THEORY on cons. & rest.
Find below the blog posts related to THEORY on cons. & rest.:
Profession: book and paper conservator
What does a paper conservator do? Whom does she work for? What skills and knowledge does she ought to have? Preservation and conservation, a field linked to science, history and arts and crafts. A video explains what differenciates us from forgers and shows -among other- how we produce a hand-made suction table to restore paper artifacts, with loads of creativity, a feature most necessary to become book and paper conservator.
Retouching, a taboo in paper conservation?
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.
Housing as a (quite desperate) conservation resource
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.
Silver Mirroring: Its Importance, Formation Process, and a New Elimination Procedure
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.
Sōkō conservation for oversized sketches by Sorolla
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.
Endbands, headbands and ties
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!
Course: Inpainting & Loss Compensation on Paper (1rst edition)
Can you match the colour but not the surface texture? [...]
Conservation of ‘The Disasters of War’, by Goya
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
“Customized” conservation with Richard Wolbers
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.
Chemists and conservators: a love/hate relationship
A cathartic experience: There's nothing more exciting for a conservator such as participating in a chemistry course. We go there with a certain respect (or maybe fear) and the will to be acquainted to a new miraculous reactant that will change our life. The poor conservator will poorly be able to discuss one to one with a chemist, either about the reactions that happen during the restoration treatments or along the inherent ageing of the artefact; and yet we must call the chemist into question and keep this dialogue alive. But thanks to Richard Wolbers I made peace with chemistry and their scientists.
Dürer: From old Europe to Palm Beach
Alligators, palm trees, luxury residences… [...]
This document will self-destruct in 30 secs!
Or how to remove pressure sensitive tapes, without removing them. We have spoken about bibliopaths, about misuses and how to eradicate its effects... But, what happens when the artefact itself causes its own degradation?
“Smart books” and bibliographic terrorism
Terrorists do not always carry explosives or mallets, nor they come from overseas, it may even be people in charge of collections. We ought to deal with them to safeguard "smart books": books intelligently made, such that no material interfere with each other, on the contrary, they create formidable synergies. Each one has its peculiarities, its beauty and its function. They represent a compendium of technology, art, society and culture at the time and place in which they were created.
Bibliopaths: The case of the lacquer binding
Are we supposed to fear bibliopaths? Or maybe we should give them an award? Who are they? Atention! Because they can be among us, or we might even be one of them?! I invite you to read the Case of the Lacquer Binding to know more about them
I have mold! (…or is it foxing?)
Foxing is mould... or not? One of the main concerns in archives and libraries is the presence of mould. Not surprisingly: it develops without fanfare, and when it is detected, an irreversible loss of information might have taken place. Before pulling your hair out, you should identify whether the symptoms actually reveal fungal activity, or not. Not an easy assessment.
Choirbooks, and much more, at the Spanish National Library
Led by Luis Crespo and Arsenio Sanchez, restorerss in the National Library, we visit the fascinating world of book illuminated miniatures, choir books, manuscripts ... Latest technological resources, ancient tradition, and above all their experience and knowledge, allow the recovery of these bibliographic jewels exhibited now at the National Library of Spain.
Minimal intervention on “Serra & Balet” documents
Standard treatment of minimal intervention on documentation with slight damages: Disinfection, removal of clips and staples, consolidation and folder to fit.
TBO: industrial heritage documents rescued from being lost
[untranslatable!!!] ¿Un tresor documental trobat [...]
Touch and “my crumpled ADLAN tracing papers”
How we restorers motivate with crumpled tracing papers, beautiful papers... This restorer is thrilled with "crumpled ADLAN tracing papers" from CoAC archive, which went through my hands some years ago, and invites you to participate in its digitization.
Book “Identification and conservation of photographs”
Already on sale the 2nd [...]
