Cleaning Feathers with Surfactants What Is a Surfactant? Surfactants (or surface-active agents) reduce the surface tension of a solvent (usually water) so that the surface is more easily wetted[1]. Many surfactants also have the power to dislodge, disperse, and hold soil in suspension until it is rinsed off. Surfactants thus include wetting agents, emulsifiers, dispersants…
Can we solve(nt) the problem of cleaning feathers? A solvent is strong or weak depending on the dirt which needs to be dissolved! As we saw in our aqueous testing, feathers (especially those that have been aged) can experience significant and irreversible structural changes when exposed to water. With this in mind, as well as…
Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) have only one kind of plumage which is molted once a year. As expected for waterfowl, their feathers are superhydrophobic, thanks to a combination of a natural hydrophobic coating (preen oil) and the micro-structural topography of the feather. Throughout one year their feathers are exposed to harsh weather conditions and are…
When birds bathe to maintain their feathers, they sit or stand in shallow water and flap their wings and tails to scatter water onto the feathers and skin. Water droplets scatter from their feathers due to the water’s high surface tension and the feathers’ tendency to repel water. That water repellency, or hydrophobicity, is owed…
There are many examples of feathers used in art and cultural heritage materials spanning centuries. Some of the oldest examples include featherwork from South America, the Pacific Islands, and China. These intricate and awe-inspiring objects—cut-feather mosaics, full feathers used in clothing and regalia, diancui jewelry, etc.—made use of the natural colors of the birds as…
Museum Dust Composition and Deposition Conservators generally strive to remove accumulated dust with the intent to reveal the true nature of an object, to prevent damage, and to mitigate the appearance of neglect. Museum dust contains organic and inorganic particles, natural and synthetic fibers (from clothing, hair, dead skin cells), insects, plant and paper fragments, food, salts, and gaseous pollutants1. Particles of soot – mainly composed of carbon derived from the combustion of fuels used for heating and transportation – can form a dark, greasy deposit on object surfaces where sufficient…
Into the mid-20th century, bird skin and bird taxidermy were cleaned with cotton cloth or wadding and natural sea sponge. In fact, the sea sponge was used for body and household hygiene going back to ancient Greece (Greek: spongos). Today, a large variety of synthetic sponges and cloths are available to conservators and are commonly used during treatments. Survey says that, of 90 responses to…
Conservators have always been very resourceful in finding, adapting, and inventing new tools. The medical supply industry has been a bountiful resource supplying tools that can address specific needs in our field. Before conservation supply vendors began selling vacuum cleaners equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and variable speed control devices (VSCDs), conservators…
Our team surveyed 107 preservation professionals who prepare and care for feathered objects to determine if there is a consensus about preferred dry-cleaning techniques and tools. It did not come as a surprise that vacuum cleaners in combination with a variety of brushes are most commonly employed both to remove dust from and simultaneously restore…
We received a great response to our online survey – thank you to all who were able to participate!! One hundred and seven preservation professionals answered survey questions on a broad range of topics related to feather conservation including: priorities in cleaning preferred wet and dry cleaning methods damages observed as a result of cleaning…
Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates, but more closely related to reptiles than mammals on the evolutionary pathway. Scientific research, including the discovery of Archaeopteryx, with its distinctively avian feathered wings, has revealed that birds are present-day relatives of dinosaurs. Birds are the only living animals with feathers, a unique adaptation that performs a number of life-sustaining functions…
The main artistic medium of the British sculptor Kate MccGwire is bird feathers. Her otherworldly sculptures and installations are made of pigeon, pheasant, crow, or magpie feathers, which are sent to her by farmers, gamekeepers, pheasant pluckers, and racing pigeon enthusiasts. It can take her years to collect enough feathers for just one piece, and months to…
The display of museum bird collections have played a powerful role in raising public awareness of species extinction and habitat destruction. An example is the Leonard C. Sanford Hall of North American Birds, which was created by Frank Chapman who worked at the American Museum of Natural History from 1888 to 1942 and was its first curator…
Please consider participating in a conservation community survey on methods and materials used to preserve and care for feathers: Take the Survey! This community survey will guide our research plan. If you are a conservator or preservation professional who works (or has worked) with feather materials, please consider being a contributor. Some important points: The…
In September of 2018, The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in partnership with the Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) and UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials (UCLA/Getty), received a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to fund conservation research over a…
In Their True Colors 