Caring for Cultural Material 1

Caring for Cultural Material 2

Damage and Decay

Managing Collections

Managing People

Handling, Transportation, Storage and Display

Glossary

Index

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Caring for Cultural Material 1
In this volume:
arrow Paper
– Books
– Photographs
– Paintings
– Electronic Information Media
– Acknowledgments

Paper
In this chapter:
– Objectives
– Introduction
– Paper in collections
– What is paper?
– Ingredients and properties of paper
– What are the most common types of damage?
– Common causes of damage
– The do’s and don’ts of handling flat paper
– The do’s and don’ts of repair and labelling
– Guidelines for storing and displaying flat paper
– Materials suitable for the storage and display of paper
arrow Preparing flat paper for storage
– Housing flat paper
– Mounting/hinging flat paper
– Protective enclosures for flat paper
– Storage boxes for flat paper
– Displaying flat paper
– Framing flat paper items
– Paper items with special needs
– Papyrus and Parchment
– Some miscellaneous information
– Summary of conditions for storage and display
– Paper in Australia’s climatic zones
  MORE ABOUT PAPER
– Cellulose fibres and paper quality
– Acidity and alkalinity
– For further reading
– Self-evaluation quiz
– Answers to self-evaluation quiz

 

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Paper

Preparing flat paper for storage

Before you put flat paper items into storage, it is important that you complete the following steps.

Examine them and document their condition. This will help you determine which storage method is most appropriate for the item and whether the item should be displayed. For example, items with a friable medium such as charcoal, or with a fragile paint layer, might need deep window mounts to protect the image surface.

Sort them according to their condition. It is important to separate items which are very acidic, to prevent the migration of acids and impurities into sound paper items.

Check them for mould and/or insect infestation.

For more information
For more information on methods for examining items and assessing their condition, please refer to the chapter on Collection Surveys and Condition Reporting in Managing Collections.

Gently brush them with a soft brush to remove surface dust where necessary, but only if the item is stable.

CAUTION:
Do not brush the surface of items with friable or fragile media. Pastel and charcoal drawings, for example, could be badly smudged if brushed.

Unfold creased corners and open out folded items.

Check for material which may damage the item, such as acidic paper or plastic wrappers, rusty paper clips and timber backboards.

Document, label and retain and associated material which may be of importance.

Interleave items with archival tissue or paper where possible.

If you have damaged items, document them, separate them from the collection and seek advice from a conservator.

 

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