Preservation Beat

Thursday, June 18, 2009

This week when Susan Hansen and I reviewed the work for the Art Library, she pointed out a book that had a block of pages stuck together. It felt like a brick. We were convinced that the book was beyond repair. However, before declaring the book a loss, we forwarded the book to conservator Gary Frost. To our complete and total amazement, he was able to salvage the book.

Gary took the book apart and pulled the section with the stuck pages. Then he trimmed the pages until he found the spot where the pages were no longer sticking together. The outer edges had sealed together tightly, keeping water from getting into the main part of the page. No text or photographic image was lost; only the margin. He chose to leave the rest of the pages at their regular length rather than risk cutting into text just to keep the book looking “good.”

If you look carefully at the book in the press, you’ll see that the stitching of the different sections no longer line up. All text is jogged to the top, this will keep the exposed edges clean, reducing chances of dust and dirt build up. This is important as bugs and mold thrive on dirt. We don’t want this book to suffer any more than it already has!

We try to salvage and reuse the book covers whenever possible. This cover was too far gone, so Gary made a new one. The book is now back on the shelf ready for use.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

One of our biggest workstreams at the moment is the rescue of the files from the African American Museum. We have over one hundred boxes of manuscripts which unlike the working files, which can just be photocopied, need to be saved. They are mainly records and correspondence, there are some photographs and newspaper clippings and other miscellany. These boxes were all submerged and the wet boxes smashed into odd shapes so sometimes it’s a trial just getting the folders out of the boxes! The fact that the museum used waterproof boxes saved them. While they were damaged, the boxes took the brunt of it. The files are warped and did get wet but most of the mud and dirt stopped at the boxes so there is minimal dry cleaning. There is some staining from the water but mostly on the edges of the paper and it is purely cosmetic.

Before any treatment we’ve been discarding and replacing the boxes and folders, carefully transferring all the accession information. They were all well labeled which makes it much easier to keep things in order.

I’ve been separating out the photographs as we haven’t yet determined a treatment plan. The bulk of the file material is paper which is warped and dirty. We dry clean the sheets and then flatten them. The flattening method I’ve been using is using a spray mister to moisten the pages and then sandwiching them between sheets of blotter in the press. The water relaxes the paper to help eliminate the creases. The blotter paper is a very absorbent material which takes up the water as the pages are pressed under weight. The sheets come out perfectly flat and dry. If a sheet has water soluble ink I mist the blotter very slightly instead of misting the page directly to avoid feathering. Since the files were submerged most of the ink that would be affected by the water has already so it’s easy to tell where to be careful.

While they aren’t pristine and do still have a slight eau d’flood aroma they are mostly back to normal and mostly in good working order.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Caitlin and I discussed the timeline for returning the LPs and 45s to the Czech Museum yesterday, and we decided to start forging ahead with the final wash of the albums. We are using the same method we used right after the flood, when there was still a ton of mud on the records. One tray with a mild and dilute soap, and another tray filled with only water for rinsing. As you can see, we  switched brushes–we needed a slightly stiffer brush for these more sturdy records. I am also holding the record upright, in order to minimize the water contact with the paper label, as we have found some of the inks will run.  After a quick dry on a rack, I don cotton gloves and wipe them to make sure there are no drips and then stack them to dry while I wash another round. In the afternoon, I then use a microfiber brush on the dry records and sleeve them. Then, after nearly a year of separation, the freshly washed record is reunited with a clean and newly sleeved cover.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I checked in with the conservation lab staff this morning. I happened to have my camera with me and thought you might like to have a snapshot of a typical day. This is the activity I captured at 10AM this morning.

While the ledger from the Johnson County Historical Society dries in the press, Gary begins to inspect and separate the pages from the next ledger in the queue.

While the records from the National Czech & Slovak Library & Museum are drying, Beth is mending a record cover.

Caitlin is cleaning a manuscript from the African American Museum of Iowa and Bryan is cutting board to make folders for Czech records.

Kristin is searching for the “perfect” spill guard to put around our new water system for the “just-in-case” pipe leak. The last time we had a pipe break all the water went into the Library Director’s office. Not a good thing!

Wednesday, May 21, 2009

One of our big concerns is to make sure that everyone knows how to shut the system down in case there is a leak. A leak is a sure thing when a new system is installed — at least in my opinion it is. It always takes a while to shake down something new. We know from past experience that if there is a leak in the conservation lab, the water flows into the Library Director’s office. Not good!

Kristin Baum volunteered to work with the water engineer to detail a step-by-step shut off procedure and adhere labels for us.

Thursday, May 15, 2009

The installation of the water system is very complex. It includes a water softener, carbon filter, storage and exchange tanks, a UV light to continually disinfect the constantly circulating water, water purification system, de-ionizer and water heater. The actual installation is being coordinated between the university water engineer and our facilities manager. They are coordinating the work done by the electricians, plumbers, and vendor.

The design is based on field visits that we made to similar installations on the University of Iowa campus and to other conservation labs.

Friday, May 15, 2009

For the exposed metal I started with a medium grain steel wool to loosen the more rusted areas. I continued to vacuum the loose particles. The next step will be using a double beveled knife to try to remove some of the more stubborn areas of active corrosion. When the metal is cleaned and stable, I will replace the reinforced paper to the inside of the suitcase with wheat starch paste.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

At long last we are seeing action on obtaining a new water system. Our proposal to replace our old system was first drawn up in September 2007. We finally had it accepted in the spring of 2008. Then the floods came. No more money.

We could not keep our old system clean. Projects were continually suspended as we waited for our system to get cleaned and disinfected. Given that we had agreed to clean flood damaged materials and would need a reliable, clean water system, we set out looking for funding only to find ourselves in
a Catch-22 situation. Since the conservation lab had not been flood damaged, we did not qualify for emergency funding. Asking our clients to pay for equipment that we should have had already didn’t make sense. The State Historical Society of Iowa Historic Resource Development Program came to our rescue.

After months of consultation and reviewing proposals, work has begun. The water system will be installed first as we wait for our new sink. Our old sink was repositioned today so we can use the new water system the minute installation is completed. The very first project will be the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library phonographic record collection.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

After I removed a majority of the mold I began to lift the paper lining where it was detaching. I did not attempt to remove the paper where it was still adhered because it is so brittle that it would just fall apart. For the areas I could not remove, I gently rubbed the finest grain of eraser crumbs over the surface with my fingers to get some of the dirt up and then vacuumed them with the Nilfisk. You can see all the active rust that was under the paper lining.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

For months now we have been slugging away, dry cleaning the Czech Museum’s LP album covers, and we are just past the half-way point. As we get closer to the end, we are filling the area that currently houses the clean records and the clean covers. I thought it may be a good time to take a break from dry cleaning and make some room by combining a box of records with its partner box of covers. 

This morning I completed the final wash on one box of records. After the records dried, I brushed them one last time with a micro-fiber brush and sleeved them. I then retrieved the corresponding box with the album covers from their cozy storage area and set to work reuniting the LPs.  Stunningly, a good portion of them seemed to be in order. A little shuffling was needed, but they are all here and clean and upstairs.