TEXTILKONSERVERING I SVERIGE 140 år av utveckling, avveckling och motivering Ylva Persson

Abstract

In this thesis I have asked the question how the textile conservation have changed from the late 19th century to the practice conservators pursue today. Textile conservation has during these 140 years transformed from a household chore to an activity that now take place in a lab or a workshop. The progress from 19th to 21st Century has gone back and forth between gentle care for the object and a thorough cleaning and restauration with the intent of making the object more aesthetic. After 1975 the term minimal intervention was introduced, methods as wet cleaning was disputed and questions about ethics in conservation led to a code of ethics for all conservators. In the survey, that 16 Swedish textile conservators answered, I have seen a pattern showing that recently graduated conservators are keener to analyse materials, to keep the patina and to question the depth of cleaning. While the more experienced conservators do not hesitate to clean, to retouch, or sew, but with fewer stiches than before. It became also quite clear that the question of which textile, that is in most need of conservation, does not have a right or wrong answer.