Hello Everybody!

I was going to post this yesterday but was a little too flabbergasted to properly contextualize my words. The reason for my dismay, was that I saw the photos that were finally published, of the damage done to Miss Monroes gown.

This is something I knew in my mind, soul and heart would happen, and yesterday my fears were solemnly confirmed. 

To laymen's eyes, the damage presented in the before and after photos may seem minimal. However, to those with a trained eye, the damage is significant and irreversible.

Missing rhinestones, stretched seams and torn fabric. Most of this damage, especially to the souffle fabric itself, is permanent. There are no pictures yet of the hemline, but because Miss Kardashian was shown several times to have  stepped on it, I think we can safely assume damage was done to that as well.

This gown, the most expensive dress in the world, and one of, if not the most pop culturally important of Miss Monroes garments, has been officially destroyed.  

For what? for a ten-minute jaunt on the red carpet? A jaunt in which she could not even move with ease. A jaunt in which her and her boyfriends ungloved hands maneuvered this dress. A jaunt for which she could barely walk up the stairs, blatantly pulling and stretching the highly delicate fabric and stepping on the hemline as she ungracefully waddled up them.

For ten minutes of publicity, and a hefty donation to its "caretakers" this dress was allowed to be ruined, literally ruined, and it's overall lifespan probably shortened by decades, depriving future generations of the awe and splendor that this once pristine relic recently held. Not only was it's unique story infringed upon and decimated, put it's actual physical integrity was put at mortal risk!

If ten minutes of "regulated" wear could do this much damage to a historical garment, what do you think is going to happen to other historical garments that "celebrities" get their hands on? Garments that may not have as much notoriety as this one, so may not be as "regulated."

Though, the term "regulated" I use loosely. Not a single legitimate institute of preservation would have even considered allowing this to happen. Ripley's has firmly proven that even though they may legally own the treasures they harbor, they cannot be trusted to maintain their safety and dignity. They are NOT a real museum, and if they try to claim they are, they must atone themselves with a formal apology and a promise that this will never happen again. 

They must also educate themselves on the proper conduct and handling of historical items. The fact that they used cotton gloves instead of nitrile while dressing Miss Kardashian, is a sign of unprofessional ignorance. Cotton gloves have a tendency to snag on intricate details, and this most likely contributed to the loss of several rhinestones. 

The bottom line is this: Money and publicity should NEVER be a valid excuse to destroy a piece of history. Though, this issue may be "trivial" in the grand scheme of the world that is burning around us, wrong is wrong, wherever it falls on the spectrum, and when wrongdoing is done, accountability must be met.

Again, we have already lost this treasure, there is no going back. BUT, going forward, we have the opportunity to make our voices heard in a way that could strike a certain fear into the hearts of the masses, that may ultimately make those considering such an atrocity in the future, to actually use their brains and think twice, which may prevent something like this from happening again.

This campaign is not just about justice and atonement, it is about making sure the standards of historical preservation are respected and upheld, with the hopes that it will prevent a disaster like this from happening again.

So please, I know many of you have already gone well out of your way to support this campaign, and I truly thank you and appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, but we honestly need all the support, signatures and shares that we can get! Whatever you can do to help our campaign gain more ground, will be wholeheartedly appreciated!

Thank you, everyone, for your time and support. I will post another update as soon as I hear more news. Remember, TOGETHER WE REALLY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

                                                                    Love,

                                                                         ~ Madeline ~