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 protect 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.

 

[Retro-Xmas60]

Thanks for your response. I would be grateful if any respected institution would be willing to adopt these items for the purpose of teaching. It would be a huge improvement over the life it spends in my closet.

 

[lkranieri]

I understand completely and what I think would make that donation more likely to happen is if you would write a good history of the items and of the maker. Any articles about other items your mother made? Any other of her items in a collection somewhere?

I believe museums are inundated with offers to donate wedding gowns, so it would make this potential donation stand out if you would send to a prospective museum a statement of the unique features of the history of the gown and quilt (such as the Audrey Hepburn inspiration). Offering it to a museum with a local/geographic connection to the items or creators would be a good first option.

 

[Retro-Xmas60]

Yes. Tried that with the Dunedin Fine Arts where she was a regular contributor and active in their fiber arts shows. They failed twice to respond - at all - to my inquiries. Not even a polite no, thank you. I am now thinking, a sewing class/ teacher that uses machine embroidery would perhaps be an option. Very frustrating, to think these heirloom items will be never seen or appreciated. I'm looking for direction to honor her memory, and creativity. Cheers, Diane

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi Retro-Xmas60, do you mean Dunedin in New Zealand?

Provenance is an important consideration for collecting organisations and the best place for these objects are in collections with connections to their history: where they were made, worn, where the creator lived, where they were displayed etc. If that place is Dunedin NZ, try local museums and historical societies. They will appreciate your documented and photographic history.

As Lynn mentioned, textiles are not suitable for permanent display and need to receive specialised care. Most collecting organisations will also reject donations that come with conditions such as permanent display, as they need to be free to make the best decisions about the care of the objects in their protection.

I work with personal collectors in rehoming collections and in cases like these, the best home is often with a family member, who can treasure the memories they contain. I appreciate it's hard when you're downsizing and seek alternatives, so another option is to contact sewing, theatre costume or fashion courses as they sometimes have clothing and textile collections for teaching. Start with Dunedin and work outwards to other New Zealand schools.

Good luck, I hope you find a good home for them.

Nicole

 

[Jonathan]

From the museum point of view, do understand that wedding dresses and quilts survive in huge quantities, and we are inundated with offers of them all the time. It was rude of the museum not to reply to your offer but I find that is becoming normal these days...

 

[Retro-Xmas60]

Does anyone in this group know of Classes that teach sewing or embroidery that would want these items for examples?

 

[Retro-Xmas60]

Hi Retro-Xmas60, do you mean Dunedin in New Zealand?

Provenance is an important consideration for collecting organisations and the best place for these objects are in collections with connections to their history: where they were made, worn, where the creator lived, where they were displayed etc. If that place is Dunedin NZ, try local museums and historical societies. They will appreciate your documented and photographic history.

As Lynn mentioned, textiles are not suitable for permanent display and need to receive specialised care. Most collecting organisations will also reject donations that come with conditions such as permanent display, as they need to be free to make the best decisions about the care of the objects in their protection.

I work with personal collectors in rehoming collections and in cases like these, the best home is often with a family member, who can treasure the memories they contain. I appreciate it's hard when you're downsizing and seek alternatives, so another option is to contact sewing, theatre costume or fashion courses as they sometimes have clothing and textile collections for teaching. Start with Dunedin and work outwards to other New Zealand schools.

Good luck, I hope you find a good home for them.

Nicole

Dunedin, Florida