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Before & After treatment photographs

Before	After

1811 Terrestrial Globe produced by James Wilson, globe maker (1763-1855), from the Hopkinton NH Historical Society

The globe was dusty and had a darkened and uneven surface coating, which made it difficult to “read.” A cleaning test suggested that this coating was an animal glue, which was chipped off in many areas. There was also some paper loss exposing the plaster substrate. The sphere had numerous hairline cracks, giving the globe a faceted appearance. It rubbed against the horizon ring so that rotating the globe in its stand caused abrasion. The globe was also flecked with small drops of gray paint.

Treatment:  Surface soil on the globe and stand was reduced using dry cleaning techniques. The paper gores and paper zodiac scale on the horizon ring were removed from the globe and stand using steam. The paper components were bathed in filtered water to clean the paper and to reduce the dark surface coating. They were then lined with a very thin Japanese paper using wheat starch paste to repair breaks, fill losses, and provide overall support. The gores and scale were re-adhered using methyl cellulose. They were then sized with methyl cellulose to prepare the paper for varnishing. The globe and top surface of the horizon ring were varnished with a matte coating of non-yellowing, reversible varnish. The hardware was adjusted to minimize abrasion of the globe by the horizon ring.

To learn more about the Hopkinson Historical Society’s 1811 Wilson Globe and its treatment, see the Web Photo Essay at: http://www.nedcc.org/about/news.wilsonglobe.php

Before

After

Abraham Lincoln Portrait, 1865 by J. G. Chandler
From the collection of Norman F. Boas

The varnished oil painting on paper was lined with decayed fabric which was stretched over an oval wooden stretcher and secured with rusted iron tacks. There was planar distortion and there were numerous paint losses due to exposure to moisture.

Treatment: The fabric was removed. The paper support was backed with Japanese paper. After flattening, paint losses were retouched.

Before

After

Japanese Decorative Fans
From the collection of the Longfellow National Historic Site, Cambridge, Mass.

Eighteen Japanese decorative fan paintings had been mounted on the ceiling of the Japanese Room of the Longfellow House in the late 19th century, when coal-fired furnaces were used.

Treatment: Heavy layers of dirt and soot were removed. Old ceiling paper backings were removed. Breaks and tears were mended and the fans were relined. No water was used in this treatment.

Before

After

1727 Petition to Governor Dummer
From the Massachusetts State Archives 

The document had been mounted in a bound volume using much self adhesive tape in a misguided attempt to mend tears and stabilize it overall. The document was written in iron gall ink which was somewhat oxidized. There was a red wafer seal at the bottom right corner. 

Treatment: Self-adhesive tapes were removed in a series of solvent baths. The document was washed, alkalized, mended, and backed with very thin Japanese paper.