There will be a special free conservation clinic on Tuesday 31 May at Mount Gambier City Hall offering expert advice to those in South Australia’s southeast, about caring for your family treasures.
This clinic is ideal for those living in the South East who are concerned about those precious family heirlooms that are perhaps stored in the back of a wardrobe; stuffed in boxes or suitcases in the garage or attic. These might be old wartime diaries and letters, family photograph albums and postcard collections; or children’s Christening gowns or first pairs of shoes, a family wedding dress, or even a childhood teddy bear. They’ve been kept ‘for future generations’ but you’re not sure how the best way to preserve them; or worse still, mould, moths or mice have got to them first.
This special conservation clinic is part of South Australia’s History Festival and has been organised by the Mount Gambier History Group in collaboration with History SA and Artlab Australia. Principal Textile Conservator Kristin Phillips, and Principal Paper and Books Conservator Helen Halley will be available to give advice as well as offering a series of short workshops and demonstrations throughout the day including the best way to surface clean textiles, to store or display your historic costume and textiles plus documents, photographs and books. History SA’s Community History Officer and museum curator Pauline Cockrill will provide advice re display, research and project funding. Displays from South East local history groups can also be viewed and light meals and refreshments purchased during the day.
The clinic will take place from 10am-3pm.