Conserving,
Preserving,
and Restoring
Your Heritage
GENEALOGIST ’ S REFERENCE SHELF
Conserving,
Preserving,
and Restoring
Your Heritage
KENNIS KIM
Copyright © Kennis Kim, 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this ullication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press and the Ontario Genealogical Society. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.
Editor: Ruth Chernia
Proofreader: Nicole Chaplin
Designer: Jennifer Scott
Printer: Transcontinental
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in ullication
Kim, Kennis
Conserving, preserving, and restoring your heritage : a professional’s advice / by Kennis Kim.
Co-ullished by the Ontario Genealogical Society.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-55488-462-9
1. Material culture--Conservation and restoration. 2. Antiquities--Collection and preservation. I. Ontario Genealogical Society II. Title.
AM313.K54 2010 02.8’8 C2009-907211-4
1 2 3 4 5 14 13 12 11 10
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our ullishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book ullishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book ullishers Tax Credit program, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the ullisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.
J. Kirk Howard, President
Printed and bound in Canada.
Ontario Genealogical Society
Suite 102, 40 Orchard View Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4R 1B9
tel. (416) 489-0734 fax. (416) 489-9803
[email protected] www.ogs.on.ca
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CONTENTS
2 Paper, Parchment, and Vellum
4 Paintings and Other Framed Works of Art
5 Still and Moving Pictures
6 Textiles
7 Wooden Objects
8 Bone, Horn, and Ivory Artifacts
9 Plastic and Rubber Artifacts
10 Glass and Ceramic Artifacts
11 Silver, Coins, and Medals
12 Digital Media
Appendices
1 Accession List Information
2 How to Find and Choose a Conservation Professional
3 Using a Camera to Measure Approximate Light Levels
4 General Rules for Handling and Moving Artifacts and Works of Art
5 Encapsulation Process
6 Surface Cleaning Books
7 Angled Supports for Displaying Books
8 Making a Book Cozy
9 Construction of Folders and Book Boxes
10 Matting and Framing Paper Artifacts
11 Treating Infestations in Textiles by Freezing
12 How to Make a Padded Hanger
13 Boxing Medium to Large Textiles for Storage
14 Making Padding for Ceramic and Glass Storage
15 Some Materials for Preservation by Artifact Type
Glossary
Reference and Further Reading
Suppliers
History surrounds us — in museums, in our communities, and in our homes. Whether objects were bought, found, or inherited, these artifacts offer glimpses into the past — a time, place, event, or person we wish to remember and share with the future.
As custodians of pieces of our history, we are faced with how to maintain these items. Our family history may be held in documents, photographs, books, clothing, or textiles, and sometimes complete collections of items such as coins, trading cards, or stamps. We may have little knowledge of the artifacts we hold except that they meant something to someone, and now we feel an obligation or desire to preserve them for future generations. How we choose to execute our stewardship over these items takes many forms depending on their use, importance, and condition. More importantly, how we care for the items may be determined by what we know and what we can do financially without causing additional damage and deterioration. This book will guide you through some basic preservation techniques and preventative conservation practices for artifacts commonly found in family collections.
Many new terms are introduced through the text to help give you a better understanding of preservation, conservation, and restoration of your family heirlooms. All of the terms in bold can be found in the glossary.
There are many resources