Category Archives: Conservation

Our first encounter with an object is usually with our eyes, closely followed by that fifth human sense called touch. As we carefully consider what an object is made of, how it is assembled and its inherent weaknesses, we can pick it up and handle with care. This hand-colored framed salt print was moved by […]

The intrinsic nature of things makes objects vulnerable to damage as they age. All objects have special physical needs based on what they are made of and how they were made. When we look at different objects, we realize that many are the sum of many parts. A book is an example an assembly of […]

Ok, storage seems simple, but beyond handling with care, how and where our valuables are stored will actually affect long-term preservation. Materials should be guarded from light, excess heat and humidity, harmful pollutants and pests as well as human error. Light can actually initiate and accelerate damage. Ultraviolet light is the most harmful, causing paper […]

I?d like to talk a little about books now. Books are complex objects. They?re made from a variety of materials that behave in varying ways as they age. Paper or parchment can be used for the pages (or leaves). Wood or pressed cardboard can be used for the book boards. Cloth, thread, glue and leather […]

Paper was invented in China where they had their own methods, but most historic papers in North America come from the tradition of hand papermaking that was present in Europe. Large vats of cotton and linen fibers suspended in water were stirred up, and a frame called a mould was dipped in the slurry. The […]

I?ve overseen the preservation of thousands of the historic maps, manuscripts and other works on paper in our collection for many years, and I thought it might be good to let others know about how to preserve some of their family treasures. You know, the kinds of things that everyone has in a box up […]