Posts tagged with: Collections care
A Medal-y of Materials: Preserving a Small, yet Robust, Collection
As the Preservation Intern at the Archives this summer, my main project was part of a massive re-organization of the oversized map cases at the Archives. An introduction to that project can be found in blog posts by previous interns, Caitria Sunderland and Margaret Rose Hunt. However, when taking breaks from the cool climate of collections storage, I worked on rehousing the Doris Mable Cochran Papers.
As a recent college graduate exploring the field of conservation, this small collection about an eclectic woman scientist ended up giving me a chance to learn and practice several new skills. In these twelve document-sized boxes, I employed dry surface cleaning on about three dozen pen and pencil original illustrations, created housing for a commemorative medal, performed localized flattening on flagged documents, and preserved numerous newspaper clippings.
With advancements in preservation science, practices, and materials, collections occasionally need revisiting to update their housing. Such was the case for Dr. Cochran’s papers, which over the course of a few weeks received new archival boxes and folders. Additionally, the various materials stored inside were stabilized using several preservation techniques, such as removing abrasive objects such as staples and paperclips, and isolating materials such as photographic prints and negatives in uncoated polyester film (also known as Mylar) sleeves and buffered paper envelopes, respectively.
The Cochran Papers also contained quite a bit of newspaper clippings, which present a constant preservation challenge. Mylar and acid-free, buffered paper were used to isolate the newspaper from making direct contact with other documents. However, due to the inevitability of the degradation of acidic newsprint, all clippings were also photocopied onto acid-free, buffered paper. More details on preservation photocopying in the Cochran Papers can be found in a post I wrote for the Archive’s Facebook page here.
A selection of anatomical illustrations for Dr. Cochran’s dissertation on blue crabs were dry surface cleaned using vinyl eraser shavings. Amounting to about three dozen drawings, these proved to be good candidates for cleaning because they were on stable paper not readily susceptible to surface abrasion, and most of the dirt was localted in the margins of the drawings.
Dry surface cleaning was only performed on the margins of the drawings, taking care not to get too close to the image area.
A commemorative medal found in the last folder of the collection received its own, folder-style housing to prevent it from floating around the box or falling out of the folder and frightening a researcher. Using acid-free E-flute corrugated board and closed cell polyethylene foam, this housing adequately supported the medal while allowing it to be safely stored in a folder with the rest of the collection.
In my spare time, I then performed localized flattening on documents I had flagged as folded during my first run-through of rehousing. A 50/50 ethanol and water solution was applied to the folds of the paper using a small brush, followed by weight placed on top of a reemay/blotter/corrugated board sandwich to prevent tidelines and promote flattening.
After all the rehousing was complete, the collection was a bit larger due to the preservation activities. Also, some folders were shifted to other boxes to prevent over- or under-filling. The finding aid for this collection will soon be updated to reflect these changes.
Thanks for a great summer!
Related Collections
- Doris Mable Cochran Papers, c. 1891-1968, RU 7151
Related Resources
- "An ‘Intern’duction to Storage of Oversized Archival Collections," The Bigger Picture Blog, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- "Wait, there are bigger map cases? An Intern’s Journey in the Oversized Collections," The Bigger Picture Blog, Smithsonian Institution Archives
An Undersea Invertebrates Update: Treatment Progress on Bartsch’s Nudibranchs Field Book
When last we left Paul Bartsch’s field book of marine invertebrates—nudibranchs—from the oceans surrounding the Philippines, initial stabilization had been completed so that the volume could be digitized. Stabilizing the volume included removing the original interleaving tissue, which had begun to deteriorate and discolor adjacent pages, and replacing it with archival interleaving; fully disbinding the field book by removing remnants of sewing thread and spine linings; and making an inventory of the specimen illustrations to ensure all drawings remained accounted for throughout treatment. For ease of handling, folders made from archival paper were prepared for each gathering of pages.
Since our first post, digitization has been completed, and I have turned my attention to the volume’s continuing treatment.
As noted above, the original interleaving had been removed, and while new archival interleaving tissue was cut to size and prepared, it had not been adhered in place to facilitate clear imaging of the specimen illustrations. Thus, the first step in the continued treatment was to attach these using cast-out films of an acrylic adhesive, Lascaux 498HV. Attaching these first allowed the interleaving to perform its protective function throughout the duration of the treatment. Small pieces of the films were cut to size, mimicking the size and shape of the original spots of adhesive used to attach the original interleaving, placed, and reactivated with a heated spatula applied through silicon release paper. Any spots where the illustrations had become detached from the book’s pages were treated in the same manner.
A handful of illustrations, with one in particular, had become damaged over time. Due to the delicate nature of the paper on which these drawings were executed, treatment options were carefully weighed. Too much moisture could distort the paper, and many heat-set tissues would diminish its transparency. I ultimately selected a solvent-set tissue, one which has been coated with an adhesive that is reactivated when wetted with a solvent; since this will evaporate more quickly than water, there is less chance for distortion. I carried out the treatment atop a light box, to better align the torn edges of the paper. I chose a very thin tissue, which allowed me to shape and place the repair paper in situ, coated side facing down, then apply the solvent from the uncoated side of the solvent-set tissue. The solvent wicked into the paper and began the adhesion process, and then I allowed it to dry under weight.
The next step was to mend broken pages throughout the volume. This was carried out using medium-weight Japanese tissue in a matching tone, with wheat starch paste as the primary adhesive. The majority of the broken pages were split along the spine folds of the gatherings; these were “guarded,” meaning they were mended or reinforced along this fold, in order to be both intact and strong enough to support new sewing when the book is reassembled. Edge tears and cracks were also mended or reinforced as necessary.
With these tasks completed, the next step is to resew the book and recreate a functional volume. Stay tuned for another post with a final update!
Related Resources
- Coming Soon to the Transcription Center: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- Conservation, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Season's Greetings from the Archives
In my work as a conservator at the Archives, I am frequently asked to review materials before they are served to researchers or before they are digitized. As a result, I often have occasion to peruse an entire collection, and in the process discover some real gems in our holdings. Last year, for example, some beautiful Chinese stationery from the Remington Kellogg papers came across my bench. This year I spotted an assortment of holiday greeting cards in Isaac Ginsburg’s papers.
Ginsburg was an ichthyologist who studied at Cornell and worked briefly at the United States National Museum in the Division of Fishes before moving to the Bureau of Fisheries. His main interest lay with the saltwater fish species of the Gulf of Mexico.
These holiday cards, mingled with professional correspondence, paint a personal picture of the relationship Ginsburg enjoyed with colleagues. Some are simple and lovely greetings; others, like the colorful image of boats on the Italian Riviera, are other pieces of stationery repurposed for the season (the card is actually a dinner menu from a Mediterranean cruise).
As 2016 comes to a close and the holidays approach, we at the Archives wish you all the best in the coming year. Happy Holidays from all of us!
Related Resources
Record Unit 7187, Isaac Ginsburg Papers, circa 1911-1919, 1924-1958, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Ginsburg, Isaac, 1886-1975, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Season's Greetings, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Pennywise Preservation: Oversized Prints and Drawings
Cultural institutions and private collectors alike can struggle with the financial costs of preserving collections. Archival boxes, folders, and custom enclosures can be pricey, but there are ways to reduce the cost of housing while also providing a stable environment for collections. When the Archives received a large collection of oversized exhibition drawings from the National Air and Space Museum (Accession 17-013), we had to get creative with housing.
There were several factors we took into consideration when determining how to house this collection. First, the collection was digitized before being transferred to the Archives, so digital surrogates would be available for researchers. This reduces the need to handle the original drawings. Secondly, limited space was available in our flat file storage. We simply didn’t have enough room for the drawings to be stored flat. Thirdly, the drawings were in stable condition and posed very few preservation concerns. For these reasons, rolling and storing in our off-site facility was the best choice for these materials.
Once we decided that rolling was the most appropriate choice for storage, we quickly realized how expensive support tubes and tube boxes can be! While the decision was made to use archival tube boxes for the exterior housing, we achieved the real cost-savings with the inner support tubes. Rather than using expensive acid-free blueboard tubes, we used more affordable white mailing tubes, measuring forty-eight inches in length and two inches in diameter.
If this is setting off your preservation sirens, have no fear! To create a barrier between the non-archival tube and the drawings, 3-mil uncoated polyester terephthalate film, aka Mylar®, was wrapped around the tube and secured using polyester double-sided tape (See Image 1, above). Each section of Mylar® was cut to an appropriate width, allowing one inch of overlap once rolled around the tube. Double-sided tape was applied to the longer sides of the Mylar® and then rolled tightly to avoid gapping between the tube and the barrier film.
Once this preparation was complete, multiple drawings could be rolled around the tube (See Image 2, right). A large enough stack of drawings was formed so that, once rolled and inserted into the box, they fit snugly against the interior walls (See Image 3, below). This helps prevent the drawings from shifting in the box when handling. If needed, acid-free, buffered 20-pt. bond paper was used as interleaving to protect adjacent drawings from staples, friable inks, or incompatible materials.
This modification to housing produced a significant cost savings. We only spent 10 percent of what we would have using traditional archival materials, while still achieving an appropriate housing system. For other examples of innovative housing strategies for oversized collections, please visit:
- Stabilizing Special Collections for High-Density Storage, Library of Congress
- Storage Solutions for Oversized Paper Artifacts, Northeast Document Conservation Center
- Storage of Architectural Materials, Syracuse University Library
Related Resources
Thanks(giving) for the memories—a preservation family project, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
You Asked, We Answered: 2015 Ask an Archivist, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Collections Care Guidelines & Resources, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Coming Soon to the Transcription Center: Department of Invertebrate Zoology
At the end of the summer, my responsibilities expanded to include treatment of items designated for digitization as part of the Field Book Project. This brings a whole new slate of interesting and challenging treatments, including opportunities to treat damaged bindings of the journals scientists frequently brought with them into the field. As the Field Book Project has moved forward, the subject areas of the field notes have expanded accordingly. Recently we have begun drawing from the collections of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology, previously unexplored by our digitization team.
This field book from the collections of Paul Bartsch documents a voyage into the Philippines, investigating a specific group of marine invertebrates called nudibranchs. These beautiful creatures are brightly colored and come in a large variety of shapes, and these characteristics are thought to be camouflage mechanisms.
As you can see, the images are gorgeously rendered, and have aged well. The artist has been identified as Kumataro Ito, a Japanese illustrator whose skill is clearly evident. Miniscule inscriptions in Japanese appear on many of the images, and these feature unique information not always captured in the descriptions made by Bartsch.
The book is in poor shape at the moment, and to build excitement for the volume’s eventual entrance in the Transcription Center, I wanted to briefly share my plans for its treatment and share these images of the nudibranchs to whet the public’s appetite.
The treatment plan is simple: Many of the pages are damaged along the spinefolds, so these will all be mended; the book will be sewn back together in keeping with its original structure, and the missing spine of the book will be replaced so that it returns to being a functional volume. While the plan is straightforward, it will be time-consuming, given the level of damage.
We look forward to sharing more of this with you in the near future!
Related Resources
Smithsonian Institution Archives projects, Smithsonian Transcription Center
Where in the World Is That Field Book?, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
The Field Book Project: Uncovering Hidden Gems at the Smithsonian, The Bigger Picture, Smithsonian Institution Archives
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