Notebook

Notebook, 1993-

MATERIALS & METHODS

Paper - Works on Paper

Dolloff, Francis W. and Roy L. Perkinson. How to Care for Works of Art on Paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fourth Edition. 1985

Materials


It is hoped that the following list of materials will be helpful to the reader. The Museum of Fine Arts cannot, however, make any quarantee as to their quality or assume responsibility for their use.

Acid-free matting board [museum board]
Most of the companies listed below require minimum orders of twenty-five sheets, but smaller amounts may be available from local art supplies stores.

Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead
31-10 48th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

Charles T. Bainbridge's Sons
50 Northfield Avenue
P. O. Box 3028
Edison, NJ 08818

Crestwood Paper Co., Inc.
315 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013

The Hollinger Corporation
3810 South Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA 22206

Light Impressions
439 Monroe Avenue
P. O. Box 940
Rochester, NY 14603

Process Materials Corporation
301 Veterans Boulevard
Rutherford, NJ 07070

Rising Paper Co .
Housatonic, MA 01236

Strathmore Paper Co.
South Broad Street
Westfield, MA 01085

University Products
P. O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01040


Gummed cloth tape [Holland tape]
Gane Brothers and Lane, Inc.
1400 Greenleaf Street
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Gaylord Brothers, Inc.
P. O. Box 4901
Syracuse, NY 13221

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Hinging Materials
Most museums prefer to prepare hinges from pure mulberry-fiber Japanese papers, and use wheat starch paste as an adhesive. If patience, time and skill permit, this is generally regarded as the best method. Some pointers on hinging are given in Anne Clapp, Curatorial Care of Works of Art on Paper, and in Roy Perkinson, Conserving Works of Art on Paper see Bibliography. As a second-best alternative, hi nges may be improvised from the gummed flaps of high-quality envelopes, margins of sheets of stamps, or philatelist's hinges [not the "peelable" type, which is too weak]. If the edges of the picture are to be covered by a face mat, acid-free photo corners may be a useful alternative [available from several suppliers, such as Conservation Materials, Light Impressions, and University Products]. Gummed cloth tape, while not ideal, is sometimes used for hinging large or heavy prints and drawings. In general, avoid pressure-sensitive tapes, rubber cement, white glues or any material which is not known to be readily reversible in water. There are certain new types [p. 41] of pressure-sensitive tapes that are said to be reversible in water, but recent research suggests that even these would require organic solvents for removal. [See M. A. Smith, et al., "Pressure-Sensitive Tape and Techniques for its Removal from Paper."]


Japanese papers
Aiko's Art Materials Import
714 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead
31-10 48th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

New York Central Art Supply
62 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Artist's drawing and printing papers
Aiko's Art Materials Import
714 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead
31-10 48th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

Crestwood Paper Co., Inc.
315 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013

New York Central Art Supply
62 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Rising Paper Co .
Housatonic, MA 01236

Strathmore Paper Co.
South Broad Street
Westfield, MA 01085

University Products
P. O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01040


Wheat starch for paste
Local chemical supplies house

Fisher Scientific Co. - Offices nationwide, write to the Corporate Headquarters, 711 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, for nearest office.

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

Conservation Materials, Ltd.
240 Freeport Boulevard
Box 2884
Sparks, NV 89431


Cover tissue
Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead
31-10 48th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101


Buffered and reflex matte tissues
Process Materials Corporation
301 Veterans Boulevard
Rutherford, NJ 07070


Neutral interleavng tissue
Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Styrofoam-filled cardboard
Backing for framed pictures. Available through graphic art supplies stores and from the following addresses:

Charlest T. Bainbridge's Sons
Building 425
Raritan Center
50 Northfield Avenue
Edison, NJ 08817
[For large quantities]

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Acid-free corrugated board
Process Materials Corporation
301 Veterans Boulevard
Rutherford, NJ 07070


Solaner boxes and document cases
Conservation Resources
1111 North Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

The Hollinger Corporation
3810 South Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA 22206

Light Impressions Corporation
131 Gould Street
Rochester, NY 14610

Pohlig Brothers, Inc.
2419 East Franklin Street
P. O. Box 8069
Richmond, VA 23223

Spink and Gaborc., Inc.
11 Troast Court
Clifton, NJ 07011

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

University Products
P. O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01040


Acid-free papers for wrapping, folders, end leaves, lining storage boxes, etc.
Andrews/Nelson/Whitehead
31-10 48th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

The Hollinger Corporation
3810 South Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA 22206

Light Impressions
439 Monroe Avenue
P. O. Box 940
Rochestesr, NY 14603

Process Materials Corporation
301 Veterans Boulevard
Rutherford, NJ 07070

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

University Products
P. O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01040


Ultraviolet-filtering acrylic sheeting for picture framing
Plexigals, type UF-3
For a list of distributors, write to the following address:

Rohm and Haas Co.
Plastics Dept.
Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19105
[Also supplies filters for fluorescent lights.]


Acrylite, Grade OP-2
For a list of distributors, write to the following address:

CY/RO Industries
859 Berdan Avenue
Wayne, NJ 07470


Permanent book printing papers ["Superfine" quality]
Carter, Rice, Storrs and Bement, Inc.
273 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210

Mohawk Paper Mills
Cohoes, NY 12047


Light meters
Gossen Panlux Electronic Footcandle Meter

Berkey Marketing Companies, Inc.
Gossen Division
25-20 Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Woodside, NY 11377


General Electric Model 214 Footcandle Meter - This unit is less accurate than the Gossen and measures no lower than ten footcandles, but it is much less expensive. For a list of distributors, write to:

General Electric
Lamp Business Group
Nela Park
Cleveland, OH 44112


Sylvania Model D-2000 Digital Light Meter
Sylvania Marketing Services Center
70 Empire Drive
West Seneca, NY 14224


Optically coated nonreflective glass
Denglas

Denton Vacuum
Cherry Hill Industrial Center
8 Springdale Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003


Flexible plastic sheeting - There are many kinds of flexible plastic sheeting, but most will deteriorate in time, possibly releasing substances that may injure paper. Polyester plastic, however, is generally considered to be the most stable and inert. It is available in sheets and rolls and can be used as a protective covering or envelope for prints and documents, but its static electric charge prohibits its use on drawings or paintings with powdery or flaking media. Probably the best-known trade name for polyester plastic sheeting is "Mylar," manufactured by E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co., Wilmington, Delaware 198948. Mylar is also available from local plastics distributors and the following:

Light Impressions
439 Monroe Avenue
P. O. Box 940
Rochester, NY 14603

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

University Products
P. O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01040

If Mylar is unavailable, substitute cellulose triacetate, which may be purchased at local graphic art supplies stores and plastics distributors.


Bookbinding and library supplies, archival restoration materials
Gane Brothers and Lane, Inc.
1400 Greenleaf Street
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Gaylord Brothers, Inc.
P. O. Box 61
Syracuse, NY 13201

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Paper quality tests - Testing for acidity of mat board, papers, or paper products for archival storage can be conveniently accomplished with an indicator solution of chlorophenol red, available from chemical supplies houses. Acidic papers cause this solution to turn yellow. [For further information, see Barrow, Permanence/Durability of the Book, vol. 6, and Clapp, Curatorial Care of Works of Art on Paper.] Do not use indicator solutions on the art objects themselves! If more specific measurements are required, indicator pencils and nonbleeding pH strips are also available from chemical supplies houses, or write to the following:

Light Impressions
439 Monroe Avenue
P. O. Box 940
Rochestesr, NY 14603

Micro Essential Laboratories, Inc.
4224 Avenue H
Brooklyn, NY 11210

Pohlig Brothers, Inc.
2419 East Franklin Street
P. O. Box 8069 RIchmond, VA 23223

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001


Silica gel - For controlling humidity in closed containers [See Stolow, "The Microclimate."]
Conservation Materials, Ltd.
240 Freeport Boulevard
Box 2884
Sparks, NV 89431

Davison Chemical Co .
10 East Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21203

Fisher Scientific Co.
Corporate Headquarters
711 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

Chemical supplies houses


Fungicide [thymol]
Conservation Materials, Ltd.
240 Freeport Boulevard
Box 2884
Sparks, NV 89431

Talas
213 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001

Chemical supplies houses, sometimes available from drug stores.


[Dolloff, Francis W. and Roy L. Perkinson. How to Care for Works of Art on Paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fourth Edition. 1985.]




NOTEBOOK | Links

Copyright

The contents of this site, including all images and text, are for personal, educational, non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form without proper reference to Text, Author, Publisher, and Date of Publication [and page #s when suitable].