There are four steps to prepare anything BEFORE it is to be preserved.
UNFOLD
If papers are folded, they should be unfolded to prolong their life and prevent damage. If left folded, the paper will deteriorate first at the creases. When the papers are opened and damage at the creases is discovered, there are ways of repairing or stabilizing the document to slow further damage. When the paper is unfolded, use a Q-tip to wet along the creases, lay the paper flat and then apply pressure, such as books or other weights, to press the paper flat.
Newspapers are made to be read and thrown away, so preserving them is difficult. It may be best to make photocopies of newspaper articles on acid free paper and then store these in polystyrene acid-free sheet protectors available at most office supply stores. Plastic or vinyl enclosures are a definite no-no because of possible chemical reactions over long periods of time. At this time, only polyester or polyethylene products are recommended.
If fabric items are going to be stored folded, acid-free tissue paper can be crumpled and put between the folds so that the fabric is not creased.
CLEAN
After opening the paper and laying it flat, the next thing to do is clean it. Use a special soft brush, called a hake, to brush the paper free of dust. Rubbing the paper can drive the dirt into the fabric of the paper, so a soft brush is recommended. Do not use a home cleaning product because it will have an oil finish to collect the dust but leaves a film on the paper. A hand-held vacuum might actually rub the dust into the paper. While conservators have methods of “washing paper,” this technique is not a home project.
Another cleaning method uses Absorene, a soft putty-like substance often used to clean wallpaper, can also be used to clean documents. This can be rubbed gently over the paper and the Absorene will pick up dirt and dust.
Staedtler is a latex free eraser can be grated with a cheese grater. The crumbs are then put on the paper project and gently rubbed. The crumbled eraser will pick up dust and dirt. As the crumbs become blackened, throw them away and start over with more crumbs. When the entire project has been cleaned in this way, brush with the soft hake brush.
The brush, the Staedtler eraser and the Absorene can be found at hobby and art supply stores.
Masking tape and Scotch tape must be removed if possible. Masking tape and other paper-based tapes are easier to remove with a poultice of water soaked into the paper and then the tape gently lifted off with a special tool called a micro spatula.
Conservators and restorers used to use a lot of different solvents for such problems. However, because of health issues concerning fumes, solvents other than lighter fluid are not recommended unless there is access to a venting hood.
Lighter fluid is the only solvent recommended for general use in trying to remove adhesives such as tape and its residue. Apply the fluid with a paper towel or Q-tip to the backside of the paper, allow the liquid to penetrate under the paper and dissolve the adhesive, and then lift the tape carefully with the micro spatula.
Cloth artifacts should be cleaned as appropriate to their fiber content. Again, boxes made of acid-free board should be used for storage purposes. If needed, acid-free tissue paper can be used to make “nests” to hold loose objects or prevent creases in folded garments.
MEND
According to Jane Thompson, “Tears and losses in paper should be mended with Japanese paper. Japanese paper comes in various forms and with various names. The paper recommended for mending is made from the kozo plant and is used for filling in losses and tears in the paper. Sekishu paper made from the kozo plant is relatively easy to find and will last for generations. When Japanese paper is torn rather than cut, the long fibers are plainly visible; this feathering is desirable as it helps to make the repair very strong.”
Japanese paper is not available at a general hobby store but should be available at an art supply store or can be found at an online supplier. It can be bought on rolls or in single sheets. The label should say that the paper is appropriate for mending projects.
Use wheat paste or methyl cellulose to adhere the Japanese paper to the items you are mending. Both products come in powdered form and are made in the manner of Jello. The paste or cellulose should have the consistency of heavy cream when used as an adhesive.
Remember that all methods used should be reversible. For instance, the wheat paste and methyl cellulose are water sensitive should they need to be removed for any reason.
Filmoplast is a product that comes on a roll and is available in two forms: pressure sensitive Filmoplast can be applied in the manner of Scotch tape, while the heat-set Filmoplast requires a tacking iron. Because the heat-set product is made from mulberry paper and the adhesive is considered to be “archival,” (not-damaging) it is preferred to pressure-sensitive tape.
While a mend with Japanese paper is best, Filmoplast repairs require very little time and may be preferable for genealogists working at home or local parishioners trying to save historical documents.
STORE
The simplest method for storage and viewing paper documents, pictures and fabric can be the use of acid-free boxes that are made and sold strictly for this purpose. If many documents are to be stored together in one container, put a clean piece of acid-free paper in the box, put in a document, then a piece of acid free paper, then another document until the box is full or all the documents are stored. The blank sheets of acid-free paper will protect the documents from “bleeding” into each other should some of them have colored inks or wax stamps, etc.
Many conservators make their own boxes, files or envelopes to fit specific items they want to save. While acid-free paper can be found in many local craft and office supply stores, storage enclosures must also protect against chemical deterioration. “Unfortunately, there are not scientific standards defining the term archival-quality enclosures and this term in catalogs can be misleading,” according to the Northeast Document Conservation Center Web site. “When purchasing enclosures, look for specific terms that indicate the stability of the enclosure. Boxes, mats, folder and other paper enclosures for preservation use at home should be low-lignin or lignin-free and buffered throughout.”
Wedding invitations and graduation announcements often have glassine inserts to protect the embossing. If the glassine has become much yellowed, the insert can be removed. However, leaving it in will not harm anything. It may be better to store such items outside the envelope. As the item ages, it can be torn by trying to remove it from the original envelope.
Some rare books, however, may have glassine paper to protect engravings and pictures. Those glassine pages must be left in the books.
When Thompson viewed digital photographs of the items from the original time capsule at St. John Church in Hot Springs, she recommended several steps the parish could take.
1. Make a complete bibliographical listing of the items (particularly the newspapers).
2. Check with the Arkansas History Commission (501-682-6900) to see if the newspapers are already microfilmed. If not, the parish might wish to bring the newspapers to Little Rock for filming in order to preserve the content.
3. The Diocese of Little Rock archives might have copies of the pamphlets and copies could be made of those if they are in better condition.
4. The documents should be lightly brushed with a soft brush, but the paper doesn’t look like it could sustain much more than a brushing.
5. Single sheet items can then be put into polyester folders.
6. Pamphlets and individual items can be wrapped in acid-free tissue and then laid in archival boxes, with wadded-up archival tissue filling the empty spaces so that the individual items don’t bounce around.
7. Because he content of the capsule is probably what is most important to the parishioners and that is where the effort should be spent, visit with a reliable photocopy company or a company that does digital scans to reformat these papers.
8 If a decision is made to keep these papers, the church should check them on occasion to see if an active case of mold has set in. If that’s the case, all of the items should be thrown away.
“That information is helpful,” Father Pohlmeier said. “I will identify someone in the parish that can help preserve what we can from the materials.”
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs are a relatively recent addition to the items of historical significance and therefore needing to be preserved. Color photographs, digital or otherwise, will not last much beyond a few years before the color begins to fade and deteriorate.
“Make multiple backups of all digital photographs and other valuable media. … all have a limited life expectancy and are subject to both gradual deterioration and catastrophic failure,” the Northeast Document Conservation Center Web site recommends.
The best photographs are black and white photographs that have been processed the “old fashioned way” with chemical baths.
The best way to store photographs is with a sink mat. A sink mat refers to using two parts of acid free mat board. A piece of mat board that will accommodate the picture, plus the frame that will surround it is cut. The frame is cut so that the picture fits inside the frame and then the picture is covered with the mat part that was cut out. This is the simplest and often the most effective way of storing pictures. Identification information is written in on the back of the mat board with a lead pencil.