Protecting the Harald evening dress

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) Assistant Curator Shelley Tobin shows us how historic dress materials are stored at the Ark.

Staff at the Ark make sure that the material is retained in optimum condition. Shelley Tobin discussed the efforts made by conservators to slow down the process of deterioration for historical fabrics and costumes. She explained how wrapping and buffering the dress with white tissue paper protects it but also shows up any potential problems, particularly where there might be an insect attacking the fabric, or where a bead or other small fragment of a dress item might have become dislodged. Gloves are worn to further protect the fabric when handling it.
Subject Vivien Leigh
Source Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Date 2019-06-13
Format Photograph
Type Research process
Coverage 1950s-1960s