MoDA’s Silver Studio textile collection consists of around 5,000 textile samples, most of which originally belonged to the Silver Studio. Between 2004 and 2005 we received a series of grants that enabled us to conserve them to appropriate standards.
Some of our textiles were designed by the Silver Studio designers themselves, others were collected as reference. They were mostly intended as furnishings (curtains and upholstery etc) but we also have a few examples of dress fabrics.
Phase One
In 2002 we were awarded a small grant by Libraries Museums and Archives (LMA) for a small pilot project to look at conservation priorities. The report highlighted the urgent need for work on the textile collection and this therefore became the main focus of our 2003-2004 bid.
Phase Two
We received a Collections Care Grant of just over £2,700 from LMA in 2003-2004. Our priority was to physically preserve the textile collections for the future. We aimed to allow for safe and easy handling of the textile collection by staff and the public, and to increase access to the textile collection. The funding paid for acid free cardboard rolls, archival quality polyester sleeves and archival boxes of various sizes.
Phase Three
Having done the groundwork we were able to secure £20,000 from the AHRB (subsequently the AHRC) to employ Keren Protheroe, an expert Textile Historian, for one year. Her objective was to create full catalogue records for all the Silver Studio textiles. We made the digital photographs of all textiles that we had created in Phase Two available alongside the new full catalogue information on MoDA’s online database.
This was a good example of a project building up cumulatively. We attracted small amounts of money initially, and were then able to leverage larger amounts.
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