Paper Conservation: Decisions & Compromises

Preservation of Architectural Drawings on Translucent Paper in Brazil:
Conservation Methods in Public Institutions
Aline Abreu Migon dos Santos
Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Introduction
The discussion proposed in this communication
comes from the observations occurred in ongoing
research about a methodology for conservation
1 treatment of architectural plans 2 on translucent
paper, on the master’s degree in Social
Memory and Cultural Heritage Federal University
of Pelotas. Conservators, who are preserving
objects of cultural heritage, must think deeply
about the whole process of achieving a conservation
treatment, including not only the technical
procedure but also the underlying philosophy,
assumptions and value judgments inherent in
the object, which can contribute to each decision
during treatment. To formulate a proposal of
conservation treatment, one must first understand
the current conditions of the professionals
and institutions that preserve the cultural assets.
Translucent paper, popularly known as tracing
paper, is found in collections and monetary
currency. This type of support can be grouped as
follows: architectural plans, technical drawings,
maps and drawings of artists.
Currently, it is clear that along with photography,
handmade architectural design is regarded
as one of the gems that make up an architectural
background. The maker uses the architectural
language, which is a “graph instrumental, including
its processes and techniques of the architect
to represent an object, idea or environment
through lines on a surface” (Ching, 2006:163).
In the mid-nineteenth century and the twentieth
century, traditionally, for the original 3 architectural
plans, three different types of paper
were used: watercolor paper for ink and pencil
drawings; paper pattern, with a coated surface,
and translucent paper, popularly known as tracing
paper, whose composition varies greatly in
quality (price, 2011). Importantly, according to
Claude Laroque (1992: 15), before 1870 many architects
destroyed their drawings after construction
of the building, believing this documentation
does not arouse interest beyond problems
for storage. Moreover, the documents were taken
to, or even developed further, on the actual
construction site, thereby suffering premature
deterioration. However, in the twentieth century,
original drawings were kept in the office
of the architect and only copies were allowed to
circulate. However, the architectural plans were
stored without due care, nailed, rolled or folded.
The use of self-adhesive tape was also common in
architectural firms to protect designs around the
outer edges of the paper.
Translucent paper has been used for centuries.
Traditionally, it was a thin paper impregnated
with oil or resin to give translucency, which is
its main feature. In the first decades of the nineteenth
century, it was available in newsagencies
and through suppliers of artists, when French
translucent paper, according to the trade catalogs,
was considered superior. Many manuals
contain instructions on how to make your own
paper translucent French. During this period
when the architects sought professional recognition,
artists used materials of high quality to distinguish
the community of arts, differentiating
itself from carpenters and house builders (price,
2011: 77).
The industrial production of translucent paper,
according to Laroque (1992: 15) began around
1860 in Europe, with Germany as the most
important producer. The industry continued
to grow with the construction of factories in
France, Belgium and Austria. It is noteworthy
that after 1865, with the intensification of the
process of industrialization, new management
techniques were needed and the profession of
architecture acquires a management character,
with the goal of becoming more “efficient”. “The
profession of architect becomes capitalist, with
the function of generating a profit” (Lathrop,
1980: 326).
Catani, however, points out that this change
in the field of architecture, effected not only the
needs of architecture. “In reality, is associated
with a broader social process of implementing
new forms of production, which began to
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