ABSTRACT
This case study outlines the treatment of an early nineteenth-century Regency-style silk net dress embellished with straw-work and glass beads. The dress was donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in poor condition; the extreme degree of splitting in the starched silk net had resulted in large areas of loss and detaching embellishments. Scanning electron microscopy images highlighted boundaries of weakness at each loop point of the net where the heavily applied wheat starch had abraded it. Visualizing the vulnerable silk threads under magnification legitimized the need for a full nylon net support fabric applied by adhesive, which involved deconstruction and reshaping of the dress. Before pursuing this interventive approach, similar net dresses held in the Museum of London collection and previously treated with adhesive net supports in the 1960s and 1990s were examined to understand ageing properties. Adhesive testing was also conducted, with 20% Vinamul® 3252 (w/v) in deionized water performing best with the peel test while also maintaining great flexibility. Careful documentation and accurate pattern taking were crucial for the reconstruction of the dress. With renewed strength, the dress was mounted onto a mannequin for display and shown to the public for the first time in 2021.
