ASMR at the museum, Conserving Vivien Leighs Cleopatra Cloak, VA

,, Listen with headphones for best experience, , Follow Senior Textile Conservator Susana Fajardo as she works on a cloak worn by Vivien Leigh for her performance as Cleopatra in Shakespeare s play Antony and Cleopatra, at the St. James s Theatre in 1951. Sound designer and performancemaker Julie Rose Bower has documented Susanas meticulous steps using ambisonic sound, letting us get closer to the object than ever before. Watch as Susana uses the cold poultice technique to remove folds and creases in the cloth feathers of the cloak, carefully utilising moisture and glass weights to relax the fibres. Conservation process: Examining the costume: 00:11 Explaining the cold poultice technique: 01:08 Preparing layers: 01:33 Cutting and spraying blotting paper: 2:00 Placing sandwiches between the feathers and adding the glass weights: 02:39 Creating a chamber to trap moisture: 04:12 Vivien Leigh wearing the cloak: 05:54 See the cloak in more detail: