by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

2/13/2025

CAMConservation, textile conservation

How many different fabrics are you wearing right now?

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

2/12/2025

CAMConservation, textile conservation, Zandra Rhodes

This Zandra Rhodes robe has undergone a journey!

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

11/13/2024

CAMConservation, textile conservation, historic lace

*Warning: puns and silly wordplay ahead! If that’s not your thing, this may not be the pLACE for you!

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

10/10/2024

CAMConservation, textile conservation, 1890s fashion, Cincinnati Wing

In the textile conservation lab, a three-piece 1890s cotton muslin ensemble arrived for treatment!

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

9/18/2024

CAMConservation, 1890s fashion, textile conservation

You ever have had a project lingering around your house or work that just … bugs you? A thing that needs to be done if only someone would just DO it? This bodice was one of those projects!

by C. Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

7/18/2024

CAMConservation, Rei Kawakubo, textile conservation

Wanting to do a little more analysis of this piece, I took the jacket back to the museum’s Conservation lab and created a toile, which is like a test version of a pattern used to study and perfect how an original flat pattern works.

by C. Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

6/20/2024

textile conservation, CAMConservation, historic upholstery, colonial dames, colonial furniture

It was time for the ladderback chairs in Gallery 218 to get a refresh! The chairs’ silk upholstery wasn’t original and over the years, while on display, the fabric had grown dingy and stained. Curator of Decorative Arts & Design Amy Dehan selected some appropriate, modern fabric in consultation with me, and I recovered the seats!

by Obie Linn, Textile Conservator

5/23/2024

CAMConservation, textile conservation, 1910s fashion

Remember the blue dress from a few weeks ago? This week she’s back—with a secret.

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

4/25/2024

textile conservation, CAMConservation, 1910s fashion

This week in the textile conservation lab, I am working on a day dress dating to the 1910s. It has a very delicate silk net stand-up collar edged with a metal ribbon and stiffened with wire stays.

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

2/29/2024

CAMConservation, textile conservation, museum pests, silverfish, historic Cincinnati

These elegant pale blue kid leather shoes came to the lab for a new storage tray and interior padding, but they are interesting because they bear tell-tale damage from a specific collection pest: silverfish.

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

2/1/2024

CAMConservation, textile conservation, Rei Kawakubo, behind the scenes, Historical Shoes, Comme des Garcons

Something is afoot with these shoes! Can you put your finger (or toe) on the difference?

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

1/4/2024

CAMConservation, tiraz textiles, textile conservation

Check out some small wonders from the world of textile artwork!

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

11/16/2023

CAMConservation, selvage, Art Deco, fabric, textile conservation

We’ve got it all! All the width of this 1920s embroidered voile (fine soft sheer fabric), that is.

by Obie Linn, Textile Conservator

9/21/2023

textile conservation, Elizabeth Hawes, Flag Dress, before and after, CAMConservation, textiles

There are few things more satisfying than seeing some really dramatic “before and after” photos when a conservation treatment is complete! Conservation of Elizabeth Hawes’ “flag dress” or Geographic (1940) has wrapped up, and now you can flip through a whole album of “before/after” pairs showing the transformations of many of the flags that cover the dress.

by Obie Linn, Conservator of Textiles

8/24/2023

CAMConservation, textile conservation, historic childrenswear

The forecourt display case in the Conversations Gallery is fresh! A new rotation arrived last week, and it is practically aglow with summery white freshness. How does a 150-year-old child’s dress look this crisp and breezy?

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

7/27/2023

Ann Lowe, CAMConservation, 1930s fashion, textile conservation, Winterthur Museum

How would you like to travel in a custom “sleeping bag”? These three dresses designed by Ann Lowe (American, 1898–1981) are headed to the Winterthur Museum in Delaware for the exhibition Ann Lowe: American Couturier, snuggled in soft surrounds for a safe and comfortable trip.

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

6/21/2023

CAMConservation, vintage chanel, vintage, textile conservation

What is one of the best things about being a textile conservator? To me, it’s that I sometimes have the chance to “converse” with my fashion design heroes through their work.

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

5/25/2023

CAMConservation, textile conservation, embroidery, indian textiles

This week, grab a sneak peek at “coming attractions” with this Indian floor spread! She’ll be the “star of the show” in our Anu and Shekhar Gallery of South Asian Art when installed at the end of June.

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

4/27/2023

CAMConservation, textile conservation, jacquard, american coverlets, delaware ohio

Does crisp spring weather make you crave a snuggly blanket? The Cincinnati Art Museum has several!

by Obie Linn, Textile Conservator

3/30/2023

CAMConservation, textile conservation, pink dress

Treatment is complete for this 1920s silk chiffon and velvet dress which showed loss in several places, including the right shoulder.

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

3/2/2023

behind the scenes, objects conservation, CAMConservation, Palampore, South Asian Art, textile conservation

Are you a pal of Indian textiles? Then be sure to see the palampore currently on display in the South Asian Gallery!

by Obie Linn, Associate Conservator of Textiles

1/5/2023

CAMConservation, vintage, Chanel, textile conservation, sequins

Heat and moisture melted the missing sequins on this 1925–1926 party dress at the wearer’s armpit.

by Conservation

12/1/2022

textile conservation, CAMConservation

We are “dyeing” to find the perfect shades of pink silk chiffon to repair this 1920s dress!

by Conservation

10/27/2022

CAMConservation, 1740sfurniture, textile conservation, textiles, Grendey

Our textile conservator got to wear all these “hats” this week to address some spots on this settee in Gallery 209, the British portraiture gallery.

by Conservation

9/29/2022

CAMConservation, Palampore, textile conservation, South Asian Art, objects conservation

Take a peek into preparations for the reopening of the South Asian Galleries, December 2023.

by Conservation

9/1/2022

CAMConservation, cincyartmuseum, rug conservation, textile conservation

This test hinted at a dramatic difference!

by Conservation

8/4/2022

CAMConservation, textile conservation, colonial furniture, colonial dames

A whole team helped clean the galleries in a gallery-wide dust-up (or down!). Next time you visit the museum, take a minute to think about all the unseen work that goes into keeping all parts of the museum looking their best.

by Conservation

6/9/2022

CAMConservation, oversized art, historic carpets, textile conservation, textiles

This carpet is a whopping 25’ by 18,’ easily one of the largest textiles in the collection.

by Conservation

5/12/2022

CAMConservation, textile conservation, 1920s bags, behind the scenes

This beaded bag from the 1920s is in the textile conservation lab for some stabilization where some of the beading threads were broken, but it presented a special challenge...

by

4/14/2022

CAMConservation, conservation, textiles, textile conservation, jeannehallee, behind the scenes

This silk chiffon scarf--part of a dress by designer Anna Jeanne Hallée designed in 1924—is undergoing conservation for significant loss and weakness where only shreds and threads remained around the central section.