The Conservation of a c.1890 Evening Bodice

Rachel Gumbrecht
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

About this Item

Title
The Conservation of a c.1890 Evening Bodice
Contributor Names
Gumbrecht, Rachel (Author)
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice (Degree granting institution)
Date
2022
Degree Information
M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2022.
Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice.
Abstract
This qualifying paper situates a circa 1890 evening bodice in fashion history and documents the conservation efforts performed on the garment. The bodice is an object in the Graduate Study Collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The paper begins with a thorough object description and historical analysis. Although there is little information about the object's original provenance, designer, or maker, this paper utilizes objects of comparison that are similar in silhouette and materials to draw conclusions about the garment's potential role in late nineteenth century evening wear. Following the contextualization of the garment in history, the paper continues to describe the process of developing a treatment for the bodice. The goal of treatment was to sufficiently stabilize the garment so it could reenter the study collection as a valuable tool for students in conservation courses to take fibers samples and perform fabric analysis. The finalized treatment required a variety of conservation techniques, such as surface cleaning, stain removal by rigid agarose gels, stabilization of silk fabrics by encasements and overlays, and surface decoration treatment. The paper includes an appendix with a detailed condition report, treatment proposal, and treatment report for this object.
Subject
Museum conservation methods
Conservation and restoration
Bodices
Textile research
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85134321: Textile fabrics
Rights
In Copyright
The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
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Identifier
FIT Repository ID: lb_sc_000896
pqdiss: 28971209
ISBN: 9798438768173
Type
Text
Thesis
Language
eng
Publisher
Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,

Citation

Gumbrecht, R. (2022). The Conservation of a c.1890 Evening Bodice [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/8308
Gumbrecht, Rachel. The Conservation of a C.1890 Evening Bodice. 2022. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/8308
Gumbrecht, Rachel. "The Conservation of a C.1890 Evening Bodice." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2022. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/8308