Advice Sought For The Donation of Heirloom Wedding Dress and Wedding Quilt

[Retro-Xmas60]

I am the daughter of a master seamstress/ fiber artist and the caretaker of two of her incredible pieces of Fiber Arts. I possess highly, skilled handmade (and heartfelt), masterstroke creations that, when trying to downsize a household, go beyond a simple donation of goods to charity. These items are My Wedding Dress and matching Wedding Family Quilt made in vintage style in 1992.

It is my belief that these items belong on exhibition as they are certainly “Fiber Arts”.
I would like to donate these items to a respected collection or permanent exhibition where they will be appreciated and learned from. I have attached images of these 2 items.

Wedding Dress - Handmade / Designed by Charlotte Borowski in 1992 - Created from candlelight raw silk dupioni, design inspired by the 1954 “Sabrina” Audrey Hepburn ballgown costume. Overlays of French lace in ivy vines motif embellish the dress, handmade silk roses top the train at the small of the back and silk covered buttons line the illusion bodice down the back. The design is one of a kind, made from an original hand drawn, custom pattern.

Heirloom Wedding Quilt: Handmade / Designed by Charlotte Borowski in 2003 as an anniversary gift from candlelight silk dupioni. Highly detailed and heavily embroidered with pin-tucking, shirring, lace overlay, cutaways, appliqués and cathedral windows. A separate pillow cover is provided with embroidered “family tree” of parents and newlyweds. The raw silk fabric matches the wedding dress mentioned above. Photo transfers adorn the pillow topper with Wedding Day portraits of the bride and groom, and vintage snapshots of their parents This is a vintage treasure. Appraised by Teddy Pruitt in 2003 at over $1900.

Please see attached and post here with your suggestions for permanent exhibit and appreciation. It would mean a lot to my Mother, Charlotte Borowski (deceased) as she would like that her items were being appreciated. I hope that someone in the Vintage Fashion Guild may be able to send me in the right direction for an informed donation of these items.

Please respond with your suggestions. We are in our 60s now, have no children and looking to downsize. Please help me guide these precious items to their new and proper home.
Cheers, Diane Dempsey

 

[lkranieri]

As a former curator of a (very tiny local-history) museum I would like to tell you what I told donors who wanted their item(s) on permanent display...

There is an inherent conflict in museum missions to preserve and ptotect a collection and to use that collection to educate the public about the museum's purpose/mission. When you put an item on display you expose it to multiple factors that degrade and damage the item, such as exposing it to UV light, which is cumulative damage and, as you have doubtless noticed in textiles exposed to sunlight, those UV rays will fade and damage the fibers. The collection item is also at risk from being exposed to damaging handling, such as from oils on the skin of the handlers. There is also a potential for damage from airborne particulates, such as dust or grit, or damage from insects, moths, silverfish, etc. Too much humidity or too little humidity will damage the collection item and may promote conditions, such as mold or mildew.

The best environment for extending the life of collection items, then, is usually in climate-controlled storage with minimal exposure to exhibition or handling. I am sure this is what you should/can expect from a good museum and I am sure that is what you would like for your beautiful items.