Making a show of ourselves: Braving the Elements, a conservation exhibition

Abstract

In 1996, during survey work at the main store, the staff of the Conservation Department at the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, uncovered many items of plant-fiber clothing that had not been seen by the public for many years. An exhibition of these items entitled "Braving the Elements: the Conservation of Plant-Fibre Clothing from around the World" was developed in order to explain the principles of preventive conservation in a clear and simple way. The exhibition linked the original protective function of the clothing with its present need to be protected from agents of decay. Through displays, text, video, and handling of objects, visitors were introduced to the nature of decay, its causes, and how it can be slowed down. The conservators' role in safeguarding the material culture was highlighted. The exhibition involved not only conservators, but also education, curatorial, and technical staff as well as experts, particularly plant scientists, outside the museum.