Textile Conservation and Training

FAIN: PG-252881-17

Tusculum College (Greeneville, TN 37745-0595)
Dollie Boyd (Project Director: May 2016 to May 2019)

A preservation assessment of the textile collections of the Doak House Museum and Andrew Johnson Museum and Library.  They include items owned by President Andrew Johnson and his family, such as quilts and coverlets, particularly during their time in the White House, and objects related to the history of Tusculum College, such as pennants and sports uniforms.  The consulting conservator would also hold a workshop on the care and preservation of textiles for museum staff, volunteers, and students in the museum studies, history, and public history programs.

The focus of this project is the entire textile collection of the Museums of Tusculum College.  The collection includes 19th century quilts, woven coverlets, handwork, hand-crafted garments, College uniforms, College ephemera, and items that belonged to President Andrew Johnson. This collection documents the history of the oldest College in the state of Tennessee and its surrounding community. In order to better care for our small but significant collection of textiles, we intend to pay a textile conservator's fees and travel to the College for assessment, advice, and training of our museum studies students and the museum's staff. Remaining funds will be used to purchase better supplies to increase the standard of care for our textile collection. Purchases will be based on the conservator's advice regarding storage needs and disposition. The education component will provide an invaluable educational experience for our undergraduate students, volunteers, and staff.