[Bcma-l] Old postcards
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:21:41 -0700
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Hi Larry,
Keep in mind that all advice may not be best for your 'collection's'
materials, or even appropriate for the 'deaccessioned' photos and
cards if they are better left unmounted, for example. If the framing
business decides to adhere your collection materials to backing board,
that may not going to be good over the long run.
The start is a deaccession policy, even a simple one and that looks
like what you have started. A deaccession policy is actually a useful
conservation tool because what you are doing in getting rid of excess,
is to allow what remains in the collection, to be cared for and stored
properly and what you are doing is a good start vs collecting and
keeping everything you get. Staff should be aware of differences in
handling or treating your collections artifacts, from handling
'giftshop' items and what is good for a souvenir, is not necessarily
good for the preservation of your collections materials, even if they
are the same duplicate object. The giftshop should not be a place for
your museum's collection displays and public can sometimes be confused
when museums giftshops decide to sell 'artifact' materials and have
them backed and shrinkwrapped, all neatly for sale (big museums can
have this problem too, when conservation and marketing points of view
collide). Staff might also get the idea that its ok to send
collections materials to a frame shop for flattening etc because
that's how the deaccessioned artifacts were handled.
It would be best to leave your own collections photos that you plan to
keep, rolled up and stored in boxes for now, until they can be handled
properly for new storage, flattening for access or reproduction. (not
vacuum pressed or mounted without conservation in mind-- backing
removal in the future is time-consuming and takes some skill and
cost) The post cards might be safely dusted off and flattened, and
stored again, with those that are being deaccessioned, put into simple
clear plastic sleeves for giftshop sale so that they are safely
handled and viewed, prices put onto the sleeve, not the card.
Humidifying anything that has ink or other media on it, can be ok
depending on the ink, or it might be risky if the ink (even some
'pencil' marks can turn into purple dye if the 'pencil' was a laundry
marker-- not likely, but possible). And a light dusting or grime
removal is best before humidifying because that will make the mark
harder to remove later.
Have you got a photo of these materials 'as is'? Might help to get a
better idea of what types of materials and their condition. How
curled are the postcards and what is their general condition? What
material are the photographs (age can help identify what you are
dealing with because different processes were available or popular at
different dates). No stereographs in the group of photos and cards,
are there? Those are purposefully curved back boards and should not
be flattened.
Good luck with your projects,
Barbara
On 22-Jun-09, at 4:52 PM, bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca wrote:
> THANK YOU, NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING.
>
> 2009/6/22 <bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>
> Hi Larry,
> One good option is to put them in a cold vacuum press - most frame
> shops are equipped to handle that. If you need further info or
> cannot find someone local to do it for you - feel free to call and
> we can help you.
>
> Myron Arndt
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 10:50 AM, <bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>
> wrote:
> We have some boxes of old postcards, archival photos, that are
> curled from poor storage.
> Is there a method of straightening them out and restoring,
> flattening, ironing etc.?
> There are many repeats and we would like to put some in our sales
> gallery, but they are not in good enough condition as they are.
>
> --
> Larry A. Ewashen
> Doukhobor Discovery Centre
> 112 Heritage Way
> Castlegar BC V1N 4M5
> www.Doukhobor-Museum.org
> 250-365-5327
>
>
>
>
> --
> Myron D. Arndt
> President
> Island Art Publishers/Matshop
> 6687 Mirah Road, Saanichton, BC V8M 1Z4
> 1.800.663.7501 Fax: 1.800.663.7563
> www.islandart.com, www.matshop.com
> www.matshop.ca, www.thevgroove.com
>
>
>
> --
> Larry A. Ewashen
> Doukhobor Discovery Centre
> 112 Heritage Way
> Castlegar BC V1N 4M5
> www.Doukhobor-Museum.org
> 250-365-5327
>
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi =
Larry,<div><br></div><div>Keep in mind that all advice may not be best =
for your 'collection's' materials, or even appropriate for the =
'deaccessioned' photos and cards if they are better left unmounted, for =
example. =
If the framing business decides to&nb=
sp;adhere your collection materials to backing&nb=
sp;board, that may not going to be good=
over the long run. </div><div><br></div><d=
iv>The start is a deaccession policy, even a simple one and that looks =
like what you have started. A deaccession policy is actually a =
useful conservation tool because what you are doing in getting rid of =
excess, is to allow what remains in the collection, to be cared for and =
stored properly and what you are doing is a good start vs collecting and =
keeping everything you get. Staff should be aware of differences =
in handling or treating your collections artifacts, from handling =
'giftshop' items and what is good for a souvenir, is not necessarily =
good for the preservation of your collections materials, even if they =
are the same duplicate object. The giftshop should not be a place =
for your museum's collection displays and public can sometimes be =
confused when museums giftshops decide to sell 'artifact' materials and =
have them backed and shrinkwrapped, all neatly for sale (big =
museums can have this problem too, when conservation and marketing =
points of view collide). Staff might also get the idea that its =
ok to send collections materials to a frame shop for flattening etc =
because that's how the deaccessioned artifacts were =
handled.</div><div><br></div><div>It would be best to leave your own =
collections photos that you plan to keep, rolled up and stored in boxes =
for now, until they can be handled properly for new storage, flattening =
for access or reproduction. (not vacuum pressed or mounted without =
conservation in mind-- backing removal in the future is time-consuming =
and takes some skill and cost) The post cards might be safely =
dusted off and flattened, and stored again, with those that are being =
deaccessioned, put into simple clear plastic sleeves for giftshop sale =
so that they are safely handled and viewed, prices put onto the =
sleeve, not the card. </div><div><br></div><div>Humidifying =
anything that has ink or other media on it, can be ok depending on the =
ink, or it might be risky if the ink (even some 'pencil' marks can turn =
into purple dye if the 'pencil' was a laundry marker-- not likely, but =
possible). And =
a light dusting or grime removal is bes=
t before humidifying because that will make&=
nbsp;the mark harder to remove later.</div><div><=
br></div><div>Have you got a photo of these materials 'as is'? =
Might help to get a better idea of what types of materials and =
their condition. How curled are the postcards and what is their =
general condition? What material are the photographs (age can help =
identify what you are dealing with because different processes were =
available or popular at different dates). No stereographs in the =
group of photos and cards, are there? Those are purposefully =
curved back boards and should not be =
flattened.</div><div><br></div><div>Good luck with your =
projects,</div><div><br></div><div>Barbara</div><div><br></div><div><br></=
div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div><div><div>On =
22-Jun-09, at 4:52 PM, <a =
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc=
.ca</a> wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">THANK YOU, NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING.<br><br> <div =
class=3D"gmail_quote">2009/6/22 <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a =
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc=
.ca</a>></span><br></div></blockquote><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div class=3D"gmail_quote"> <blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"padding-left: 1ex; margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; =
border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; =
border-left-style: solid; position: static; z-index: auto; ">Hi =
Larry,<br>One good option is to put them in a cold vacuum press - most =
frame shops are equipped to handle that. If you need further info or =
cannot find someone local to do it for you - feel free to call and we =
can help you.<br> <br>Myron Arndt <div> <div></div> <div =
class=3D"h5"><br><br> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at =
10:50 AM, <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a =
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca" =
target=3D"_blank">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca</a>></span> =
wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; =
MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid"> =
<div>We have some boxes of old postcards, archival photos, that are =
curled from poor storage.</div> <div>Is there a method of straightening =
them out and restoring, flattening, ironing etc.?</div> <div>There are =
many repeats and we would like to put some in our sales gallery, but =
they are not in good enough condition as they are.<br =
clear=3D"all"></div><font color=3D"#888888"> <div></div><br>-- <br>Larry =
A. Ewashen<br>Doukhobor Discovery Centre<br>112 Heritage =
Way<br>Castlegar BC V1N 4M5<br><a =
href=3D"http://www.doukhobor-museum.org/" =
target=3D"_blank">www.Doukhobor-Museum.org</a><br>250-365-5327<br> =
<br></font></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br></div></div><font =
color=3D"#888888">-- <br>Myron D. Arndt<br>President<br>Island Art =
Publishers/Matshop<br>6687 Mirah Road, Saanichton, BC V8M =
1Z4<br>1.800.663.7501 Fax: 1.800.663.7563<br> <a =
href=3D"http://www.islandart.com/" =
target=3D"_blank">www.islandart.com</a>, <a =
href=3D"http://www.matshop.com/" =
target=3D"_blank">www.matshop.com</a><br><a =
href=3D"http://www.matshop.ca/" target=3D"_blank">www.matshop.ca</a>, <a =
href=3D"http://www.thevgroove.com/" =
target=3D"_blank">www.thevgroove.com</a><br> =
</font></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"> <div></div><br>-- =
<br>Larry A. Ewashen<br>Doukhobor Discovery Centre<br>112 Heritage =
Way<br>Castlegar BC V1N 4M5<br><a =
href=3D"http://www.Doukhobor-Museum.org">www.Doukhobor-Museum.org</a><br>2=
50-365-5327<br><br></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>=
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