Surface cleaning — this is how we do it!
One of the ways we repair damaged materials here is surface cleaning.
This is an old catalog that I am cleaning up for future digitization. The pages are very acidic and brittle. The original will be available for patron viewing but because it is degraded so badly we will photograph each page and make it available digitally. I have to be extra careful around tears and edges that I don’t break off any of the remaining paper. There has already been a lot of damage done to the catalog from previous handling. I don’t want to cause any further damage or loss of information. Luckily, only part of the outside of the images where there is no text has been lost. Many of the pieces found and breaks in the pages can be mended with heat set tissue. So here I go!
I start by sprinkling eraser crumbs on the image where I intend to clean. Our conservator has suggested the ink used to make these beautiful metallic colors may be affected by the procedure and therefore I should avoid the ink all together. With the tips of my fingers I begin with a circular motion to gently rub the surface of the area. Almost immediately I notice the change in color of the eraser crumbs. The temptation is to begin to scrub hard and fast to get the job done (after all there are more than a few hundred pages here) yet I will remain conscious of the brittleness and tears of the image. Though the eraser crumbs have become darker (having picked up some of the dirt already) I may need to brush them away and repeat the application on the same area to get the job done.
Well, there you have it! Whether in preparation for digitization or just to put a good face on it, surface cleaning is a great way to brighten up the pages of most any piece in your collection.
Chris Voynovich — Conservation Technician (PLCH)
