Giving Rossland’s Largest Textiles the VIP Treatment!
Thanks to support from the Trail & District Arts Council, we have been able to upgrade storage for our collection of large textiles!
When you think of historic collections, fragile glassware or yellowed letters might spring to mind. But what about a 20-foot-wide flag from the Josie Mine, a heavy wool carpet, or an historic race gate?
Large textiles are some of the most vibrant, storied objects in our care, and comfortably storing them has been a massive conservation puzzle. Thanks to generous funding from the Trail & District Arts Council, we’ve recently wrapped up a major project to upgrade the custom storage system for over 40 of our largest textile artifacts!
The Issue
Fabric has memory. When large textiles sit folded inside boxes for years, the tight creases put immense strain on individual fibres. Over time, those folds can become brittle, leading to irreversible tearing.
A few years ago, after preparing condition reports for each item, our team took the first step toward better conservation by rehousing the textiles into rolls around acid-free tubes. While this eliminated harsh creases, we didn’t have the funds or space for a dedicated rolled storage system yet. Gravity was still doing what gravity does: creating a localized pressure point where the textile rested on the shelf, forcing us to physically rotate dozens of heavy rolls every few months to prevent further issues.
Out of the box system!
Behind the scenes: Museum staff measuring, condition-reporting, and carefully rolling textiles onto archival tubes throughout the rehousing project.
Large textiles are starting to be placed into their new suspended storage!
The Solution
Following our collection storage expansion into the old Cominco theatre, we finally had some space to dedicate to this project. Using lightweight poles through each tube, the collection can now be fully suspended. Even better, the new rack design allows for customizable spacing, so we can adjust support for everything from thin cloth banners to thick woven wool.
This project protects some of the most iconic fabric pieces of Rossland’s past, including:
Nancy Greene’s 1968 Welcome Home Banner: Celebrated by the town after her legendary Olympic gold and silver medal wins in Grenoble
The Josie Mine Flag: A massive 20-foot industrial flag that once flew high above one of Rossland’s main gold mines.
Fraternal & Community Banners: Intricately embroidered flags and sashes from local secret societies, unions, and sports clubs.
Historic Gear & Handmade Textiles: Vintage ski racing gates, decorative banners, and handmade local blankets.
Proper storage isn't just about keeping things neat in the back room! It's about ensuring these delicate pieces of local history survive for another century so they can be brought out for future presentations and research.
Next time you see one of these massive historic banners on display, you’ll know the journey it took just to hang right! A huge thank you again to the Trail & District Arts Council for making this vital preservation project possible.
How You Can Get Involved!
Projects such as this take time, specialized materials, and a passionate team.
Here’s how you can support local history today:
🏛️ See Secret Societies Highlights in Person: Interested in seeing some of our fraternal histories and artifacts up close? Visit our ongoing "Secret Societies in Rossland" outreach display at the Rossland Public Library, featuring rotating stories from Rossland’s historic lodges!
🛠️ Volunteer With Us: Love hands-on history? We’re always looking for volunteers to assist with future collections projects or join our Collections & Research Committee. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
💙 Support Future Projects: Custom conservation hardware and archival materials take dedicated resources. Consider making a donation to support ongoing museum operations and future preservation projects.