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 a member of the volunteer team 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. Around this time we also discovered the presence of clothes moth in the displays and in some of the stores, 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, treated 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 really needed a new home, and improved, mobile storage. The tired old wardrobes were dismantled and we've now developed a flexible system of open rails, which can be moved to enable easier access for cleaning and pest checking. Working with a group of dedicated volunteers, we're making bespoke padded hangers and protective Tyvek covers, one for each garment. This makes it much easier to monitor pest activity, as the bags capture the evidence. Creating thousands of covers and hangers is time-consuming but immensely rewarding work, especially when you see a finished rail. We are so grateful to our volunteers who have enabled this project to progress so well. It is difficult to eradicate the moth problem completely, but we can monitor the situation much more effectively now.

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 discovered things I've never seen before and I have learned so much through working closely with the conservation team. It's a total joy working with volunteers and colleagues and sharing our discoveries and different perspectives.

For now everything remains at Platt. That won't be the case for very much longer as we re-locate parts of the collection across 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

Part of this project has been assessing the boxed dress and textiles. There are hundreds of boxes to go through – I open them and check for things that may be vulnerable to damage if frozen. I audit and photograph each item, note how they should ideally be rehoused, 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. With the rehousing of the collection, we target each area of the collection and assess the best method to suit the needs of both user and object. This blanket approach works for 90% of the collection, while a small number of objects require more bespoke solutions. The aim is to minimise physical stress and handling while maintaining access. A beautiful piece of work was repacking all the beaded silk bias cut dresses that were in trays in wardrobes. Now they’re in Tyvek parcels in mobile racks and can be easily accessed and moved individually or as a group.

​There's so much discussion about the best way to pack things. It has to work curatorially as well as for care. The disadvantage to the new storage is that you can’t just open a wardrobe door and immediately see what’s there any more - an array of fabrics or a whole era of garments all lined up together. Each item now has its own Tyvek bag to protect it from its surroundings.  But documentation is improving and everything is being photographed as we go along, enabling better digital access through 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."
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