The Jefferson County Historical Society is offering five document, art and artifact conservation classes next year, starting in January.
Classes will be held at 1 p.m. each class day at the historical society’s Research Center, 13692 Airport Cutoff Road.
They will consist of discussion, demonstration and hands-on practice. All necessary materials will be provided.
The cost is $30 per class for historical society members or $45 for nonmembers. All class fees benefit historical society programs.
Classes on papers
The first class, “Cleaning and Mending Paper Artifacts,” will be Jan. 12.
Participants will learn about different types of papers and their characteristics. They’ll receive an introduction to dry-cleaning methods for books and documents.
The class will present simple techniques for mending books and papers. Participants will learn how to hinge a work of art on paper to a backing board and do simple repairs with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.
A class on “Flattening Rolled and Deformed Paper Artifacts” will be Jan. 26.
Papers that have been rolled, crushed or folded for long periods of time will resist attempts to unroll and flatten them unless the artifact is humidified to relax it and dried under weights, the historical society said.
The class will demonstrate a technique for flattening papers using an ultrasonic humidifier and pressure.
Safe storage
“Art and Artifact Handling and Storage,” a class set Feb. 3, will give guidelines for safely handling and storing heirlooms, photographs, framed artwork, textiles and other artifacts.
The class will explore the new historical society storage facility and learn how to lift, move, store and pack fragile items and what materials are safe to use for storage.
“Researching Old Houses” will be March 3.
The historical society has collected information on more than 1,000 buildings and residences in Port Townsend’s historic district as well as homes outside the district.
The class will learn how to access this information and learn the history of local homes and the people who lived in them.
Wedding dresses
“Historic & Vintage Wedding Dresses” will be March 17. The class will explore the historical society collection and preview vintage wedding dresses that will go on display in the Rothschild House Museum in May.
Participants will inspect the dresses and discuss condition, materials, sewing techniques, fasteners and ornamentation.
Students will learn how to safely display, store and preserve their own historic textiles.
To register or to get more information, phone 360-385-1003 or drop by the historical society office at 540 Water St.
Payment in advance is required to secure a place in the class. Class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
