| Sheila
Hanke, collections manager with State Historical Society of Iowa’s Civil
War Battle Flag Project, has several tips for making sure these memories last
long into the future. Service uniforms should be wrapped and padded out in acid-free
paper and placed in a special preservation storage box, available for purchase
at the State Historical Building Museum Store. Special elongated boxes are available
so the uniform may lay flat. It is essential that the uniform be clean prior to
storing it. This may be done by surface vacuuming or by dry cleaning. As a caution,
dry cleaning solvent dries out natural lubricants in the fibers weakening them
and it causes some textiles to yellow. It is important, Hanke said, that once
these uniforms are placed in a storage box, that they do not be put in a basement
or closet where there is no circulation or where moisture can seep in.
"The worst thing that
can happen to textiles is exposure to the elements, especially light ," Hanke
said. "By following some simple steps now to preserve military uniforms,
you can ensure that they are stabilized to be passed on to the next generation."
It is also important to remember to resist using or wearing textile heirlooms.
Use them for display only. Textiles should be on display for a maximum of 6 months
followed by 6 months in storage. Before re-storing, lightly vacuum clean the surface
using a hand-held vacuum on the lowest setting. Vacuum through a nylon screen
being careful to lightly go over the surface to avoid abrading the textile.
Care for old flags should
be handled similarly. When preparing to store a flag clean it in the manner described
above. If the flag is in good condition, it can be rolled in tissue paper and
placed in a muslin draw-string sleeve. Flags should not be wrapped in plastic
or put in a wooden drawer, as the wood is acidic and can transfer onto the fabric,
causing it to become discolored and weakened.
"I had a woman bring
an old flag to me wrapped in a plastic bag," Hanke said. "There was
mildew growing on the inside because she had placed it in the freezer, thinking
this was the best method of preservation. The rapid temperature change when it
was removed from the freezer caused the mildew to develop. Sadly, it did more
harm than good."
For veterans who have earned
medals, Hanke said they can be cleaned with a dry, soft camel hair brush before
storing and should not have rubber bands wrapped around them, as these may result
in black lines that are sometimes impossible to remove.
Medals should be laid on
a padded surface [polyester batting] covered with cotton or linen fabric after
being washed and rinsed three times to remove potentially harmful finishing products
applied to the fabric. Wool is not a good fabric to use for display because it
contains sulfur, which eventually attacks the medal, Hanke said. It is also important
to remember to not place medals under spotlights or high intensity lights because
the metal portion conducts heat.
Finally, when placing military
items into storage, why not add photographs and any special memories of that person,
or conduct an oral history with them if they are still living, and pack that with
the uniform, creating a special memory box, Hanke said.
"It’s the best
way to ensure that the military history of Iowans is not forgotten," she
said.
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