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Author
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Topic: Anyone Have A Clue? (Read 418 times)
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Deb D
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 320
I'm not over 40 ... I'm 39.95 plus tax!
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I'm attaching a composite scan of an old lithograph (I think?) which has recently come into my possession. It's too big to scan all in one go, so this is a partial copy, although the entire picture is here, I've just left out the backing card, which is quite dilapidated, and appears to have been taken out of a book of some sort.
My grandmother had it rolled up inside an ancient piece of "Contact" (eek) (with the backing paper still on) ...which actually seems to have protected it a bit, although there are quite a few age spots on it.
What I'd like to know is ... is it worth trying to get it restored, or conserved?
NB The only thing I've done, as far as adjusting or changing anything, is to play with the brightness and contrast a bit. The original is looking a little grey and indistinct in places.
Thanks in advance for any advice,
Cheers
Deb
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I live in Sydney, Australia, and I'm researching: -
Powell
Tatham
Dunbar
Dixon
Mackwood
Kinnear
Mitchell
Morgan
Delves
Anderson
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PrueM
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 6052
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Hi Deb 
It's really up to you to decide whether it's worth having it restored or conserved - as Nick says, it's probably not of much monetary value. Conservation would cost probably a few hundred dollars/pounds.
If you wanted to tidy it up yourself, use a very soft brush (such as a large makeup brush) to remove dust etc. from the surface (both back and front). If the print is curled, you can humidify it by placing it in the oven!
To do this, obviously leave the oven turned off! Place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven, then put your print (rolled up or however it lies naturally) on a rack above the tray, with perhaps a towel or teatowel underneath it to protect it from anything that might transfer off the oven rack. Shut the door and leave it for a few hours, checking every now and then. It should start to slowly uncurl and relax back to a flat piece of paper. It might not go completely flat.
When it's humidified as much as it's able, take it out, place it between some clean paper or cotton cloth, put a folded towel on top, then a flat weight of some sort (a couple of heavy books). Let it dry for a day or two.
Hope that helps
Prue
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Logged
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) BIGG (Kent) BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) BRISBANE (Fife) DANKS (STS) DOBSON (BRK) FRANCIS (ESS) GOODE (HAM) HAYNES (Cork) INGRAM (MDX, SOM) LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness) MORRISH (LND) NANCARROW (CON) OGILVIE (Moray, LND) STRATHDEE (Banff) SWAN (Fife) WOOD (LND)
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PrueM
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 6052
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I should have mentioned that you don't want the weight in that last stage to be too great - just enough to hold the paper flat. And try to get untextured/finely textured cloth or paper to put the picture between, otherwise the weight may push the texture into your object (another reason for not having too much weight).
Did that make sense? I feel like I'm babbling! Must be afternoon tea time...
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Logged
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) BIGG (Kent) BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) BRISBANE (Fife) DANKS (STS) DOBSON (BRK) FRANCIS (ESS) GOODE (HAM) HAYNES (Cork) INGRAM (MDX, SOM) LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness) MORRISH (LND) NANCARROW (CON) OGILVIE (Moray, LND) STRATHDEE (Banff) SWAN (Fife) WOOD (LND)
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mare
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 260
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Useful bit of info for me to store in my grey matter too thanks Prue 
Have lots of old posters haven't looked at for many moons.
mare
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PrueM
Moderator
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Posts: 6052
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You're welcome, everyone
Mare, just be careful with any glossy posters (or any glossy papers) as they tend to stick to things when they get damp. Gentle humidification as described should be OK, though.
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Logged
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) BIGG (Kent) BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) BRISBANE (Fife) DANKS (STS) DOBSON (BRK) FRANCIS (ESS) GOODE (HAM) HAYNES (Cork) INGRAM (MDX, SOM) LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness) MORRISH (LND) NANCARROW (CON) OGILVIE (Moray, LND) STRATHDEE (Banff) SWAN (Fife) WOOD (LND)
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PrueM
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 6052
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Just cold water, Deb You're not after steam, but rather water vapour - the invisible kind
I might add that if your items are small enough and you have a rack that will fit, you can use the same technique and place objects into a plastic tub or tray, with wrung-out wet teatowels in the bottom. You have to have a way of lifting the object up above the teatowels, so some kind of rack is necessary. Use a lid, sheet of glass, or even cling film to seal the top and you have a humidity chamber.
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Logged
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Paper and Photograph Conservator
I live in NSW, and am researching:
BALFOUR (Derry) BIGG (Kent) BONSALL (DBY, NTT, CHS) BRISBANE (Fife) DANKS (STS) DOBSON (BRK) FRANCIS (ESS) GOODE (HAM) HAYNES (Cork) INGRAM (MDX, SOM) LANGWORTHY (Jersey, DEV) MCKAY (Fife, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness) MORRISH (LND) NANCARROW (CON) OGILVIE (Moray, LND) STRATHDEE (Banff) SWAN (Fife) WOOD (LND)
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grandmas_litho_sm.jpg
