Help with Aunt Clara's purses! *PICS

[ayashe]

I hope no one minds how many photos I'm posting here.

These are my great Aunt Clara's purses. They are beautiful and very special to me, and they are also fragile and falling apart. I would like to have them framed in some way for display. As a teenager I had them hanging in my bathroom. In hindsight, I realize that was a horrible place to have them as the steam from showers probably wasn't good for them!

Anyway, they are very delicate and I don't know how to go about displaying them. When they are hanging openly on a wall, people are inclined to touch them (they're wonderfully cold and heavy) and each time they're touched, another little bead drops off, or string breaks, etc. Some are in better shape then others. So I guess I have two questions:

How to frame? Should I have them mounted on something, or just pressed flat somehow? I realize this is going to cost a pretty penny but I'd like them to last...

Secondly, should I have them semi-restored before framing? I like to keep things in original shape, and I don't think these have ever had a cleaning or fix up. But with so many beads falling off, and the thread on some of the purses seem to practically dissolve in your hands, I feel I should have them patched up before framing?

OR, should I not bother with anything and just keep them safe in a box and take them out for viewing only on special occasions?

Thanks for an advice.  The last photo is of Aunt Clara herself. 

[railman44]

Very collectable purses.  Looks like the damage isn't too severe.  I would check with a bonifide professional and see just what the cost would be to repair the ones that need it.  Framed behind a backing that wouldn't attract moisture sounds like an excellent way to display them.  Your Aunt Clara looked like a very classy pretty woman.

[D&b antiques]

I would agree with Railman. the moisture is a no no. the sentimental value is higher, then the purse's.

[regularjoe2]

I agree with railman & D&b .

Perhaps some light stitching to repair a little & prevent more fragile pieces from coming loose , then a gentle  professional cleaning ( if they can withstand the cleaning ) before framing in a deep ( even a shadowbox-type ) frame ... you could even include the Aunt Clara photo [or a copy of it] in the frame .

[talesofthesevenseas]

May I suggest going with UV filter Plexiglass for the glass in the frame. Over time, light damages the cloth fibers holding the beadwork. A shadowbox is a good idea, so that they are not pressed against the Plex. You don't want the box to be 100% air tight, as that can cause mold and the box and mounting material can give off gasses. Make sure the purses are not in contact with wood, which is acidic, and go with acid-free backing to mount the purses. You might look into mounting them on a cotton fabric, maybe with a layer of cotton cushioning.

Beautiful purses! It would be neat to include Aunt Clara's photograph with the purses around her!

[KC]

If you are not talented with the needle do not attempt to mend the purses yourself as it will devalue them.

Do not clean the metal ones or you can ruin them completely!

Inherited 8 myself of these 8 years ago and looked into all of this myself. 

The mounting info that you got is right on....especially T7seas advice about clean cotton fabric.  Display out of the sun!

These are highly collectible and will only continue to do become more so with age.  The pic of your Aunt also helps!  For future family value copy the pic and attach it to the back of the framed pieces with info.  This will also help should anyone ever sell them down the line.

[regularjoe2]

Good advise , KC .

I'll be contrary & recommend that all the fabrics be 'stabilized' , which usually entails some sorts of cleaning ( done by a pro , not a home project ) .
Especially , in light of the history of your items , to remove molds , fungus & residues from same .


Seeing these here in the forum brought back a true (horror) story of someone who decided to 'preserve' a beaded purse by cleaning it with Everclear , drying it & double-casting it in Lucite ( because it 'really looks cool' -quote ) .
The guy had bought it at an estate sale in the Middle-U.S. , in the mid 1970's & had paid around $200.00 .
When he showed it to me , after inspecting it , I offered 300 , which he refused .
He kept it on his coffee table for years .

In the mid-90's , it was destroyed in an apartment fire ( the lucite helped this ) .


To this day , I've never told him the fact that it was a custom-build from Tiffany & Co. - in gold & platinum .
Hope he's not readin' this now .

[ayashe]

Ouch!!

Thanks for everyone's advice. I will certainly consult a pro on the cleaning and framing. I like the idea of the shadowbox, giving depth but also protection from light, etc. I will bring all these ideas to the attention of the framer, when I find one. Can anyone recommend someone in Melbourne Australia? I will go to the antiques district (Armadale) but if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations, I like to go by word of mouth before walking into about 20 shops to begin the interview process...