Retouching, a taboo in paper conservation?

Featured

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Rita Udina

Retouching is among the most sensitive within ethics in conservation since it means to establish the aspect a restored object is expected to have.
My opinion is that the looks of an historical object is often as important as its physical-chemical condition, and not intervening provides poor results that might mislead its readability more than a proper intervention. The more we intend to make it as neutral as possible, the least arbitrary, we need to admit that retocuhing requires good taste. Continue reading →

A Safe and Efficient Method for Silver Mirroring Removal in Photographic Conservation

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Rita Udina

At last a deffinitive method, safe and efficient for silver mirroring removal in historical photographs. This new treatment will change the way the issue of silver mirroring removal has been addressed in photographic collections. See it in this video and value the results. Continue reading →

Housing as a (quite desperate) conservation resource

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Rita Udina

New artwork arrives at the studio to be ready for an exhibition: pressure, limited time, bleeding inks…
Could it not be some other easier and more showing off artefacts?
Here’s what I do when I don’t seem to find much to do:
Tape removal, and failing to flatten under tension with magnets…
Mounting the artwork on a housing that secured an even tension on the artwork during the exhibition, was the last resource. Continue reading →

Untangling tensions, for an improved 2019

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Rita Udina

We wish you merry Chrsitmas and a better (and restored) 2019, untangling knots and tensions, at least those from parchment manuscripts. Continue reading →

Silver Mirroring: Its Importance, Formation Process, and a New Elimination Procedure

Posted on October 14, 2018 by Rita Udina

New Elimination Procedure for Silver Mirroring.
Silver mirroring is a type of deterioration that appears in most gelatin developing-out paper (DOP) historical photographs and black-and-white films. Its treatment involves so many problems that it has often been ruled out. In this article we present a new and simple elimination procedure, which is efficient and offers stable results in the long term.
The study of the causes of the formation of silver mirroring sheds light on aspects that had been little explained so far: the fact that this type of deterioration always appears on the surface of the image leads us to consider a mechanism of transport of electrical charges. Continue reading →

Unlocking St. Anthony’s locked manuscript

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Rita Udina

“Tony, Tony, come around, something’s lost and can’t be found!”
Some manuscripts require more than just manual skills to succeed in their conservation, and so we prayed to Saint Anthony to help us unlocking the bookbinding, whose key had been lost forever. Certainly not many renaissance bookbindings have an iron safety lock in their covers and thus this extra holly help was deemed quite necessary. The prayer didn’t provide any key, but at least a satisfactory conservation solution was achieved! Continue reading →

Gels, microemulsions and nano-systems applied to pressure sensitive tape removal: latest updates

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Rita Udina

Gels, microemulsions and nanosystems applied to paper conservation: Tape removal

Tape removal, chemical and physical gels, microemulsions and much more. Review and abstract of the conference “Nanosystems. Application to tape removal on cellulosic supports,”, which took place in Madrid (Spain), on June 6 to 8th, 2018; within the context of NanoRestArt, the european Research and Developement project. Continue reading →

Sōkō conservation for oversized sketches by Sorolla

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Rita Udina

Sorolla sketches represent the spontaneity, the genius and the creative stage for its own right. Their conservation shares with them this essentiality, the minimal intervention character. The restoration has adopted japanese tools and techniques, a paper conservation at the most eastern style. Or not that utmost, since the Karibari was replaced by a wooden board. Eastern or western, the restoration of the gouache sketches has been truly remarkable, and you’ll have to read it to know why. Continue reading →

Endbands, headbands and ties

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Rita Udina

The headband to a book is like the tie to a suit: they both give their owner the chance to stand out. It is like the icing on the cake of the binding, and gathers the bookbinder’s proficiency and taste. We’ll discuss their aspect like in a Vanity Fair, and go beyond: What are they meant for? and why stuck-on headbands are less cared by conservators than sewn ones? Should we replace them or conserve them?
The untrained eyes will look at them with more interest now, because -just like ties- there are headbands for all tastes! Continue reading →

Hold on and suck in, Miss Scarlett!
Removing a plastic corset from a manuscript

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Rita Udina

A personal story, a historic manuscript, a crazy laminating machine and a final outcome. We’ll discuss about synthetic polymers, sorts of laminations and encapsulation. All these ingredients are seasoned with PFTE, TFA, HFIP, PE, DMSO, PET… cling, dong and BOOM!… An explosive -but most irresistible- cocktail. Continue reading →

The diplomatic neutral colour

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Rita Udina

What is a neutral colour?
Is it a pH=7 colour? A transparent colour? Greenish… brown? An oil colour… or maybe acrylic?
Conservators mean by it: “I will paint the missing area with a single colour which you won’t see much”. It can be green, purple, pencil coloured or either with acrylic paints… Controversial is on the cards and whatever we do, even when not doing anything at all, conservators know that our decision will not suit everyone’s taste. Continue reading →

Course: Inpainting & Loss Compensation on Paper (2016)

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Rita Udina

Can you match the colour but not the surface texture? Can you match the surface sheen but not the colour? Do you struggle with both? Do you never know what dyes to use? If you want to acquire a wider a range of inpainting techniques, this is your course. Held by knowledgeable professionals, it goes deeper into the tools, materials, techniques and tricks. The goal is to infill and in-paint the most challenging losses with confidence and success. Continue reading →

Mysterious iron rods in a 16th limp vellum binding

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Rita Udina

No one would say that Esther feels burdened by the case she is working on: removing an old repair that was deforming some parchment manuscripts. And besides her patient attitude I can’t agree more with her when she says that … Continue reading →

Conservation of ‘The Disasters of War’, by Goya

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Rita Udina

There are all sorts of projects, and when Mr. Goya knocks at the door, the red carpet is ready to receive him at the studio: Please, come in!
The Disasters of War by Francisco Goya arrived at the studio in a fairly intact condition, with its 80 etchings, corresponding to the very first edition (in later editions two more etchings were added, making a total of 82). This first one was edited in 1863, more than forty years after Continue reading →

“Customized” conservation with Richard Wolbers

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Rita Udina

Fellows of joys and sorrows, conservators, here is why I am so excited with the “Cleaning workshop: Paper bathing/stain removal”, given by Wolbers: The idea is to make every conservation treatment a kind of custom-made dress for each particular object with a minimal initial investment. He speaks about solvents, gels, surfactants, conductivity and pH.
Nor in my wildest dreams had I imagined such a close, easy and useful chemistry. Thanks a lot Richard, we owe it to you. Continue reading →

Rita Udina. Paper & Book conservation