Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/165

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THE PREPARATION OF OBJECTS
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be changed from time to time to avoid wear. The museum director of to-day provides for his laces screens of uniform size which fit a storage case. The frames are made of quarter-inch stock about an inch and a half wide and covered with a textile. The size is determined by the size of the storage case, usually about 18×24 inches. Certain museums use a linen, either blue or unbleached, while others prefer a pongee or thin silk to cover these frames. It is important, of course, that the color should be fast and that it should be one that will show the laces to advantage. Usually these frames fit a show case so that an exhibition of laces is easily and quickly arranged. The laces are basted to the cloth on the frame with small stitches at fairly long intervals and with very fine thread. They must always be put on the inside of the frame so that the wooden edge acts as a protection. This also has the advantage of making a frame for the textile at the time of exhibition.

Linens and embroideries are usually kept in drawers. Tissue paper, preferably blue, as the bleach used in the white is harmful, laid between, is valuable in preventing rubbing and also helps keep gold and silver threads in embroidery from tarnishing. White beeswax put in with white satin is said to prevent its turning yellow. Small pieces