Before & After Gallery
Conservation Treatment of an 18th-Century Silk Open-Robe
An 18th-century silk open-robe and petticoat from the
collection of the Costume Museum of Canada , Dugald, Manitoba
received conservation treatment at the Canadian Conservation
Institute. It originally belonged to the Tucker family,
who were among the first English settlers in Bermuda.
This gown, circa 1780, is of English construction and
would have been worn for formal occasions or lavish
evening entertainment.
An open-robe consisted of a bodice and an overskirt joined together. The overskirt opened in front to reveal the petticoat, which was a visible part of the full dress and not an undergarment.
A sample of the blue silk fabric was analyzed according to the Hofenk de Graaff method as modified by Schweppe to determine the dye. The test indicated that an indigo-type dye was present.
The fabric itself was dirty, but generally in good condition with some abrasion, fracturing and loss. Many of the metallic threads of the brocade fabric had come loose. The silk was faded and discoloured, particularly down the front panel. The front opening of the bodice had been altered resulting in permanent crease lines and fractured silk. Perspiration damaged the underarm areas of the sleeves and bodice extensively. Previous repairs were not only fugitive and had caused staining, but were also haphazardly sewn and pulled on the weakened material.
The treatment began by removing old repairs. Tests indicated that the gown was suitable for wet-cleaning and it was prepared by reinforcing areas of loss or weakness with cheesecloth.
The open-robe and petticoat were washed using a solution of WA Paste, an anionic detergent. The wet-cleaning improved the appearance of the gown; the silk was much cleaner and stronger, and the sheen was restored to the fabric and brocaded areas.
A compatible silk fabric was chosen to support deteriorated areas and was dyed to match the gown. Torn areas were flattened, and threads were re-aligned and underlaid with this support fabric. The couching of all these areas was a lengthy procedure, because large areas of the skirt required support. The deteriorated underarm portions of the bodice presented a different challenge. Not only was the silk badly disintegrating but it was awkward to repair because of the three-dimensional nature of the bodice.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
For aesthetic and practical reasons, the interior of the skirt and petticoat were both lined with a lightweight silk fabric dyed to match. This lining will protect the gown when it is placed on and off the mannequin.
In the 18th century, women wore corsets to give the appearance of a conical shaped torso. They would also wear linen chemises underneath the gown with a bum roll or hip panniers to complete the 18th-century look.
The completed open-robe is shown in figures 2 and 7.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
