1.
I have several items that have become wet at some
point. The main damage seems to be wrinkling and staining.
How can I fix it?
If a piece is a single leaf, lightly spray it with
a fine mist of water then press it between sheets
of blotting paper. When it is dry, the wrinkles and
some of the staining will be much reduced. Be sure
to test for any water soluble inks or pigments before
proceeding.
Top
2.
I am interested in preserving and mounting for display
selected pages from a newspaper that is approximately
50 years old. The paper is somewhat yellowed but in
otherwise good condition.
I would strongly advise you not to exhibit newsprint
as it contains lignin, a material that is highly photo-sensitive.
Newsprint will darken significantly if exposed to
light for any period of time and in any degree of
light intensity. I recommend that you have high quality
photocopy facsimiles made and display them instead.
Good photocopy equipment, especially in commercial
shops, such as Kinko, can now produce very credible
copies of even large format materials.
Top
3.
Our Library is faced with a lot of books with dust
in the stacks. I would like to mobilize our cleaners
to clean the books on the bookshelves. I do not wish
to use vacuum cleaners as it creates distracting noises
for readers.
You may wish to supply the cleaners with special
dusters sold by the Gaylord company. There are two
products: Dust Bunny and One-Wipe Dust Cloth. You
will find the products on the web
site. Gaylord does have an international section.
Top
4.
I recently had an outbreak of mold in my library,
and many of the books are mold-damaged. What should
I do to remove the mold?
The treatment of mold-infected books requires that
they be taken to a well-ventilated area with electric
fans to increase air movement. A good arrangement
is to stand the books on edge with the boards slightly
opened have a fan blow across them through an open
window or to handle the books inside a running fume
hood (cupboard). Rapidly moving air will dry out the
moisture and desiccate the mold spores, rendering
them inactive. If necessary, take the books outdoors
and place in the sun and a mild breeze for a short
time, and if possible, remove the mold outdoors. Ultraviolet
rays from the sun will kill mold. In handling infected
books, staff should wear HEPA face masks or respirators
and plastic or rubber gloves. When the books are dry,
a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner should be used to remove
as much of the inactive mold as possible from the
covers of the books. If you do not have a HEPA filter
vacuum, activated dusters (dusters with an electrostatic
charge, or containing a mild adhesive) can be used.
The dusters should be laid over the infected area
and the mold spores gently picked up. This procedure
prevents mold spores from being released into the
air. When the soft mold has been removed, the outside
of book covers can be wiped with a solution of ethyl
alcohol. This acts as a mild solvent to remove some
of the outer staining. Care must be taken not to wet
the area too much. The inside of the books can now
be examined. In many cases, mold stains will be seen
on the inside of the binding, near the joints and
at the head and tail. The stains can be gently swabbed
with ethyl alcohol, but it is unlikely that they will
be completely removed. Although mold stains can be
treated with chemical bleach, this is not recommended
because bleach can cause the paper to deteriorate
rapidly, especially in humid conditions.
Top
1.
How should I care for old metal printing plates and
dies?
The plates and dies may be various mixtures of alloys,
steel, and other metals. Given that some of the components
might rust, you need to ensure that the surfaces are
clean, protected by a shock-resistant materials---such
as stable corrugated board--- and stored in a dry
place. They should be checked for rusting on a regular
basis. If rust spots begin to develop, clean them
off then very lightly oil all surfaces with a clear
machine oil or cover with a silicone spray coating.
If made up of one of the alloys containing copper
(brass for example), there is a chance that the sulphur
in polluted air might cause an oxide film to develop
(such as on a copper coin). For detailed information
on remedial treatment and storage see Plenderlieth
and Werner, The Preservation of Antiquities and
Works of Art (London: OUP, 1988)..
Top
2.
I would like to know how to properly store a 100 year
old family Bible. Do I have a Bible box made and if
so, what materials should be used?
You are quite correct to consider boxing your Bible.
For most materials of that type, the best strategy
is to stabilize and protect. You may wish to consider
photocopying any genealogical information in the Bible
(usually it resides between the Old and New Testaments).
The type of box can vary, but it is generally best
to use acid-free/buffered materials. You can commission
someone to make the box or simply buy a suitably sized
box from a variety of companies including the following
international vendors:
Light
Impressions
University
Products
Gaylord
Bros
Top
3.
I have some newspapers that I would like to be preserve.
Would you be able to provide any recommendations for
the best way of preserving these newspapers (and magazines)?
The first thing is to secure an artifact/print box
and a folder of the appropriate size. You can purchase
these from Light
Impressions, University
Products, or Gaylord
Bros. Open out the newspaper into the form in
which it will be stored (i.e. usually with the original
single fold). Make sure that the paper is not creased,
then place it under a flat weight to help to flatten
out the fold as much as possible. Place the paper
in the folder and the folder in the box. Make sure
that you do not store the box in the basement, in
the attic, or other place where mold might be present.
The box and the folder should be of archival quality.
Although newsprint is quite acidic, the alkaline folder
and box will help to lengthen its life.
Top
4.
I have a couple of old books with bindings that are
deteriorated and some old documents in poor condition.
What steps I should I take to have that done?
You need to be careful in entrusting your valuable
books and documents to just any conservator or bookbinder.
First, you need to ascertain whether the conservator
cares for books and documents in a reputable institution,
such as a research library. Second, you need to examine
work performed by the conservator. You may be better
simply stabilizing the books and documents in a chemically
stable box.
Top
5.
How can I find out about the conservation qualities
of paper?
The best way to test the paper is through a pH test,
something that is really quite simple if you purchase
a kit. You can purchase them from University Products,
www.universityproducts.com (1-800-628-9281). The pH
strip are the most accurate. You may also wish to
purchase the lignin test pens, as lignin can darken
paper as it is very photosensitive.
Top
6.
I am making hermetically sealed frames for the paper
images. I am taking measures to ensure a complete
seal (brazed steel rectangle, glass sheet glued in
front , sealed with silicon adhesive, paper image
sandwiched between the glass). Humidity can't enter
easily. I'm leaving room for lateral expansion of
the paper within the trap. What are your thoughts
about this framing style?
In making the frame, you may wish to include some
micro-chamber board as it can absorb many pollutants
and humidity. In order to hermetically seal anything,
you would need to totally exclude the air by purging
with a stable gas. I think you need to make sure that
the frame package contains stable products that are
constructed in a stable environment (i.e. when the
RH is low). If you seal a package in a humid environment
mold will develop inside the frame as there is no
air circulation. Moreover, you need to condition the
materials by reducing their humidity prior to framing.
Make sure that you use UV3 Plexiglass to reduce the
risk of fading.
Top
7.
I have an important scrap book that includes newspapers
cuttings and original photographs, some of which have
been laminated. All are in very poor condition. How
should I preserve it? The scrap book consists of a
series of newspaper clippings laminated on a piece
of cardboard or posterboard that is not acid free.
Scrapbooks are difficult to restore because of the
usually brittle nature of the cuttings. In this case,
the plastic laminate complicates the situation as
it is virtually irreversible and the cuttings and
photographs cannot easily be treated or removed from
the laminate. Consider one or both of the following
options.
1. Using a high-quality color photocopy machine,
copy the cuttings and text: a color copier will capture
some of the tones better than a black/white copier.
Make sure you use an acid-free paper.
2.Using a high resolution scanner, scan the cuttings.
This has the advantage of capturing the pictures and
text digitally so that you can mount them on a web-site
as well as allowing you to print out the resultant
images.
In both options, you would place the original in
an acid-free box and simply store it. You can then
bind the paper copies of the work.
Top
8.I
have a scrap book of important materials including
newsclippings, programs, etc. belonging to my Father
from before the Second World War. Most of the items
were attached to the scrapbook with either rubber
cement or some other adhesive. How can I remove the
items safely from the scrapbook? Can I remove the
"glue" stain from the back of the items.
How can I stop the newspaper articles from further
disintegration?
The scrapbook format is difficult to process because
of the different elements from which it is made. The
adhesive may be water soluble and simple to soak off.
Try to isolate a leaf of the book with some plastic
sheeting (i.e. place a piece of plastic under the
leaf to avoid damaging the leaf below). Place a damp
piece of blotting paper over one of the newspaper
clippings under a light weight. Leave it for about
twenty minutes then very carefully, using a spatula,
lift the newspaper from the leaf. Place the newspaper
clipping between two pieces of dry blotting paper
to dry.
If the adhesive is rubber cement and resistant to
water, try to carefully separate the piece from the
leaf mechanically using a thin spatula or knife. Obviously,
many of the pieces may be very brittle and you may
wish to simply leave this in place. I think you may
wish to consider obtaining a good photocopy of the
clippings and save only the other artifacts. It is
unlikely that you can remove the stains without some
fairly complex treatment.
Top
9. My particular interest is in grammaphone record
covers. When purchasing records from old collections
they often have a mildew odor and sometimes signs
of mold. Can this odor be removed? Someone suggested
the use of microwaves?
The mold damage is the result of poor storage. Mold
will grow wherever there is high relative humidity
and insufficient air circulation, so the best way
to begin to correct this is to reverse the conditions.
Remove the record disc from the jacket and carefully
wipe it with a disc cleaner solution, taking care
to wipe with the groove. Place a piece of blotting
paper inside the cover and try to stand it up so that
air may circulate through it (using a fan can expedite
this). Carefully wipe any affected areas with cheesecloth
and ethyl alcohol. The odor that you can detect will
gradually dissipate or you can place the covers into
a dry airtight container with baking soda. The odor
is quite hardy and will linger for a long time. Just
remember that treating the covers will be wasted time
if you return them to the same storage environment.
Top
10.
Where do I get the clam-shell box as you have described
on the tutorial that are covered in buckram?
The clam-shell box may be a fold-back design with
two trays hinged in the middle, or a drop-front type.
The fold-back is usually best for enclosing books,
the drop-front best for enclosing loose materials
such as groups of pamphlets. The strongest clam-shell
box is one constructed from a sturdy, acid-free board
supported with binders' board and covered in buckram.
There are companies who sell these boxes according
to measurements that you provide.
Light Impressions
University
Products
Gaylord
Bros
See also Cornell
University Department of Preservation and Collection
Maintenance for construction instructions.
Top
11.
Some authors writing in India in books on the conservation
and preservation of paper materials advocate the use
of bleaching agents such as hydrochloric acid or bleaching
powder for the bleaching of paper documents. Is this
advisable?
Generally speaking, you should not use any form of
bleach on paper. Although there are advocates for
a weak solution of bleach for some staining problems,
it is extremely difficult washing out the bleach residue,
and the bleach will continue to act and deteriorate
the paper especially in conditions of high relative
humidity. For paper that does not contain ground wood
and lignin, you may wish to try light or sun bleaching
which is described in the tutorial.
Top
12.
At the Asa Archives in Kathmandu there are many 300
year-old palm leaf manuscripts. They are of natural
length (approx. 50 cm up to 1m), have a small clay
seal of approx. 1.5cm diameter and over 1cm thickness
attached and are stored in a tightly rolled form,
seal inside. Is this rolled form appropriate?
My natural instinct would be to unroll these manuscripts
and store them flat, especially if the structure is
being damaged as a result of opening and closing them.
You do not indicate what the width of the documents
are, but assuming that they are 8 to 10 centimeters,
you may wish to consider some sort of enclosure structure
that will secure three manuscripts side by side. An
arrangement that combines a solid board with a polyester
film overlay might work, leaving the seal to overhang
the structure. I think this is one case where you
have to ask what it is you are trying to preserve,
and the answer should be the artifact and the written
text, thus you probably should consider the best way
to preserve both. You may wish to contact Dr O.P.
Agrawal at the Indian Council of Conservation Institutes
for his advice. He can be contacted at the New Delhi
office fax number 011 4611290 or the Lucknow office
fax number 0522 377814 (e-mail iccins@sancharnet.in).
Top
13.
I am wondering what to do with palm leaf manuscripts
that are wrapped in cloth? The
cloth is lined velvet embroidered with metallic thread
and the interior silk and the velvet are both beginning
to wear.
The technique that I recommend is to enclose the
manuscript in a file-folder wrapper then wrap the
cloth around it, the resultant package(s) placed into
a clam shell box.
Top
14.
Do you treat palm leaf manuscripts with oil and if
so which oil do you use?
If we find that we have to clean the manuscript with
water to restore the clarity of the script and/or
repair breaks or losses, we apply a thin coat of colorless
neem oil. This restores some of the flexibility of
the leaf, which tends to dryness as the water dries.
Although many types of aromatic oils have been used
in the past, neem has the advantage of having a strong
insect repellent qualities.
Top
15.
If a palm leaf manuscript has lost both cords, do
you always restring it with a cord? If so, do you
have a suggestion for what material and how to anchor
it?
In a more recent approach to the care of these manuscripts,
we now refrain from adding a cotton string, leaving
the manuscripts unstrung. We do use a double-sided
1/2" wide velcro tape with which we secure the
manuscripts prior to enclosing. This is applied about
four inches from each end of the manuscript. We include
in the package a note to warn the user that the manuscript
has been left unstrung and for the reader to exercise
care. Many Burmese manuscripts are secured with bamboo
splints which we do not remove.
Top
16.
I plan to retain at an example of every newspaper
title in original condition. Should I try encapsulate
the fragile newspaper or simply keep them in acid
free boxes?
Encapsulation works very well if the newspaper is
deacidified. I would strongly recommend that you spray
deacidify the newspapers encapsulation. Another alternative
might be to flatten them out, interleave them with
an alkaline paper, such as Permalife, and place them
in an acid-free storage box.
Top
