Although it can be very tempting to apply some type of oil or leather dressing, this is inappropriate for saddles in a museum context. Natural oils, fats, and waxes degrade over time, causing a number of different problems including discoloration, staining, the formation of acidic degradation products, and spew, semi-crystallized waxy/oily products mobilized and re-deposited on the surface of the leather. Spew is often mistaken for mold, inadvertently driving curators and collections managers down the wrong path in search of solutions. I recommend avoiding the application of any materials to the surface of leather artifacts. Instead, keep them clean, well supported, and in storage locations with stable relative humidity and temperature conditions. Consult a conservator to help determine the exact nature or source of condition problems.
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Deborah Long
Director, Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center
Omaha NE
Original Message:
Sent: 12-08-2016 02:16 PM
From: John Templin
Subject: Conservation of Saddles
Any advice on removing mould from leather once you've got it?
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Jay Templin
Museum Interpretive Site Supervisor
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg VA
Original Message:
Sent: 12-08-2016 09:26 AM
From: Geoffrey Woodcox
Subject: Conservation of Saddles
In a museum environment, we're not subjecting our saddles to the stresses that you come across with actual use. Exposure to the elements, friction against human and horse bodies, sweat, rain, etc. I don't think conditioning is really necessary in a museum and can in fact do harm.
From the 50s-70s, the collection curator here conditioned the saddles and other leather artifacts every year without fail and it has caused so many problems down the line. We have issues with what is called spew--white, moldy looking residue that leaches out onto the surface of the leather. It's not harmful in and of itself that I'm aware of, but it's chemicals from the conditioning agent that are making their way back out of the leather. It can be removed with a dry cloth, but it isn't something that's good to have happening. The other thing that's happened is that metal hardware on the leather, particularly brass, reacts with the conditioning chemicals and grows these greasy, green corrosion residues that then need to be removed. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent scraping green corrosion product off of little brass tacks.
While it may be useful when the saddle is actually seeing use, I would recommend against conditioning in a museum setting unless you see a serious issue with the leather, in which case I'd probably talk to a conservator before doing anything.
Hope you're able to find a solution that works well for you!
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Geoffrey Woodcox
Assistant Curator of Collections
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Bismarck ND
Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2016 03:48 PM
From: Mel Glover
Subject: Conservation of Saddles
When I was in graduate school I was taught that the jury was very much out on the best way to preserve historic saddles. We were told that for the time-being it was better to just keep them dusted and to discourage mold. That leather conditioning should be avoided.
Eight years later and I find myself with a substantial collection of saddles: Western, McClellan, side-, pack, et cetera. What is the latest standard for best practices with these artifacts? I've referenced CCI and NPS Conserve-O-Grams without finding anything new. Living in Wyoming there are people with very Strong Opinions regarding the proper protection of these artifacts. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "Bad conditioning is better than no conditioning." Are there newer products or techniques that I don't know about? What recommendations might this body make? Thank you in advance.
Mel Glover
Superintendent:
-Pioneer Museum
-Ft Fetterman
-Camp Douglas
307-358-9288 (office)
307-359-8721 (cell)
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