Caring for the costume collection at Platt Hall

Platt Hall has been associated with fashion and dress for over 70 years. It was a sad day in 2017 when the Gallery of Costume closed its doors for the last time. But it was necessary. What had started life in 1947 as a collection of some 4,000 objects, had grown to more than 24,000. The collection was at risk from overcrowded and inaccessible storage, made worse by a moth infestation and a leaking roof.

​We've come some way since then. Roof repairs and other improvements have made the building secure, and a major conservation and re-housing project is underway. The Covid-19 pandemic put a temporary halt on progress, but we're looking forward to getting back to work, in time for the planned relocation of parts of the collection to Queens Park Conservation Centre and Manchester Art Gallery in 2024. 

In the meantime, Curator Rosie Gnatiuk, Dress Technician Sarah Walton and Volunteer Judy Barry reflect on what's been going on behind closed doors:

It actually started in 2016, with an assessment of the storage facilities. We knew things needed improving - old acidic wooden wardrobes, overcrowded rails and boxes. Some areas of the collection had become increasingly inaccessible and at risk of being damaged. Then we realised the extent of the moth problem, and had no choice but to close and carry out a massive deep clean of the entire building. It was a huge project, opening up the stores and spreading the collection through the whole building so we could access it properly. We removed cases, sprayed the carpets, took up floorboards and started freezing sections of the collection to kill any remaining eggs and larvae. 

It was clear that the collection needed a new home, and more mobile storage. The wardrobes were dismantled and we've moved to a system of open rails, which can be moved and are easier to access. Working with a group of dedicated volunteers, we're making thousands of padded hangers and protective Tyvek bags, one for each garment. This makes it much easier to monitor for pests, as the bag catches any evidence - it's real scene of crime stuff! We'll never eradicate the moth problem completely, but we can keep it under control.

Now we're focusing on the specialist storage needs of different collection areas, from accessories to parasols, rolled textiles to dolls. For example, take shoes. Ideally each pair will have its own bespoke mount so you don't have to touch the shoe when you move it - the mount keeps it safe and secure for travelling and handling and then slots back into its housing in the store.

Going through this process is a real learning curve - you find your way through the collection depending on how it is stored, so it's made me encounter the collection in a different way. I've got to see things I've never seen before. It's a total joy working with volunteers and other colleagues and sharing our discoveries.

For now everything remains at Platt. That won't be the case for very much longer as we re-locate parts of the collection on different sites. But Platt retains a strong sense of the history of dress and textiles, and always will."
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Rosie Gnatiuk, Costume Curator

There are hundreds of boxes to go through – I open them and check for things that can’t be frozen. I audit and photograph them, then pack them up and freeze them. Like Rosie, I’ve seen things I’d never go and look for. We started the Instagram page in October last year, and it’s been great to share our finds and raise the profile of the collection that way while it's not on display.

Collections care is all about problem solving. Different things need different approaches and there is much discussion. Sometimes something works and sometimes it doesn’t. The aim is minimal physical stress or contact. A beautiful piece of work was repacking all the beaded silk bias cut dresses that were laid in trays. Now they’re in Tyvek parcels. There's so much discussion about the best way to wrap things. It has to work curatorially as well as for care. The disadvantage is that you can’t just open a wardrobe door and see what’s there any more. But documentation is improving and everything is being photographed as we go along, so you can see more on the website."  
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Sarah Walton, Dress Technician

Becoming a volunteer at Platt Hall has proved to be a most rewarding and enriching experience. Not only has it re-kindled my lifelong passion for textiles, cloth, historic costume and accessories, it has enabled me to practice and enhance my own existing, but dormant, practical skills. 

It is truly rewarding, in one's retirement, to be granted a focus and a routine, but more importantly, to have an opportunity to interact with a younger generation of like-minded textile/fashion enthusiasts. I am amazed at the complexity of the museum staff's various roles and responsibilities as well as the fact that their jobs are not just confined to Platt Hall! Being in contact with the staff team I am, myself, continuing to learn. Inspecting Platt Hall's vast range of garments for pests and damage; moving them out from overcrowded and unsuitable storage conditions; preparing special hangers and covers for each piece has in itself been an education and a joy. 

In my working life, I used, and encouraged my students to use, the Platt Hall collection, yet I had no idea of its immensity, or of the wealth of detail within it.

​It is truly an amazing and unique resource. I feel honoured to be allowed to volunteer and contribute to its care and preservation for future generations."
​Judy Barry