“Material Culture”: Conservation and analysis of textiles recovered from five points

Abstract

The Five Points/Courthouse archaeological project benefited at its inception from the inclusion of conservation. Retrieval techniques facilitated the initial preservation of the many textile fragments in the assemblage and subsequent conservation was used to retrieve the weave structure and other diagnostic elements of the badly degraded materials. The treatments provided a unique opportunity to access information pertaining to one of the most important occupations for the Irish immigrants who lived in the neighborhood. This study describes the environmental conditions that produced the degradation and the techniques used to restore the textiles. In combination with historical research on the garment industry and the reuse of rags, textiles provide insights into working-class clothing, the redefinition of women's roles in the workplace, and the impact of the Industrial Revolution on New York.