I am trying to find out how to treat and preserve feathers. I have inherited a couple of antique dyed ostrich feather fans, probably 80-to 100-years old, and also have some 40-years old peacock feathers. For that matter, how do you care for new feathers? And would this work on 40-year old deer hides?
I'm just starting to research this. The only information I've found so far is from a 100 year old Good Housekeeping book on Etiquette and Household Management which suggests that you melt butter on the stove at a low heat until it bubbles and wave the feathers over it and then slide your fingers gently over the feathers to evenly distribute the splatters of butter through the feathers. Surely, there must be a more up-to-date method than that. Wouldn't butter have an acidic pH balance which would damage the feathers for long-term preservation? Maybe someone will suggest something better?
Thanks for any help.
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that if they have already lasted 100 years without the concept of butter splatter, or anything else for that matter, simply put them inside a cabinet with camphor or moth balls and you will be fine.
I forgot to mention, there is an area on one of my feather fans that must have gotten wet many years ago as there are water marks on the tissue paper and carboard box the fans were in, and there is black powder on part of the feathers, and on some cotton lace which was also in the box, which looks like mildew (antique feathers - antique lace - antique mildew!). Any suggestions? One fan is dyed ostrich feathers which has the black powder, the other is peacock eyes which seems to be cleaner but is getting dry and fragile and turning bronze colored. I wasn't sure if I could even rinse either of them in water. Would like to know how to oil (or treat somehow) feathers after washing to renew them. After all these years, they're pretty dry.
Again, thanks for any help from anyone.