Before deciding to pursue a graduate degree at
Philadelphia University, Ingrid Johnson spent four years working in the Costume
and Textiles department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Rodin Museum recently re-opened after a
large-scale renovation project left it closed to the public for several months.
The museum's collection is now arranged the same way it was when it first
opened in 1929.
Last May, Dilys Blum, the Senior Costume and
Textiles Curator approached Ingrid to help create digitally printed
reproduction curtains for the Rodin Museum Library.
A photo of the library was found in the Art
Museum's archives showing curtains made from fabric printed with a bold,
geometric design. Ms. Blum consulted decorative magazines from the time period
and, despite the poor quality of the photograph of the room, was able to
positively identify the fabric used for the curtains. It was Oak Leaves,
designed c. 1928 by Ilonka Karasz, a Hungarian-born textile designer who became
famous in New York City, and manufactured by Lesher-Whitman. A small sample of
the fabric belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and they were able to
supply a high-resolution photograph of the fabric.
Ingrid color reduced the file and after many test
prints, perfected the color. The curtains were originally printed on mohair,
but it was decided to use linen for the reproductions, due to both printing
limitations and the possibility of moth infestation. After the fabric was
printed, the panels were coated with a flame retardant after-treatment in order
to pass fire safety code. The fabric was then given to Beth Paolini, the
Museum's seamstress, who created curtains that matched the originals. The
curtains were hung with the original rods and hardware.
Many thanks to Wendy Anderson, EJ Herzczyk, Nancy
Howard, Gwen Marks, Mark Sunderland, and Hitoshi Ujiie for all their
help.
