History Burgoo

KHS Collections Corner: The NAFMAB Collection Part 2

Hi again, this is Kurt Robinson, the Museum Collection and Exhibitions intern this semester. You might remember my post about the National Armed Forces Museum Advisory Board Collection and how I got my hands dirty within the many different kinds of mortars we have in the collection. Well now I’ve moved on to the bigger guns and by bigger I mean heavier, longer, and a much larger caliber. These are the kinds of guns that it takes two to four people to move because they are so heavy. These guns are aircraft cannon.

The United States was one of the first, behind Great Britain, to develop aircraft cannon during World War II. The first model the U.S. Navy developed was the U.S. M1 20mm around 1942, but this gun had its problems because it was simply made. The barrel of the weapon was about 65 inches long with a barrel adapter to lighten the recoil. The receiver and trigger mechanism was also rather simple. The receiver was opened on both the top and bottom to allow the rounds to enter from the top and the empty shells eject from the bottom. It fed with a magazine or belt. The trigger was attached to a steel wire with a metal handle, which was attached to the firing mechanism on the plane.

 

This is the M1 from about 1942.

However, that version of the aircraft cannon was very unreliable because it was inaccurate, jammed, and misfired constantly. So, the Navy came out with the M2, which was just as unreliable as the M1. Next was the M3, which was a smaller version of the two and did work better, but also had continued flaws. Finally, after World War II was over the Navy developed the M24. This version was the best of the series because it was finally able to fire continually without any problems.

The M24 was used for years after World War II and was still in use during the Vietnam War. This weapon had an electric or gas powered trigger mechanism with hoses connecting to the airplane and discharged when a button was pressed in the cockpit. It was smaller than its previous versions and the new parts, such as the electric or gas powered triggers, made it much easier to fire during combat. This gun developed very well and became one of the most widely used weapons for Navy planes. The Kentucky Historical Society has three M24s in the collections.

This is the M24 still in its packing crate, still oiled and greased, in near perfect condition. This one is from around 1960.

These weapons will be my last to work on this semester, but they were a good transition from smaller weapons like the mortars. Being able to see the change in weaponry in the mortars and aircraft cannon was very interesting and was very exciting to learn. These weapons developed so much in such a short period of time that is was interesting to learn about the amount of trial and error the designers went through, especially in the aircraft cannon.     

--Kurt Robinson, Collections Intern, Museum Collections and Exhibitions

KHS Collections Corner: Mount-making for unusual objects

Every once in a while we come across an object that needs a unique storage mount to help fully support it and prevent it from deteriorating due to its storage conditions. Recently, I had the opportunity to make a storage mount for a trunk cover for a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk. Some of you may be familiar with the piece after reading Beth’s blog about the trunk earlier this week.

Before I even got started with the mount I spent some time cleaning the piece. The piece had been stored for years in a plastic bag inside the trunk. When we removed it we found that the leather on the piece had become unstable in areas and in some cases showed a type of damage called red rot. Red rot is where the leather actually powders because the fibrous structure of the leather has broken down. The red rot left a loose red powder on the canvas that we cleaned off by vacuuming the piece with a screen as a protective barrier for the fabric.

 

Next I began making the mount for the piece by cutting down sheets of ethafoam to make the sides of a fake trunk.

 

Next we put the pieces together with archival hot glue.  

Then I covered the mount with unbleached cotton muslin. The cotton muslin was held in place at the ends by gluing the fabric to the ethafoam structure. Then the ends of the fabric were sewn shut.

We determined that the leather straps were either broken or too brittle to close the cover around the mount. Instead we used cotton twill tape to hold the piece to the mount.

In the end, we have a custom made mount that is made entirely of archival materials. The piece will be stored on the mount instead of inside the trunk to try and minimize the stress on the damaged leather.

--Deborah Rose Van Horn, Registrar

This Kentuckian traveled in style!

I recently cataloged one of my favorite artifacts at KHS: a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk from the late 1890s or early 1900s. Louis Vuitton is a name synonymous with high fashion and luxury. Open a fashion magazine and you will likely find a Louis Vuitton advertisement with models sporting the design house’s latest collection. Occasionally, you will come across an ad highlighting what the name “Louis Vuitton” was originally known for: luggage.

This French fashion house was founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (1821-1892). When he was sixteen years old, Vuitton moved to Paris and began an apprenticeship to Monsieur Maréchal, a layetier (box maker) and emballeur (packer). Goods and luggage were roughly handled on boats, carriages, and trains. Wealthy travelers relied upon skilled packers and trunk-makers to protect their belongings. Louis Vuitton developed a strong reputation, even packing crates for Napoléon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie.  After seventeen years of working under Monsieur Maréchal, Louis Vuitton opened his own workshop.

Louis Vuitton’s trunks were unique. First, the lids were flat. Other trunks had domed tops that allowed for rain to run off. Vuitton’s flat-top trunks stacked easily. Also, to create a lighter, waterproof trunk, Vuitton replaced traditional leather with a waxed canvas. This canvas was scratch resistant and offered a modern, durable alternative to leather. Finally, the trunk had an “unpickable” lock called the “tumbler lock.”

Competitors tried to mimic Louis Vuitton designs. Copying had been a problem since the launch of the company. A new design was introduced in 1896 as an effort to hinder counterfeiters. Louis Vuitton’s son, Georges, introduced the company’s patented “Monogram Canvas” featuring flowers, quatrefoils, and an “LV” monogram.  This design became the identity of the company, and it is a pattern that we are familiar with today.

This trunk, which is covered with the “Monogram Canvas,” was owned by a Kentucky native, Jessie Fremont Preston Draper. She was the wife of George Albert Draper, a wealthy businessman from Hopedale, Massachusetts. Jessie was also the daughter of Major General William Preston, who was the American Ambassador to Spain (1858-1861), and Margaret Howard (Wickliffe) Preston. On the sides of the trunk, you will notice Jessie Draper’s initials which read, “J.P.D.” The latches, lock, twill luggage straps in the trays, leather along the corners, and the ribbon crisscrossing the interior of the lid are all monogrammed “L.V” or labeled “Louis Vuitton.” There is a serial number on the lock and also on the interior of the lid.

When we opened this trunk we discovered a canvas cover made for this trunk. The sides of the cover also once had the initials “J.P.D.”  The original initials are now covered by those of a relative that reused the trunk: C.P.S. The cover also says "Lex. Ky.” on the side. Additionally, there are several travel labels adhered to the canvas. It is common to see these types of stickers on the actual trunk. The cover is peculiar as there is no indication that this is a Louis Vuitton piece. The cover may have been purchased as an aftermarket accessory to protect the trunk.

Additional research needs to be done on the trunk, the cover, and the life of Jessie Fremont Preston Draper and where she may have taken this Louis Vuitton steamer trunk.  I look forward to possibly writing a follow up blog in the future on this research. For more details and photographs on the trunk, the trunk cover, or other artifacts, visit the KHS Objects Catalog online.

--Beth Carter, KHS Collections Management Assistant

KHS Collections Corner: Creating a New Home – Re-housing the Martin F. Schmidt Collection

During a printmaking class that I attended while I was at Georgetown College, I learned that prints are best stored flat and on acid free mounts within large folios. My professor, Daniel Graham, also advised to keep prints stored in dry and dark environment. Keeping these ideal storage methods in mind will better protect the paper fibers and ensure a long survival of the print. This knowledge imparted from my professor about caring for his artwork is also a necessity for the museum collections care.

 

How the Schmidt Collection was previously housed.

The Schmidt collection represents a perfect example of a large body of print based work. This collection was originally stored by the staff in Mylar sleeves laying them flat inside acid-free folders in numerical order. The series was then organized into sets of 30 prints and placed in large folders that were then separated in groups of three or four in acid-free gallery boxes. This method did ensure that these prints were stored flat.

 

Although effective for small print collections, this housing method is not efficient for housing the 629 prints found in the Schmidt collection. One of the problems with housing this many works in folders is the shifting of the artifacts in the boxes. This jumbling additionally creates uneven extra weight that can damage the prints as well as foster unintentional disorganization. The staff felt a new type of housing would be required to better protect and organize the work.

After helping with the cataloging of this collection, I was assigned to re-house the prints. I worked with the staff and we decided that the best way to care for the works was not through folders, but through using large sheets of acid-free matte board. This matte board could easily be cut to fit the size of the boxes the pieces were already stored in and would allow for the pieces to continue lying flat. Next we would attach the encapsulated pieces to the matte board with photo corners. From simply revising this method of housing, the prints gain various benefits including better organization, reduction of stress on the prints and a sturdier support or backing.  

--Devon Stivers, Collections Intern, Museum Collections & Exhibitions

The Process

1. Make sure the print is housed in a Mylar sleeve of appropriate size. After completing a folder, organize the prints in numerical order.

 

Mylar needs cutting...

 

...Mylar cut down to correct size.

 

2. Cut the matte board sheets down to fit the size of the box.

 

Matte board after being cut down for the box.

 

3. Plan out the layout on the matte board (ideally in numerical order, however this can change based on sizes of the pieces).

4. Stick on photo corners on each piece. Best to have two on each diagonal for small print and three to four on each corner for large pieces.

5. Write down catalog number on the matte board underneath each of the prints in pencil.

6. Cut out half an inch triangles on both sides of the matte board for easier handling when moving the sheets within the boxes.

An in-progress sheet.

7. Label each sheet in its box its own sheet number.

Organizing all the finished sheets in the box.

8. Update sheet number and box number for each page in the database.

Churchill Weavers: A Brand with Modern Style and Traditional Quality

This 1969 ad features a cape woven by Churchill Weavers.

The Churchill Weavers sold more than a product. They sold a brand. Although Churchill Weaver’s center of production was in Berea, they sold products all over the nation, including some of America’s largest cities, like New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. They had an entire fleet of sales representatives that worked with shops, from small independently owned boutiques to large department stores. By creating a brand based on American craftsmanship, quality products, and modern styles, and selling their products using a variety of advertising technologies, the Churchill Weavers managed to create and maintain a business that lasted over eighty years.

The 1960s cape from the Churchill Weavers fabric archive.

I first learned about the Churchill Weavers during my internship with KHS in the summer of 2012. At that time, I helped catalog and photograph a small part of the massive textile collection. Even then, I knew that I wanted to learn more about the company and the collection, so I decided Churchill Weavers would be the focus of my Master’s thesis. After my internship ended, I continued to help catalog the textiles collection as a volunteer, but I also began to look into the Churchill Weavers material housed in Special Collections at KHS, which included over one hundred boxes of account records, correspondences, and advertisements.

A 1950s Churchill Weavers scarf in style 15447.

Although the Churchill Weavers firmly rooted themselves as a hand-weaving industry, they also established themselves as a modern company. They used advanced advertising technologies like three dimensional color catalogs and color film in the 1940s and 1950s to sell their products. One of their more innovative advertising methods included stereocards. On each card, a black and white photograph displays a trendy, urban woman modeling Churchill Weavers products. Beneath the photograph, transparencies show the same image in vibrant colors. By using a device like a stereocard viewer, the color transparencies would appear as brightly lit and three-dimensional scenes that highlighted the quality of the Churchill Weaver products.

On this stereocard, a woman atop a bicycle shows off her Churchill Weavers scarf tied across her shoulders.

Color image of stereocard advertisement.

My intention for my thesis is to discuss how the Churchill Weavers combined modernity and tradition to sell their products and their brand nationwide. Perhaps my favorite part of researching this topic is that I have a chance to piece together their history through the wide variety of records the company collected over the decades. I love coming across advertisements for products that I have actually had a chance to help catalog, photograph or rehouse; the experience helps me create a vivid image of history that I hope to convey in my own work.

--Cassie White-Fredette, Graduate Student, University of Kentucky, Art History and Visual Studies

KHS Collections Corner: The NAFMAB Collection

I’m Kurt Robinson, an intern in the Museum Collection and Exhibitions team this semester. I am working on a military project involving mortars, mounts, and the occasional large machine gun in the National Armed Forces Museum Advisory Board Collection. All of these artifacts are from the World War II or Vietnam era, mostly World War II. The project is divided into two parts. The first part, that I just completed, involved finding all of the parts to and cataloging mortars. A lot of them are from different countries and were collected by soldiers while on duty. These mortars were brought back to the United States and then donated, but this one collection did not come to the KHS first, it made a side trip.

The collection that has all the mortars, among other artifacts that I have not gotten to yet, were going to first be put in a museum on the mall in Washington D.C. Back in 1961 a plan was proposed to build a military history museum on the mall called the National Armed Forces Museum. As time passed the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War and, by 1972, was unable to get funds to build the new museum. After that, all the pieces that were going to be displayed in the collection were ordered to be dispersed. So, Colonel George Chinn, of the Kentucky Military History Museum, was allowed by the board to acquire many of the pieces in that collection, now in storage at KHS.

This is the mount, .50 caliber machine gun, and two different kinds of box magazines for the gun.

  The first part of the collection is made up of mortars, but I have come across a couple of interesting pieces. One is a .50 caliber machine gun with a mount, with four legs that dig into the ground, and a stem shaped like an elbow for the gun to rest on. The gun attaches to a mount, which has four handles, two of which have a lever that can be pulled to fire the weapon, so it can be used as an anti-aircraft gun. It also has a 250 round box magazine that attaches to the mount. There was also a very complex machined mount for a German machine gun, the MG 34. It folds out in several spots, mainly the legs, and pulls up, which is the rail that the gun sets on. It can then be folded in to be carried on the back of a person; the front leg has two leather pads.

Those two pieces were the only ones that were not mortars in the first phase of cataloging this collection. The rest were all kinds of mortars from different countries like Germany, France, the Soviet Union, Italy, and the U.S. All kinds of mortars of different shapes and sizes from small 50mm knee mortars, called that by the allied troops, the standard 60mm mortar, and even larger 80mm mortars from Germany. However, one piece was very interesting by the way it’s made. It is from Italy and is called a “Brixia.” It is a 60mm and but it has a cloth seat behind it, that the gunner can sit or lay down on. But, it had a lever trigger pull that fired the gun as it closed the breach at the same time. That same lever was pushed forward to open the breach again to reload. It also has a magazine on top, which held blank rounds to fire the projectile. This was probably the most unique mortar in the collection.

   

This is the Italian “Brixia” with the lever trigger handle pushed forward and the breach open.

This collection has a lot of very interesting and very cool pieces in it. Some of the pieces will require a lot more research to find out exactly what they are. I have done about 30 pieces so far and I am just getting started!  You can check out these pieces online in the KHS Objects Catalog.

--Kurt Robinson, Collections Intern, Museum Collections and Exhibitions

 

KHS Collections Corner: Rolled Storage for Textiles

We are often asked how to store large textiles like quilts, flags and coverlets. We normally recommend one of two ways when we are talking to smaller museums: the first is to store the pieces in acid-free textile boxes with the creases stuffed out with acid-free tissue. However, the folding involved with this can still cause stress on the textiles along the folds. The tissue in the creases helps to reduce the stress but it cannot eliminate it. That brings us to our second recommendation, which is rolling textiles.

Rolling large textiles has the advantage of causing less stress on the object due to creasing or folding. (Please note that there are still textiles for which rolling may not be a good storage solution! These would include textiles that are heavily embellished with things like beadwork and textiles that are very fragile.)

At KHS we use acid-free, lignin-free archival tubes for the rolls. However, a much more economical solution is available for institutions that don’t have the budget for these materials. In this case, you can go to your local carpet store and see if they would be willing to donate the tubes that rolls of carpeting come in on. While the tubes are not acid-free, they can be used if you put a barrier layer of acid-free tissue, polyethylene sheeting or Tyvek™ between the tube and the textile.

You should begin rolling the textile by laying the piece on a table (or over several tables). You want to make that there is enough tabletop space to fully support the textile to be rolled. A flat, even surface will make rolling large textiles a smoother process. 

Step 1 - Measure the textile.

Step 2 - Cut the tube to fit the textile. (You will want the tube to be approximately 2 inches longer than the textile itself.)

Step 3 - Wrap the tube. If you are using a tube that is not acid-free, you will need to buffer the textile from the tube by creating a barrier between the textile and the tube. This will prevent the textile from being damaged if the tube off-gasses with chemicals that can damage or discolor the piece.

 

Step 4 - Cover the entire textile with acid-free tissue.

 

Step 5 - Carefully roll it over the tube. Usually rolling the textile onto the tube will be a two-person project.

 

Step 6 - Make a dust cover. 

The dust cover can be made of unbleached cotton muslin, polyethylene sheeting or Tyvek™. The dust cover can be secured in place by cotton twill tape or some other type of string. 

Step 7 - Mark the wrapping.

After the piece is wrapped in the dust cover, you will need to mark the wrapping in some way so that you know what is inside. There are various ways of doing this, like attaching a paper label, sewing a label to the cover, putting a paper label in a sleeve attached to the outside or (depending on the material used) writing on it in pen. Please remember that if you use the pen on the wrapping record the identification before you wrap the piece or you will risk the ink bleeding through to the textile.

Step 8 - Storage

The rolled pieces will then need some sort of storage rack. Custom built storage units for rolled textiles are available from some vendors. However, racks can also be constructed in-house. You just need to make sure that your rack is designed to support the tubes horizontally on long metal or wooden poles and that there is enough space between each piece so that they can easily be removed when you need them.

--Deb Rose Van Horn, KHS registrar

 

KHS Collections Corner: Behind the Scenes with the Churchill Weavers Fabric Archive

Intern Em Eskridge (Me!)

Scarves and stoles and throws, oh my! Hello, my name is Em Eskridge and I’m an intern working with Jennifer Spence, KHS project coordinator, to digitize the Churchill Weavers fabric archive. I’d like to share with you what’s going on behind the scenes at KHS to preserve this important textile collection. So, let’s get started!

 

Jennifer Spence with more Churchill Weavers boxes

When I first arrived at KHS in January, I was a bit overwhelmed with the task at hand. I learned very quickly that this fabric archive is no small collection. It is made up of an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 individual objects; or, more than 2,000 boxes of fabric scraps and finished products. A sample of nearly everything made by the company in their 85 year history is represented in the archive. Jennifer coordinates the cataloging, storage, and photography responsibilities of the project. Intern Devon Stivers, five dedicated volunteers and I help her with a variety of project needs.

 

Volunteer Mary Caldwell examining a wool stole

Preservation begins with knowing what is in the collection. This means that the textiles in the 2,000 plus boxes must be looked at one by one. The textiles are examined through a process called cataloging. Cataloging begins by a selecting a box and creating a database entry and object ID number for that box. We then examine each textile closely to indentify things such as weave structures, materials, coloring ways and patterns as well as date of creation and condition. All of the collected information is then entered into KHS’s collections database, PastPerfect.

The textiles in the fabric archive arrived at KHS packed in cardboard boxes. These boxes are small and acidic and therefore not appropriate for long term storage. Non-archival boxes can cause textile fibers to stain and become brittle. As the textiles are cataloged, they are also transferred, or re-housed, into permanent acid-free storage containers.

Intern Devon Stivers and volunteer Cassie White-Fredette re-housing textiles

My foremost responsibility is to help Jennifer manage the digitization efforts of this project. Digitization includes photography, photo-editing, and linking images to PastPerfect. We use equipment designed specifically for our photography needs. Most textiles are photographed on a large felt-covered slant board that we built in-house. For small objects, like swatches, we use a horizontal board with a camera mounted parallel to it. Clothing, such as capes and ruanas, are shot on mannequins so that the form of the textile is made obvious.

Once the textiles are photographed, the image files are downloaded from our digital camera and edited to ensure quality and visibility. The edited photos are then linked to the objects’ database records and entries are reviewed and proofread a final time to ensure correctness. Records equipped with images are then ready to be made available via KHS’s online Objects Catalog, www.history.ky.gov/objects.

Volunteer Emily Braun staging a ruana for photography

Working with the Churchill Weavers fabric archive is an awesome experience. Cataloging and digitization is such an important part of the preservation of any collection, and photographing gives me the opportunity to look at the pieces and truly see the details. Visit the KHS Objects Catalog and see the fabric archive for yourself!

--Em Eskridge, Churchill Weavers intern

KHS Collections Corner: The Rude Osolnik Collection

 

Last Wednesday I pulled out many of the pieces from the Rude Osolnik collection for a researcher from the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. Since I had the pieces out, I thought I’d photograph and share some of them with you. The collection is made up of pieces made by wood artist Rude Osolnik and some of the tools that he used to make the pieces. 

 

Here is a little more background:

Mr. Osolnik began working at Berea College in the Industrial Arts Department in 1937. He taught wood turning there for 40 years. He also served on the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild, helped found the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen and also started the Berea Crafts Festival in 1982. 

Mr. Osolnik was well known for his artwork throughout the United States and his work has been exhibited at museums such as Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Atlanta's High Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The Yale Museum, The Speed Museum and the Kentucky Historical Society. One of his pieces was even given to the Queen of England by the U.S. Government. For more information about the artist visit his website at rudeosolnik.com or the KHS Objects Catalog. For more photos of this collection, visit the KHS Facebook page!

 

Candlestick, 1999.69.52

The Rude Osolnik Collection at KHS includes:
15 candlesticks
1 candlestick and book set
2 bowls
1 bowl with lid
8 cups and saucers
8 dinner plates
8 salad plates
9 bread plates
1 small plate with floral carving
1 twig pot
1 table
2 wood lathes
1 workbench
2 chisels
1 gouge

 

--Deb Rose Van Horn, Registrar

KHS Collections Corner: The Martin F. Schmidt Collection

Working with large projects has always seemed for me a daunting task. This was especially true when I was first assigned to work with the Martin F. Schmidt Collection. What appeared most intimidating was that I would be cataloging a massive volume of printed material, from newspapers spreads to small pamphlets to large maps. 

2004.41.324, Daniel Boone. This is believed to be the earliest separate print of a figure or scene made in Kentucky.

Donated in 2004, the collection contains 629 prints and took staff and volunteers several years to fully catalog for public access. As Martin F. Schmidt describes in his book Kentucky Illustrated: The First Hundred Years, the prints depict various early views of Kentucky history from as early as the late 1780s into the late 18^th century. Schmidt collected these prints for over 50 years. When determining what prints to keep and publish he decided to select works that “felt the touch of the artist, architect, etcher, painter, engraver or lithographer before they were seen in publication” or works that predated photography as the dominate medium. Schmidt tried to make this as exhaustive a collection as possible. As a result this collection contains a wide variety of print materials depicting historical Kentucky, including public figures, decorative architecture, local business advertising, disasters, and the Civil War.  

Working with the collection was very engaging. For instance, some days, I would have the opportunity read narratives about a tornado that sweep through Louisville. Other days I would work with a small photo-styled album of prints highlighting the significant architecture around Louisville. Working with collections like this creates an incredible experience.

Be sure to check out the collection in the KHS Objects Catalog (www.history.ky.gov/objects). It shows an interesting perspective of the times and printing related to Kentucky’s early history.  As Georgetown College professor Dr. Klotter, once commented about this collection, the prints “At one level they enlighten us; at another entertain” (Schmidt, Kentucky Illustrated: The First Hundred Years, 2).

--Devon Stivers, Collections Intern, Museum Collections & Exhibitions

2004.41.498, “Le Tour du Monde.” An 1837 French publication printed in Paris that shows the mystery of Mammoth Cave.

2004.41.202, Currier and Ives lithograph captioned “Battle of Mill Spring, Ky. Jan. 19th, 1862. Total rout of the Rebel Army, by the Gallant Soldiers of the West, under Genls. Thomas and Schoepff."

2004.41.593, A colored Harper’s Weekly engraving from 1890 showing various pre-damaged locations around Louisville before the tornado that occurred March 27 of that year.

 

2004.41.581, Currier and Ives chromolithograph entitled “De Ole Kentucky Home”