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Map Conservation Challenge

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Map Before Conservation
Map Before Conservation
One particular map from the “History of the Expedition under the Command of Captain Lewis and Clark, 1814” was a particular challenge. It presented a great opportunity to treat a very important map that was in much need of repair. The map, depicting Lewis and Clark’s route and the first map of the journey to be published, was in poor condition, with past mends of heavy paper, which caused stretching and stress to the paper. The map had also been backed, or adhered to linen in order to give the heavily used map more support, but it had been glued with an adhesive that was thick and degrading, causing yellowing and staining of the paper. The proposal was to remove the map from the book, remove the old lining and adhesive by aqueous means, wash, and then reline the map
Removing the Old Linen
Removing the Old Linen

onto a Korean hanji paper. The washing treatment would hopefully brighten the map overall, but also prolong the life of the paper by removing the old adhesive. The new lining would provide a stable, flexible support.

The old linen came away easily, but Giselle and Bill were in for much more work when it came to removing the adhesive. In many cases this simply floats away in the bath, but this adhesive was thick and viscous. It required a very gentle scrapping to even move it off the surface, done with soft bamboo spatulas, designed by NY area binder and conservator Jeff Peachy. Once the map is wet, it’s best to finish this process all in one day. Thankfully we started first thing in the morning!

Gently Removing Old Adhesive
Gently Removing Old Adhesive
After the adhesive removal was complete, the map was washed and relined onto hanji paper. This is a Korean paper, made in a similar way to Japanese washi, and made to meet conservation standards. The team enjoyed utilizing the sparkling new, oversize table, specifically designed for large flat work.
Free of Old Lining
Free of Old Lining

Preparing Hanji Paper Liner
Preparing Hanji Paper Liner