+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Document Preservation +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ A JewishGen InfoFile {An article from "Mass-Pocha", the Newsletter of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston, I:2 (Spring 1992)}. By Warren Blatt The preservation of genealogical materials was the topic of our January 19th program at the Newton JCC. Our speaker was Mary Beth Nelligan of the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC). Mary Beth is a preservation professional, who has been doing paper preservation for three years. The Northeast Document Conservation Center is a regional non-profit association, founded in 1973, to serve libraries in the New England states. It provides services for libraries, historical societies, museums, and individuals. It provides preservation workshops. Its laboratory helps preserve and restore documents, maps, wallpaper, as well as unusual items such as tickets and globes. NEDCC is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and also provides outreach and education services. PAPER. Most paper produced in America before 1860 was made of rag fiber (cotton or linen), and was produced in a slow, laborious process. During the 1840's, due to the advancement of the printing press, large quantities of paper were needed. A new quicker process for paper production was developed, using wood pulp. Wood pulp contains lignin, which deteriorates, producing small amounts of hydrochloric acid, which causes paper to self-destruct after a number of years. This type of paper becomes brittle and fragile. Most paper produced in the U.S. since 1860 uses a wood pulp base. Two sample sheets of paper were passed around the room -- a sheet from 1830 was still white and pliable, while a sheet from 1924 was yellowed and brittle. Several mass de-acidification programs have been tested by the Library of Congress. This process stops deterioration by providing an alkaline buffer, but it does not correct previous deterioration. Therefore, this process does not help older brittle materials. The only hope for preserving these materials is photo reproduction of some type: microfilming, archival photocopying, etc. Microfilm properly stored should last 300-500 years. About 70% of all paper made in the U.S. today has an alkaline reading, and therefore doesn't have an acid problem. A higher percentage of European (especially East European) paper is still acidic. Paper producers need to be refitted to make alkaline paper. The pH scale measures acidity, on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Wood pulp based paper is acidic, and can have a pH reading as low as 4.5. The American National Standards Insti tute (ANSI) recommends a pH of 8.5 for permanent durable paper. Handling. Provide a good document environment -- low humidity, low temperature. Otherwise, catalysts cause deteriora tion more rapidly. When storing documents in your home or office, be sure that the location is air conditioned during the summer, when the humidity is high. An ideal temperature is below 68øF, with humidity below 50% (ideally 35%), year round. Temperature fluctuations stress paper's bonds. Basements (too damp) and attics (too hot) are very bad places to store documents. An interior closet is much better. If you have to, get a room de-humidifier. Air conditioners also act as de-humidifiers. One method you can use to help preserve documents is the "encapsulation technique" -- seal all four edges of a document in a Mylar capsule. Encapsulation uses 2 pieces of Mylar, sealed with 3M double-sided tape on all 4 sides. This allows the document to be handled, with both sides visible. Mylar (Type D) from Dupont is a stable plastic. However, if the paper is already acidic, sealing the document causes the rate of deterioration to increase. Don't use scotch tape on documents -- the adhesive will eventually deteriorate and discolor. You can use a wheat-starch paste. PHOTOGRAPHS. Older photographs are usually printed on good quality paper, but often the backings are acidic, causing deterioration. The backings on older mounted photographs should be removed, with steam or by careful application of moisture, and a fair amount of manual scraping. Magnetic photo albums -- The adhesive is damaging to photos. The photos will eventually stick, due to humidity. PVC plastics (polyvinyl chloride) give off hydrochloric acid, which is damaging to photographs. Several vendors, listed below, sell albums with Mylar (or polyethylene) sleeves. Light causes fading, especially ultraviolet (UV) light. Don't exhibit materials in direct daylight; use an interior wall. Color photographs especially fade. When handling materials, especially photographs, always use clean hands, to avoid leaving deposits of oil. Label photos with a soft lead pencil, not ink. Photographic negatives should be stored in low-lignin envelopes. Discard the envelopes in which they are returned. Photographs should be framed using archival quality materials. The glass shouldn't touch the photo; leave some space. Use a window matte to lift the glass. Black and white photos are more stable than color photos. You can use a color laser copier (available at most copy centers; prices are usually under a dollar per exposure) to copy color photographs onto alkaline paper. Unfortunately, the word "archival" is a meaningless commercial term, which can mean anywhere from 3 to 500 years. Beware of this label. Look for: low lignin papers, that are alkaline or have a neutral pH (7.0 or above). You can test a paper's acidity using a litmus kit, or a pH pen, available from the vendors listed below. Safe materials for storage include polyester (e.g. Mylar D or ICI Melinex #516), polypropeylene, polyethylene, Tyvek and triacetate. Unsafe materials include glassline envelopes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), magnetic photo pages, kraft envelopes, and cardboard boxes. MAGNETIC MATERIALS. Cassette and video tapes typically have a ten year lifespan, even those labelled "archival". Film is more stable than video. Several labs do film-to-film and video-to-film transfers. Early commercial film was nitrate based; new film is polyester or acetate based. Store film in the same environment as you would paper: low temperature, low humidity. Remove film from cardboard boxes, which may be acidic. Use metal canisters and metal shelving. Audio and video tapes suffer from disintegration of magnetization. Reel-to-reel tape is more stable the cassettes. CONSERVATION AT NEDCC. Mary Beth concluded her presentation with a slide show. Conservation techniques include leaf-casting, which forms new paper to fill in spaces in old paper. This requires very specialized equipment. Other services provided by NEDCC include a bookbindery, photographic copying, and microfilming services. All conservation treatments should be reversible, in case current methods are later proven to be harmful, or if later technology finds better methods of preservation. This is part of the conservator's code of ethics. For help or advice on preserving your own materials, you can contact the NEDCC at 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810-1494, (978) 470-1010, ; or The American Institute for Conservation, 1717 K Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 452-9545, , a professional organization for conservators. They can give references to professional conservators. VENDORS: Light Impressions P.O. Box 940 Rochester, NY 14603-0940 1-800-828-6216 University Products, Inc. 517 Main Street P.O. Box 101 Holyoke, MA 01041-0101 1-800-762-1165 The Preservation Emporium P.O. Box 226309 Dallas, TX 75222-6309 (214) 331-8902 WEB RESOURCES: * Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) "Preservation 101" online course * Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) "Preservation of Library & Archival Materials: A Manual" * The American Museum of Photography Preserving & Protecting Photographs: A Buyer's Guide * Light Impressions Frequently Asked Technical Questions and Glossary * Conservation OnLine Resources for Conservation Professionals --- [28Mar2000wb]bk +----------------------------------------------------------------------+