Artcare - Auckland Art Gallery

Paper: Works / Books / ArchivesIf they are very important, photographs and/or a fit comfortably within the plan drawers. No more thanmicrofilm could be taken. They can be partly protected ten maps should be put within a folder and these shouldby being interleaved with a buffered acid-free paper uniformlycut to the size of the page. If concerned, seek the formly cut to fit the size of the folder. The folders canbe interleaved with an acid-free buffered paper uni-advice of a conservator.be made from large sheets of acid-free buffered board. IfDamaged Material—often documents have sustainedtears and abrasions. No attempt should be taken joined together with a PVA glue and a fold made abouta single sheet is not large enough two or more can beto repair these. Pressure-sensitive tapes, even those 50 mm deep at the top. All should be single folders withoutflaps; the fold is positioned at the opening edge ofthat are called archival reversible tapes, should not beused. Over time they can cause mechanical damage to the plan drawer. A pencilled accession number should bepaper.put on the fold edge for easy identification.Encapsulation—some support can be provided to a Blueprints should not be stored in folders with antorn or fragile item by encapsulating it in a polyester alkaline buffer because they do not react well to alkalinefilm such as Mylar or Melinex (see also page 62). This is media. Folders that are neutral and lignin-free are suitablefor blueprints.done by carefully sandwiching the single sheet of paperbetween two pieces of Mylar cut about 50 mm larger all Often maps are oversized and cannot fit into a planaround than the document. The Mylar should be sealed drawer; such maps require rolled storage. However ifon two sides only—one vertical and one horizontal. This they are brittle and/or fragile advice should first bemeans that the document can be readily removed and it sought from a conservator. A textile tube, with as wide aallows a greater exchange of air which is important for diameter as possible, is cut 300 mm longer than theacidic items.width of the map. Each tube needs to be covered inSealing is accomplished by using a 3M acid-free Mylar as a protection against acidity. Maps can be rolledtape. The document should be positioned so that it is in groups of four to six but some will need to be rolledwell clear of the tape. There are also welding machines individually. Tyvek can be used as an interleaving materialby being rolled around the tube, fixed in place withthat can seal Mylar.Items should not be indiscriminately encapsulated. an acid-free double-sided tape and then cut a littleAny paper that is highly acidic and/or brittle should not longer than the map(s). The map(s) are then placed onbe encapsulated. Mylar has slightly electrostatic propertiesthat can lift pieces of brittle paper.outside of the tube. The roll is tied at both ends withthe Tyvek and rolled so that the image side is to theNote that the PVC plastic enclosures available commerciallyare made from products that are very harmfulcotton tape.to paper-based items. You cannot distinguish between Display of Books and Documents—(see environmentalrequirements for works of art on paper, page 9.)archival and non-archival plastics by looking at them.Archival plastics are made from polyester, polypropylene Printed books can tolerate a higher lux level than manuscriptmaterial, but as they are often exhibited togetherand polyethylene.Maps and Plans—these are best stored flat. Outsize 50 lux is recommended. In order to avoid light damageplan chests are available for this purpose. If they are and any distortion of material, three months is the maximumexhibition time. For light-fugitive documents thebeing specially made, request that the hinged flaps areremoved.time needs to be shorter or a good quality photocopyMaps need to be put into folders all uniformly cut to could be substituted.22