An Artwork A Week: An Edwardian Gown [Part 2]
As the Buckley & Nunn evening gown was in storage for many years before and after it was acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) it needed significant restoration. Mary-Anne Gooden, Textile Conservation Officer at Artlab Australia, outlined the process used by the restoration team at the NGV.The first step in the restoration process was to identify the materials used in the gown. This has a double purpose: firstly, to add to curatorial, production and dating information and secondly, to determine the appropriate course of treatment for the gown. Visual examination of the gown, and extensive condition reports followed. Mary-Anne Gooden used several different machines and techniques during this process, including photomicrography images of the fabric surfaces and cross sections. These machines help to identify how the fabrics were made. The bobbinet for example was machine made of a single layer with only one seam. The sequins were made from gelatine, which dates the garment between the 1890s and 1930s. In addition to gelatine the sequins also included foil, cellulose acetate, plasticisers and a layer of silver on the surface. This particular chemical makeup also explains why many gowns did not survive, and given the unpredictability of Melbourne weather it’s surprising this gown has survived at all. A single moist hand or humid day would dissolve the gelatine sequins instantly.
Processes of construction also needed explanation to further determine condition and age and origin of materials. The sequins proved once again an interesting source of data. The pomegranate patterned sections would have been produced separately and then attached by a team of embroiders using a tambour hook and working from a pattern resting under their work. The pattern would be brought up when reference was needed.
X-radiography of the gown revealed more about the materials, including the whale bone stays, or supports, inside the bodice, and the metals used in the peach taffeta skirt to give it weight and therefore increase its value. Whale bone, specifically the baleen filtering “teeth” of the Humpback and other whales, was used in corsets from the 18th to 20th centuries up until replaced by plastic. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) was used on fabric samples of the peach taffeta skirt to reveal the metal salts and tin used in “weighting” the fabric during production. This process of weighting and degumming made the silk more susceptible to damage and as a result the restoration team decided to recreate the peach taffeta skirt from scratch. This involved a meticulous process of dye matching the original fabric. The rustle of heavy fabrics was a highly sort after aspect of a woman’s dress. For women who could not afford the heavy silks it was sometimes the custom of attach newspaper to the petticoat to obtain a similar rustle. Another important part of the skirt restoration was establishing a support for the weight of the sequins on the fragile bobbinet. All seams were to match the original and couching stitches were used to take some of the sequin weight. I admit this aspect of the process was so beguiling and invisible on the finished piece that I’m not sure how Mary-Anne and her team did it.
The most challenging part of the restoration, Mary-Anne told us, was the bodice. Some original stitches needed to be removed in order to insert a new lining support fabric. Stitch locations were marked and photographic diagrams used to record the exact changes made. Once the lining sections of the bodice were removed they were flattened using glass (an iron would obviously be out of the question). Though there were several options for the support fabric the team chose an adhesive which would meld with the original lining and provide the invisible strength needed for display and preservation. The fattened pieces of lining were covered with sheer Tetex (an open weave polyester material), and then sewn back into their original places. This process was documented too, for the curator, display and storage personnel to reference. Though the lining is invisible while the garment is on display the detail evident in this process along demonstrates just how dedicated the team were to the longevity of the Buckley & Nunn gown.
After the conservation, stage three concerns the display of the gown. As mentioned previously the silhouette of the Edwardian woman has the particular S-bend so manikin was created using the interior measurements of the gown and historical information like the corset type. Materials included dacron and felt to provide a stable but soft support for the gown. Under garments were replaced with reconstructions, including a double hemmed petticoat to recreate the full skirted style. A light humidification was used on the fabric, avoiding the sequins, to restore its lustre. And finally the gown was displayed under dimmed lighting as the centre piece of the Australian Made: 100 Years of Fashion exhibition.
Australian Made: 100 Years of Fashion is on display until 23 January 2011. A free floor talk is being held on 11 December 2010 introducing the exhibition.
Top Image: Detail of the Buckley & Nunn Ltd. bodice, courtesy of the National Gallery of Victoria website.
Click images to view high resolution.
Above:
Georges Pty Ltd, Melbourne (manufacturer and retailer)
1934–66
Evening dress 1950
silk, polyester, brass
121.0 cm (centre back), 29.0 cm (waist, flat)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented from the Estate of Lady Grimwade, 1974
Above:
Magg, Melbourne (fashion house)
1925–29, 1950–77
Zara Holt (chief designer)
Australia 1909–89
Evening dress and bolero (c. 1960)
synthetic fabric, viscose, Vilene, paste pearls, diamantè, metal
(a) 93.0 cm (centre back) 33.0 cm (waist, flat) (dress);
(b) 28.0 cm (centre back) 26.5 cm (sleeve length) (bolero)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Anthea Ball in memory of Mrs Gladys Ball, 2004
