Dear Camy,

If they say "no" when you call the Hartford House and ask about touching
things, you might want to ask if they'd consider letting you have a
"touch-tour" if you use protective gloves, such as they have in many special
collections libraries.
The oils on our skin are destructive to many old pieces, which is why they
don't want people touching them.   I use the gloves often when working with
very old documents, and while they limit my sense of touch, they don't
stifle it completely--I can still feel texture differences and differences
in the thickness of paper.  While gloves would prevent you from feeling the
softness of fabrics, you could still feel size, shape and texture.
They may still say no, but it's worth a try.

Warm regards,

Sharon McCoy