A preliminary investigation into the characterisation of sooty soilings on historic textiles

Abstract

The research focuses on the characterisation of airborne, atmospheric pollution-derived black carbon-based sooty soilings on historic textiles. It examines current conservation attitudes to sooty soilings and conservation knowledge about soiling identification. An overview is given of historically important sources of sooty soilings which may have affected textiles exhibited in the domestic interior. Methods with potential to aid the characterisation of sooty soilings were researched and put into use during the assessment of the soiling on two domestic interior historic textiles: an early twentieth-century embroidered banner and a nineteenth-century muslin curtain. The thesis focuses on ascertaining of the presence of sooty soiling on the two artefacts. Investigation methods used include physical examination, historical research, and a set of instrumental analytical and imaging techniques such as stereomicroscopy and polarised light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X-ray analysis, ion chromatography, Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and infrared photography. Applicability of the different techniques for the characterisation of sooty textile soilings is evaluated, and recommendations for the future investigation of this novel field of research are provided.