the garment are taken, using the waistline or other
suitable reference points as the centre point and working up and down at a depth
corresponding to the thickness of the foam.
2. Approximately 2 inches or 5cm are subtracted from the measurements which are
then transferred to a disc-shaped oval and cut out of the foam. All garments have
24 inches of ease, which allows for better comfort by the wearer; this
subtraction takes this into consideration. (See figure 7.)
3. The discs are adhered together with the 3M brand EC4693 and stacked, at which
time a variation can be made to accommodate a particular period body stance.
(See figure 8.)
4. When the cement has set the torso is carved to the proper size. Electric meat
knives and sharp flexible Olfa knives (4 inches or 10cm in length) are quite
effective. (See figure 9.)
5. During the construction it is necessary to try the costume on. Washed cotton T-
shirts are placed on the mannequins to protect the costume.
6. The finished torso is covered with polyester fibrefill to add a slight cushion. (See
figure 10.)
7. Surgical cotton tubing (8 inches or 20cm) used for casts is used to cover the
mannequin. Three-inch (7.5cm) tubing is stuffed with polyester fibrefill and
used to make arms.
8. To display the mannequin, a rod is inserted into its centre, or a wooden base is
made which can accommodate a stand.

Fig. 7.

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.
This method is favoured for historical women's costumes since the mannequin is made
to custom-fit the costume. It has been used as well for men's and children's costumes
with excellent results. It is fairly inexpensive (approximately $30$40 Canadian per
mannequin); however, a bulk order of supplies must be made in order to reduce the unit
price. The number of man-hours required to construct a mannequin varies with the level
of expertise of the technician, but it usually requires four to six hours for beginners and
three to four hours for more skilled workers.

10 PACKING
This paper will not attempt to deal in depth with the aspects of packing, but will
describe in general the principle that was used.
For the travelling artifacts, custom-made trays, to store the artifacts safely in transit,
were constructed. Ethafoam trays were made to fit the size of the wooden shipping
crates. Several trays were stacked in one crate. A cut-out was made to accommodate
the artifact. It was made slightly larger and lined with cotton fabric. A pillow the width
and length of the cut-out was made of cotton and stuffed loosely with polyester fibrefill.
This was placed on top of the artifact and provided a soft protective cushion. This type
of packing method was used for bags, belts, and other small textiles and ethnographic
materials.
For the many garments that travelled, a padded garment bag system was developed by
Doreen Rockliff, Textile Conservator, and Miriam Fabijan, Technician, who were hired
to work on the Metis Exhibition. The garment bag was made to be placed over the
garment while on the mannequin; two people were required to cover the mannequin
with the bag. The bag was made of cotton fabric loosely stuffed with polyester fibrefill.
Twill tape ties were used to secure the front and back together. The whole unit
mannequin, artifact, and garment bagwas then placed in an ethafoam container and
travelled inside a wooden crate. The garment bag system minimized the abrasion and
shock on the garment during travel.

11 CONCLUSION
During the last five years the systems described here have been evaluated and refined.
The concept of providing small supports for artifacts for travel and exhibition was very
successful in terms of reducing handling and damage to artifacts. Some materials have
been changed as new technology and scientific discovery have found more suitable
materials, but the principles of mounting have remained the same.
Mountmaking is a challenging and important aspect of preventative conservation. The
more time and care that are spent on mount preparation usually pay off in a reduction of
damage occurring to the objects while on exhibition or in transit.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Diagrams by Gail Niinimaa.
Thanks to the following Glenbow Museum Staff Members for their assistance with
diagram and mount concepts: Scot Bullick, Conservation Technician; Sarah Joyce,
Artifact Conservator; Marsha Selick, Artifact Conservator; Miriam Fabijan, Technician.
Special thanks to Fred Greene, Chief Conservator, and Patricia Crockett, Department
Secretary, for their help and support.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Niinimaa, Gail Sundstrom. Garment Bags for Travelling Artifacts. Textile
Conservation NewsletterCanada (Spring, 1985): pp. 1113.
Niinimaa, Gail Sundstrom. Glenbow Museum. Textile Conservation Newsletter
Canada (Spring, 1985): p. 9.
Niinimaa, Gail Sundstrom. Mounts for Accessible Storage. Textile Conservation
NewsletterCanada (February, 1983): pp. 1718.
Serafino, Gladys. The Making of Polystyrene Museum Mannequins. Museum
Quarterly (Spring, 1983): pp. 2326.
Wilson, Colleen. Body Building. Textile Conservation NewsletterCanada
(September, 1982): pp. 811.
Section Index