Object/Title/Description: Owner/Custodian:
TREATMENT PROPOSAL/AUTHORIZATION FOR TREATMENT
TEMPORARY ID # 03-44
Date: 2/24/03
IDENTIFICATION OF ARTIFACT(S)
Owner/Custodian: Center for American History
Address: University of Texas at Austin
Sid Richardson Hall
Curator: Brenda Gunn
Telephone: 495-4385
Owner/Custodian Call No.: None
Title/Subject/Description: Irion-Raguet letter
Creator: Anson Jones
Date of Production: June 2, 1838
Place of Production: City of Houston
Approximate Dimensions (hxw): 25.1cm x 39.5cm
9 7/8” x 15 5/8”
Conservator: Melissa Bradshaw
Authorization
The undersigned requests and authorizes PCS/GSLIS University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX, to undertake conservation treatment of the artifact described in the attached Condition Report according to the procedures outlined in the appended Treatment Proposal. In the event the Owner/Custodian authorizes PCS to proceed with the treatment recommended in the proposal such authorization shall be deemed to include acceptance by the depositor of the terms and conditions appearing in the original Authorization for Examination and Treatment.
Signature of Responsible Officer
For Owner/Custodian:
Date:
Original to Owner/Custodian
Copy to Preservation and Conservation Studies
TREATMENT PROPOSAL
Treatment Objective:
To stabilize document for long-term storage and research.
Description
The letter is handwritten on handmade wove paper in iron gall ink. It is addressed to Samm Houston and is signed by Anson Jones. The letter is a single folio with writing on all four pages. On page 4 is addressed “His Exe. Sam Houston President” vertically in the center. There is a red starch seal underneath this address. A watermark of “J. G[R]EEN & SON 1836” appears vertically on the first leaf (the “R” in “Green” is not visible).
Condition
The ink has faded overall, but more significantly in mold-damaged and adhesive-damaged areas. There is a handwritten blue “L” cataloging mark at the top left of page 1. The letter has signs of mold, more significantly on leaf 2, on the right side. Brown stains are visible at the center left of each leaf. The letter has been folded in sixths, causing it to split along the vertical center and separating the folio into the two leaves. Each leaf has split into three pieces horizontally. Pressure-sensitive cellophane tap had been applied to the pieces. The carrier has separated from the adhesive, which has leeched into the paper and stained it. The seal has cracked and the paper underneath it is torn. There are two pin-sized holes in the paper one inch away from the seal. A slight impression caused by a paper clip is visible on the lower left of page 2.
Testing
All testing preformed under the microscope.
Ink, Seal
Dry cotton swab - touch / Cotton swab with deionized H2O - touch / Chromatography paper with deionized H2O - touch / Chromatography paper with deionized H2O – 10 seconds / Chromatography paper with deionized H2O – 30 secondsIron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—No offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—slight offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—slight offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—slight offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—major offset
Chromatography paper with EtOH - touch / Chromatography paper with EtOH – 10 seconds / Chromatography paper with EtOH – 30 seconds / Drop of deionized H2O on the surface–1 minute / Drop of EtOH on the surface–1 minute
Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—No offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—No offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—No offset / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—offset
Seal—softens / Iron gall ink—No offset
Blue ink—No offset
Seal—softens
TREATMENT PROPOSAL
1. Wash the document in alkalinized, deionized water.
2. Remove adhesive stains.
3. Mend tears.
4. House in original folder.
Photography
Nikon CoolPix 4500 digital camera
Before Treatment
1/13/03: Incandescent light—Pages 1 and 4, pages 2 and 3
1/13/03: Raking light– Pages 1 and 4, pages 2 and 3
1/13/03: Transmitted light
During Treatment
4/7/03: Page 4—before and after stain treatment
After Treatment
4/28/03: Incandescent light—Pages 1 and 4, pages 2 and 3
4/28/03: Raking light– Pages 1 and 4, pages 2 and 3
4/28/03: Transmitted light
TREATMENT REPORT
- Document was observed under the microscope with raking light, on the light table and under UV light.
- Treated cataloging mark on suction table with EtOH followed by deionized H2O until bleeding of ink reached endpoint.
- Attempted to remove ink halo around cataloging mark by brushing with the following solvents: EtOH, acetone, ethyl acetate, amyl acetate, hexanes, and toluene, respectively. No visible change occurred.
- Washed in 3 successive 10 minute baths of deionized water with 2-3 drops of saturated calcium hydroxide solution.
- Starch seal began to flake in bath, so the portion of the letter with the seal was removed from the bath and placed in a shallow alkalinized bath.
- Documents were dried between blotters and boards.
- Consolidated starch seal with EtOH and 4% gelatin-water solution (alternating between the two) on suction table.
- Mended letter with lens tissue and wheat starch paste.
- Housed in original folder.
Approximate treatment time: 11.5 hours
Signature of Responsible Student:
Signature of Accepting Faculty Member:
Date:
Bibliography
Dalley, Jane A. "Pressure-Sensitive Tapes: Their Behaviour and Removal as Illustrated by a Case Study." Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works on Paper. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Insitute, 1988. 39-45.
This article discusses the history of pressure-sensitive tape and its composition. The various stages in which pressure-sensitive tape ages is also covered . This is helpful for the conservator when dealing with artifacts containing pressure-sensitive tape so as to approximate from what time period the came and what is its likely adhesive. Once this information is known, the conservation will be able to make an appropriate decision for solvent to remove the tape, another subject which the author covers. There is a useful table for "Identifying Pressure-Sensitive Tapes" as well.
Hamm, Patricia Dacus. "A History of the Manufacture of Printing Ink from 1500-1900 with Notes for the Conservator." IPC Conference Papers Manchester 1992. London: Institute of Paper Conservation, 1993. 30-34.
As the title states, this article discusses the composition of various inks, both typographic and copper plate, and how their manufacturing processes differ through periods in history. Scanning electron microscope micrographs of ink samples are included. The micrograph of a control ink sample is compared to ink samples that have been exposed to 1.) calcium hydroxide, 2.) acetone, 3.) ethanol, and 4.) deionized water, respectively. Through this study the author is demonstrating the possible effects that conservation treatments can have on printing inks.
Reissland, Birgit. "Ink Corrosion: Side-Effects Caused by Aqueous Treatments for Paper Objects." Postprints of the Iron Gall Ink Meeting. Ed. A. Jean E. Brown. The University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne: Conservation of Fine Art, 2000. 109-14.
In this article the author discusses the risks involved in aqueously treating paper artifacts containing iron gall ink. These risks include alterations to the appearance of the ink surface, formation of crystal deposits on ink surfaces, pH-induced changes in ink color, and "bleeding". Various aqueous treatment methods in order to reduce the risk of mechanical damage are discussed, and this depends on the degree of degradation in the paper.
---. "Visible Progress of Paper Degradation Caused by Iron Gall Inks." Postprints of the Iron Gall Ink Meeting. Ed. A. Jean E. Brown. The University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne: Conservation of Fine Art, 2000.
This article illustrates the various stages of corrosion that iron gall ink causes in paper, as well as factors that affect the degree of corrosion. Some of the factors include storage conditions in which the object with signs of corrosion is kept, the type and weight of the paper, and the amount of ink that was applied to it. The author experimented with various papers and inks and submitted them to artificial agin to demonstrate and compare a pattern of degradation that iron gall ink has on paper. She provides photographs of examples showing the stages of corrosion, classifying them as "good", "fair", "poor", or "bad" condition.
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