7/1/2008
By Grace Dobush
Creative ways to save and share your family history.
Safe Keeping: Old Flags
With the Fourth of July approaching, you may be tempted to find the flag Grandpa gave you and run it up the pole. But flying Old Glory-if it's truly old-could irreparably damage your family heirloom. Even washing the flag is a no-no. Your colors may indeed run, and the stress could cause tears in the fabric.
Textiles are especially vulnerable to light, dirt, extreme temperatures, humidity, bugs and pollution. The best course of action is to buy an acid-free flag box and interleave the fabric with acid-free tissue paper. Some climates require different methods of protection, however. In desert areas, use unbleached cotton instead of tissue paper; in semitropical and tropical climes, you need to take extra care to keep insects away. The Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute <www.si.edu/mci> says using tin containers has been successful in some places.