2 minute read
Erasing the Dirt of History
BY CARRIE BARKER, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT
This dirty story starts with the Hampton History Museum and artifacts from Chowan Beach, the river beach resort owned by and operated for African Americans during segregation in the 20th century. Loaning artifacts to institutions such as the Hampton History Museum is an important way MOA extends our educational reach. Artifacts must be assessed and cleaned before leaving MOA, and two requested Chowan Beach artifacts left me seeking additional input: two signs that had been displayed outdoors at the Chowan Beach resort. These wooden, handpainted signs were dirty with deeply ingrained dust, and I was concerned about damaging the paint. Do you know what the conservator from the North Carolina Museum of History suggested? Erasers! Using light pressure, I was able to use vinyl erasers to remove a level of dirt—without damaging the paint.
CHOWAN BEACH 10¢ SIGN
Courtesy of the Museum of the Albemarle
CHOWAN BEACH 10¢ SIGN, Before treatment.
Courtesy of the Museum of the Albemarle
CHOWAN BEACH 10¢ SIGN, After treatment.
Courtesy of the Museum of the Albemarle
In preparation for MOA’s Nell Cropsey:120 Years of Mystery exhibit opening in October, the same conservator advised using erasers again on the painted Cropsey house doors to remove caked grime. And when I researched cleaning leather items for the Cropsey exhibit, I discovered—you guessed it!—leather items can be cleaned lightly with erasers!
