OLD FORT — Do you have a prized family possession you’re not sure how to care for? Or perhaps you’d like to know more about a piece of furniture or some silver you inherited.
Two conservators from the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh will be at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort on Saturday, May 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions and offer expert advice about how to preserve family heirlooms and antiques, according to a news release.
However, they will not provide estimates on objects’ value. Textile conservator Paige Myers and objects conservator Jennifer French will meet with patrons by appointment, which must be scheduled in advance by calling the museum at 828-668-9259.
Appointments are limited to 30 minutes. If a patron has both textiles (such as clothing, quilts, flags or anything made of fabric) and objects to be examined, a separate appointment must be made with each conservator. Each participant can bring a total of three preapproved items. The items must be preapproved for the public’s safety and to protect the museum against serious infestations. For those reasons, please do not bring any objects with live ammunition, unexploded dynamite or other armaments; textile or wooden objects with mold, bugs or pests; or any hazardous chemicals, such as acetone, barium, strychnine or ether, according to the news release.
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Myers and French have more than 50 years of conservation work between them. Myers has spent 30-plus years working with textiles, including clothing, uniforms, quilts and flags, at the N.C. Museum of History and the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
She was a professional costumer with Raleigh Creative Costumes; is the textile advisor to Hope Plantation in Windsor and presents textile workshops in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast.
French has 22 years of experience working with collections at the N.C. Museum of History; the N.C. Division of Historic Sites; the Cleveland Museum of Art; the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution; and the Wiltshire County Council Conservation Centre in Wiltshire, England. She examines and treats archaeological, ethnographic and historic objects, as well as objects of fine art.
This free Conservation Assistance Day program is held four times a year, from the mountains to the sea, as part of the N.C. Museum of History’s educational outreach efforts.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with conservation experts. Call 828-668-9259 today to make your 30-minute appointment with either Myers or French. Appointment slots are expected to be filled quickly.
The Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center, located just off Interstate 40 (Exit 73) at 24 Water St., Old Fort, is the westernmost facility in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of State History Museums.
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of Mill Creek, the museum uses artifacts, exhibitions, educational programs, living history demonstrations and special events to teach people about the rich history and cultural heritage of the state’s mountain region, from its original inhabitants through early settlement and into the 20th century.
As part of its education outreach mission, the museum also assists nonprofit museums and historic sites in 38 western N.C. counties with exhibit development and fabrication, genealogical research, photography archives, traveling exhibitions and free consultations.
Mountain Gateway Museum is open year-round, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 2-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday and state holidays. Admission is free, according to the news release.